Why We Give: Young adult ministry thrives at one church

The young adult ministry at St. Paul UMC in Lusby is organic, a bit unconventional and beginning to thrive.  As part of his ordination Bible study requirement, youth pastor and provisional Deacon David Showalter gathered young adults for whom no Bible study or Sunday School class existed and began a class for them.  Julia Graves has continued this effort by facilitating a new and very popular Sunday School class for young adults with support from Scarlett and George Gerlach. 

Jen Lewis, a young adult who recently returned from serving as an overseas missionary for two years, discerned a call from God to extend the youth ministry at St. Paul by recruiting two young adult friends and her parents to mentor senior high students through a "Senior High Life Group."  This weekly gathering of senior high students creates opportunities for them to fellowship and share their joys and challenges with caring young and older adults in an inter-generational ministry to, with, for and through these young people.  The young adults have become active in numerous church ministries and are also reaching out to their own community demographic, branching out through "flash ultimate Frisbee mobs" that gather to play and fellowship whenever it's convenient and the church activity center is available.