Pentecost Offering

In addition to posting over the next couple of weeks, I wanted to highlight two stories in our recent church newsletter.  This particular story comes from my friend, the Rev. Kristin Stroble, pastor of Heritage Presbyterian Church in Poland, Ohio.  Kristin is an alumnus of the PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer mission year program.  Our annual denominational Pentecost Offering (which we will collect on May 20 and June 3 due to Pentecost Sunday being an ecumenical worship service) goes to support this program among others.

The PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program is a national and international program of mission service for young adults of faith. I spent a year in this formative program serving in the Philippines. The tag line for this program is "a year of service for a lifetime of change." I could write a book about my experiences in the Philippines and about the way that this year of service continues to impact my life. Instead I’ll offer you some highlights about the transformational effect that the YAV program has had on my life and ministry.

In the YAV program I learned how to live in community, both with those who are similar to me and those who have little in common with me. In the Philippines I started out living in an intentional community with other young adults from the US, Germany, and Indonesia. Together we struggled with culture shock, language, witnessing the harsh realities of this country, and how to live in community through it all. I then went to live with a Filipino family, who taught me about hospitality and the bonds that can be formed with people who initially seem to have nothing in common with you. I learned how to live simply and what is truly important in life. I learned acceptance, how to accept myself and my own vulnerabilities as well as the stranger in our midst.
I learned how to ask questions and to accept that they might not have easy answers or any answers at all. I learned the risk involved in truly following God’s call for peace and justice. I grew in my spiritual journey as I sought to find God in difficult places and to theologically reflect on my experiences in the Philippines. I learned that ministry isn’t about programs, having all the answers, or being the best preacher. Instead I learned that ministry is about relationships, being present with each other and being pre-sent with God. Life in relationship is walking beside each other through the joys and the sorrows, knowing that Christ is our companion in the journey.

I’m not the only one who has been impacted by the YAV program and I pray that this program will continue to thrive and transform the lives of young adults in our de-nomination. I know of no other program in the Presbyterian Church that has this kind of impact. Support the Pentecost offering so that others may experience a year of service and a lifetime of change.