A Personal Faith Journey My favorite book as a child was called “I Like Sunday School.” It followed a little white girl
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Coming into my Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) year, I was no stranger to being the chocolate chip in the vanilla ice cream. All throughout my grade school years and college, I was the splash of color in a sea of
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This is a joke that commonly gets tossed around by Young Adult Volunteer Alumni, but for me, it’s the truth. I had my life and career completely planned out in college – I was going to become a photojournalist and travel the world. So how is it that five years
MoreFive years ago, I discovered the Young Adult Volunteer program and thought it would be a great way to transition from college to…whatever I would do after college. As a YAV, I served in Nashville, Tennessee, working with children and volunteers at Preston Taylor Ministries – an after-school program for
MoreI am a born-and-bred Midwestern boy. It is in my blood and is reflected in my decisions and actions. For better or worse, wherever I live or travel, I see things through Indiana-colored lenses. I have also always had strong Presbyterian roots; some of my earliest memories are from VBS
MoreBirth, Death, and Solidarity in the YAV Program Our Church’s approach to mission work has changed dramatically in recent decades – and continues to change! In the traditional understanding of mission, the missionary operates from a mission compound, from a position of power and control, and relates with a condescending
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In 2010, I decided to embark on a major life transition. I left my comfortable, full-time job, gave up my car, and moved. Why, you might be wondering? What adventure could I have possibly signed up for? Where would I be going? Someplace exotic and exciting, right? Well, sort of.
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Moving to a new city is no easy feat. I’ve done it twice in my life thus far, and I wouldn’t wish the difficulty of moving and getting settled in a new city on anyone! Many people find themselves moving to a new city because of happy, exciting changes in their
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This week’s mini-series is a collaborative effort with Ecclesio. Check out these and other articles at www.ecclesio.com. Over the past 12 years, my call in ministry has been to the bayous of Louisiana, home to communities that have undergone hurricanes, oil spills, economic losses from imported seafood, and the splintering of extended
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One Sunday, after parking our car in the vacant lot across from the church where we worship, our family made our way around a make-shift memorial that had been set up the night before. 24 hours earlier, a vigil had been held for a young father of two who had
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A poem by Martín Espada This is the year that squatters evict landlords, gazing like admirals from the rail of the roofdeck or levitating hands in praise of steam in the shower; this is the year that shawled refugees deport judges who stare at the floor and their swollen feet
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Coming into my Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) year, I was no stranger to being the chocolate chip in the vanilla ice cream. All throughout my grade school years and college, I was the splash of color in a sea of white faces. So when I arrived at Stony Point, New
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