by Ken Pennings
I am absolutely thrilled with the opportunity to serve as one of the Associate Pastors of ORUCC! Thank you for welcoming me in such a friendly and enthusiastic manner! I feel right at home among you, and I’m looking forward to getting acquainted with each and every one of you.
I knew there was something very special about Orchard Ridge when not only the adults went out of their way to welcome me, but also the teens and young children! After I preached my first sermon, one of our teens, Hannah Josephs, and two tiny preschool girls offered me a gift they had made out of clay, a snowman named “Ralph.” I will always treasure Ralph, and will display him proudly on my bookcase at home.
And speaking of teens, how ‘bout that singing group, TRU Function?! And the teens who worked so hard in New Orleans on the mission project? And Alden Hedges who played the electric guitar and sang with his Dad, Paul, during worship three weeks ago? And Kythie Boyd, who played the piano and sang a song she composed herself during worship two Sundays ago? It’s amazing and wonderful to have teens so actively involved in the life of the church!
And oh the children! Did you see the way they filed down the aisle to receive communion last Sunday morning?! And the way they held up their vegetables as an offering to God during the outdoor worship two Sundays ago?! And how, at the same outdoor service, they moved about the congregation dousing us with holy water as a reminder of our own baptisms?! What a thrill to have children fully immersed in worship!
With great interest, I read Tammy Marten’s and Julie Mazer’s descriptions of fall programming for children and teens, and I thought, “I wish I were a kid again to be a part of all this cool stuff.”
As I’ve been inviting my friends to visit ORUCC I find myself saying, “One thing I really love about this church is the way children and teenagers are so fully engaged.”
My primary ministry at ORUCC will be among adults, helping them connect with one another and with new opportunities for spiritual growth and ministry, and I’m very excited about adult ministry. But I’m also very excited about our youth ministries. May our youth ministries continue to expand and prosper as we adults invest more of our time and energy in our precious children and teens!
