Peer Ministers Needed

Seventeen years ago my life changed because my pastor (my dad) nominated and encouraged me to become a Peer Minister in the local youth group. At fourteen I had just come out of three years of anger at the church and a rejection of a faith that I couldn't accept as my own. During confirmation class, in the previous year, the first building blocks of my adult faith journey had begun but still at this moment in time my belief in God was limited to a rational deistic concept of the Prime Mover. No one could prove to me that the creator of the cold universe actually cared, let alone loved, these complex creatures that had evolved to the point of questioning the meaning of life.

There were two things about that first Peer Ministry Retreat that, combined, became the catalyst for my understanding of God and my relationship therein.

The first was a boy. Not a love interest, mind you, for we all know that teenage story all to well; but a role model and a walking testimony. Chris Stefanick was about to be a senior in high school and I don't know his story well enough to understand how he had become the saint he seemed to already be in his few short years, but never before had I met someone who truly had the love of Christ simply shining out of his eyes. He resonated with peace and everyone he met came away with a feeling of deep connection and contentment... at least that was my experience. Not a word of what he said to me and others that weekend has remained in my memory, but I will never forget having the feeling that this young man knew something very deeply about the universe that I hadn't even begun to experience... and I wanted whatever it was that he had. Chris was the ultimate Peer Minister. He lived, and I believe continues to live, the concept of BEING the gospel. As St. Francis said "Preach the gospel. And, if necessary, use words." It wasn't a trained pastor or a seasoned youth pastor who brought the love of Christ into my life, it was a seventeen year old Peer Minister.

The second event was really the climax of the retreat for me. Our youth pastor, Laura Haftek, had led us in group building, leadership training, games, and prayer experiences. We had several opportunities to discover different ways of prayer and contemplation throughout the retreat and it was on a contemplative prayer exercize that for the first time in my adult journey I felt a presence that science could not explain away. We had been encouraged to roam the grounds of the beautiful Abbey where we were staying while contemplating the beauty around us and I found myself confronted with a statue of, what I thought was, Jesus and a kneeling disciple in petition to her loving teacher. It was in the moments that followed that I felt called into prayer, for how else do we find ourselves in those moments, and I, too, petitioned the One who I hoped would be my teacher with the thought that has continued to resonate with me today - asking the Christ to use this broken vessel because I was coming to believe that I was only going to be a useful vessel if Christ helped me know what to do in the world. In that moment I felt a very real call into ministry and the journey has continued.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because part of my call includes creating opportunities for others, particularly youth, to recognize the call on their own lives and I want to encourage you to consider nominating a youth in your congregation to become a Peer Minister. We already have a few young people along with some adults who will begin training with us this coming Thursday at 7pm, but there is room for more.

In June we will have a weekend long Peer Ministry Retreat based very closely on the one that I was on myself so many years ago. That will be another chance for new youth (incoming 7th - 12th graders) to join in. Right now is the first wave of leaders who will help lead and run Ripple Thursdays and any retreats and events that happen between now and June.

Think about who from your congregation you would encourage to be a leader, a Peer Minister, and potentially a catalyst for some other youth's life on their quest to be everything God created them to become.

Thank you for considering this and for your continued support on this new adventure!

Many Blessings,
Rachel