YOUTH MINISTER’S REPORT: Hogan Brock
What a busy quarter we’ve had! The youth have done a lot in the last few months. Let’s run through some of the highlights.
In early February, we gathered for a Discipleship Now weekend. We explored the radical grace of Jesus and what it means to live in that grace when we choose to follow Christ. We were graciously hosted by Jay and Tracy Hartman and Andrew Sabatini and Sarah Smith. Kate Marshall, Abigail and Joshua Ballew, Emily White, and Rachel Brock are youth mentors that gave up some or all of their weekend to invest in our youth group. As part of the weekend, we repainted the tables in the Worship Explorers classroom (across from Susan Lumpkin’s office). Stop by and see what was created! We also had the opportunity to worship with our Burmese brothers and sisters at their youth worship service on Saturday night.
In March, we partnered with CBF Virginia and many churches throughout the state in Williamsburg, VA for Mission Madness! We worked throughout the community, forging and continuing relationships on behalf of Walnut Hills Baptist Church, which hosted the weekend. We came back tired, but with a new understanding of the kind of transformation that God can cause.
Throughout the past few months, we have been praying for and celebrating with one another as students. Our rising 8th graders completed the application processes for speciality centers and high schools. We are excited for Dylan and Kaeo who will be studying at the Center for the Arts in Musical Theater at Henrico County High School, and we are excited for Sarala Kennedy who will be studying at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School.
We have also been praying for both Preston and James Lowery as they applied for and accepted new jobs! Preston has begun working part-time at a local market and James has begun working with an urban farming initiative. We celebrate with James and Preston and pray for them as they continue to work and study!
We also celebrate with and continue to pray for our high school seniors, Monica Iang, Kanoa Burgess, and James Lowery, as they make decisions about next steps in education or in the workforce.
Thank you to all of those who have volunteered with, supported, and loved our youth over the past few months. Your support enables us to continue to do the things we do! A very special thank you is owed to Kathy McGraw for her continued leadership in youth Sunday School. Kathy, thanks for all that you do! Parents, youth mentors, and church, we’ve had a great start to 2019 and we can’t wait for what’s to come.
