a big life update...

so i've been looking for a church since august... i've decided that it's one of my least favorite things to do... at first, i was totally excited... i'd get a chance to visit a lot of different types of churches and could have a bit of freedom in where i might go from week to week... after about a month or two, i hated it... i missed having a group of people that knew me, loved me, encouraged and challenged me...

the reason i left the church i was going to is because i felt like God was calling me to be a part of youth ministry and there was "no room in the inn... or the stable..." i could help out with children's or college ministry, but at that point, they didn't really need any help with the youth group... so to be faithful to what i felt like God was calling me to do, i knew i needed to look for a different church...

i visited a lot of different churches... and got really frustrated... i am a seminary student wanting to do volunteer youth ministry... and i hadn't found a place where i fit...

on top of all of that, i am taking a class next semester - ministry practicum - 10 hours of supervised ministry a week... well, in order to do that, i need a place to do ministry. so for the last month, it's gotten worse... feeling like there is no place for me in youth ministry in the area... i've had plenty of "offers" from churches in seattle or in other places in oregon, but my job is in vancouver... my career, at that... plus a free place to live right now...

here's a piece of my heart - this is my dream/vision... (that i feel like God gave me - even though i was starting to give up on it and have big doubts)
i desire to work as a volunteer youth worker - not the youth minister, necessarily, while working a full-time job... in the next five to ten years, i have a dream to start/help out with/watch come into existence - a youth/community/sports outreach - high 5 ministries... with a huge multi-purpose center where youth could do drama, sports, music, art, with video games, ping pong, pool tables, with a computer lab - you name it... all there... and at the same time being very upfront about the gospel... and the whole time this is going on, i'd still be working at my full-time job, volunteering with that same youth group...

so a few weeks ago, this man i know came into my office... i think he's my personal prophet... (that's probably heretical, but it will make sense in a minute) - one thing to understand is that i'm not necessarily friends with this man - he's the metro bcm director in the area and i know him, have had discussions with him (thought about being on the bcm team this year, but God had other plans) - but usually when we see each other, it's a mere, "hi-how-are-you-doing-fine-thanks" kind of dialog... anyway - he walks into my office and says, "robyn, where are you going to church?" it caught me a bit off guard, so i just said, "yes..." - i do that a lot, when people ask me a question that i either a) don't have an answer for, b) don't like the answer for or c) it's a either or question and i like both answers and can't decide between the two... there are probably other instances...

anyway - i say, "yes..." - and go on to say i'm going to different churches and still searching for one... and he asks me if i know this man that i've met a time or two and then tells me to call him... so he gives me the number, i call him up... and well, it was kind of an answer to prayer on both sides... and when i say kind of, i mean really...

his (and his wife, and their church's) heart is for ministry, missions... they want to have a sports clinic (outreach) this summer - and want to start taking international mission trips... they're community based and are needing someone to work with the youth... right now, there are 3 girls on a regular basis, but they've had up to 10 on a sunday morning... but the church is only 2 months old... i went to lunch with rob and lori last week and it was incredible... it was just really refreshing - because our ideas are a lot the same...

and there's a big young life program at the middle school... one of the couples that helps lead young life goes to their church and their heart is for outreach, and mine (with the youth group at church) is more about discipleship... i'm all about outreach, but at church, discipleship is way important to me...

so i went to church there on sunday - taught the youth class... met heidi and kevin (the young life folks)... and had an incredible time... rob came by and saw me at work on monday - i thought things went well on sunday, but it's kind of hard to read youth reactions - especially since i had just met them... but his daughter is one of the youth - and she went home on sunday and asked rob if i was going to come back and said that she really wanted me to...

so i think i'm a youth minister now... i can do my supervised ministry there - rob has the qualifications that are needed in a supervisor for me - and i pretty much have my support group in place (something else i need for that class) - and with that class in place - and the class i'm taking in san francisco in a couple of weeks - and two other classes next semester, i'll graduate with my master's degree of arts in theological studies... so yea!!

i will stay living where i am for right now - the church is about 20 minutes away, which is not a big deal, but when i move, which will be fairly soon, i'll move more north to be closer... i'm going to be involved with as much young life stuff as i can and then i'll teach on sunday mornings each week, if i'm not out of town... and i'll help coordinate youth events - and probably get to go on at least one trip this summer... :) - i love youth camps and youth mission trips...

oh - the church is tri-mountain community church in ridgefield, washington... and it meets in a pizza parlor (and the youth meet in the coffee shop in the same shopping center)...

i think i've covered everything about it... i'm totally excited about what God is going to do with it...

but for now, i'm getting out of my office... i don't have to be back until monday... yippee!!!