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A TAWFG Member holds a candle during an evening prayer walk. Photo by TAWFG Member Rachel Measimer |
We Can! |
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A prayer by TAWFG member Connor Wood
We can all help out in the world -- All you have to do is put a little something on it. |
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"All of the members gave me a lot of hope for the future of the church!" -- Rev. Paul Bryant-Smith |
by Rev. Eric S. Anderson
SHARON (01/11/2012) -- Eleven young people -- members -- and nine adult advisers -- mentors and shepherds -- spent the first full weekend of January at Silver Lake Conference Center considering and discerning the call of God. This first Members' Retreat of the Thinking About Working for God program concentrated on the message that all persons have a gift from God, given them so that they may change the world. As witnessed by the tears glistening in the eyes of their adult advisers over the course of the weekend, all eleven young people took hold of their gifts, and began to transform those around them.
Coming from very nearly all four corners of the state, the young members did not start the weekend all convinced that they were called to ordained pastoral ministry, nor did they all complete the weekend persuaded of it. And that, emphasized Associate Conference Minister for Youth and Young Adult Ministries the Rev. Da Vita McCallister, is more than fine. The retreat was intended to help them understand their call to serve in God's world, whatever their eventual profession.
The days began with prayer walks in the rosy light just after sunrise, and ended with prayer walks brightened by hand-held candles. In between, adult shepherds (pastors of churches with TAWFG members) and ordained mentors told their stories of call, and invited the members to consider and share their own. Bishop John Selders, pastor of Amistad United Church of Christ in Hartford, encouraged them to find their authentic, genuine voice, and the Rev. Eric Anderson, CTUCC Minister of Communications and Technology, gave an introductory lesson in using their physical voice to take what was inside them and bring it out.
On Saturday night, some of the members stood before participants in the Confirmation Retreat program (also running at Silver Lake that weekend), and briefly told their stories. One told of hard times and difficult situations in his life, and of observing some people around him, which had persuaded him to take a good look at himself and make changes in himself, and become a better person. Another described the strong pull she felt to serving others, which she thought might be expressed in becoming a psychiatrist or therapist. Another told of her deep love for Silver Lake, and her desire to share that with other people.
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Then they asked if anyone in the room -- filled with ninth-grade confirmation students -- had ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever (how many is that?), ever, ever, ever considered working for God for a living. In ones and twos, hands went up, and the young people handed out new cards that would usher new members of TAWFG into the program.
The Rev. Paul Bryant-Smith, one of the mentors, expressed the feelings of all the adult leaders when he said, "All of the members gave me a lot of hope for the future of the church!"
Thinking About Working for God is a ministry of exploration and discernment for young people, and offers congregations support in nurturing the future leaders of the church in their midst. In addition to the annual retreat, pastors of local congregations with a TAWFG member receive regular invitations to gather and encouragement in offering the young people education and opportunities for leadership in the church. A Facebook group provides the members with the chance to converse with each other and with the the group of mentors together.
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Members light candles, walk, and pray. Photo by TAWFG Member Rachel Measimer |
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What Do You Want to Pass On? Video by Eric Anderson |
The Rev. Eric S. Anderson is Minister of Communications and Technology for the Connecticut Conference UCC, and one of the mentors for the TAWFG program.
