New Youth Specialist at First UMC!

For some time, I have been thinking and praying about how our youth program at Ames First United Methodist Church will grow in the next years, and about what will help the program to respond to God’s call to invite, nurture, and deploy disciples of Jesus Christ from among the youth of Ames.

In my conversations with you and others, as well as in my own reflection, I have heard about the central importance of leadership – loving, skilled, gifted adults who have a passion for working with youth. Our program is already blessed with such leaders in our current volunteers and staff, but I have repeatedly heard the need for more dedicated staff time for our youth.

As our Staff-Parish Relations Committee at First UMC was about to take up this question for consideration, an opportunity presented itself. I learned that a colleague of mine was going to be looking for employment in Ames because her position was being downsized for budget reasons. Kristin Johnson is a gifted and passionate youth minister with a seminary degree in Youth and Family Ministry and eight years of experience at both small and very large churches. I realized that this was likely a once in a lifetime opportunity to recruit an ideal candidate to serve on our staff and bring her gifts, skill and passion to enhance our youth ministry.

I brought up the possibility of creating a staff position, as well as the opportunity to hire Kristin, to the other pastors and the SPRC. The SPRC has been entrusted with both structuring our staff for the furthering of our church’s mission and the selection of persons to fill those positions. The SPRC was deliberate and careful in assessing our church’s current and near-future needs, as well as sensitive to the fact that one excellent candidate was actively looking for a position.

The SPRC approved a job description for a Youth Ministry Specialist as a 20 hour per week position for a 6 month trial period to begin July 1st . They secured funding for the first 6 months through a generous grant from the First UMC Foundation. The understanding is that this position may become a permanent position paid from our operating budget beginning January 1st 2011, dependant on evidence that the new position and employee would make a clear positive impact on our youth program.

The SPRC then invited Kristin Johnson to interview for the position. The interview team was a small group representing current youth leaders, parents of children who will soon entering our youth program, the SPRC, and current staff. The interview team was very impressed with Kristin’s qualifications, presentation, and clear passion for youth ministry. They concluded that she was an ideal candidate and agreed that we could not let the opportunity to have someone like her on staff slip away. Recognizing that Kristin was considering positions at other churches in the area, they recommended and the full SPRC agreed that we offer Kristin the Youth Ministry Specialist immediately.


This week Kristin accepted the offer, and it will be our pleasure to welcome her to the staff at First UMC starting July 1st! Again, this will be a 6 month trial position, so the SPRC will be seeking out feedback and impressions, as well as examining statistical evidence like attendance numbers and frequency of attendance to determine if this position is in fact a blessing to our church.

Having worked with Kristin in the Story Protestant Youth Network to bring Summer Stretch to our area, I am confident that we will benefit greatly from her care, passion, and expertise in youth ministry. I hope you will join me in welcoming Kristin and helping her to get to know our community.

One of our first tasks will be helping her to become familiar with the many families in our church. We will be looking for several opportunities for casual gatherings in the first weeks of July. I will host some at my home, and would welcome invitations from others willing to host small gatherings or open houses at their homes. Hopefully we can provide opportunity at a series of meet-and-greets for most if not all to welcome and get to know Kristin Johnson.

May God bless you, and continue to bless the youth ministry of First United Methodist Church!