The third installment of the narrative budget will appear in the October Messenger and will also be published on the Stewardship Committee page on the DRCC website. This installment is about Youth and Family Ministry.
The Youth and Family program makes up 7.5 percent of the total budget of the DRCC. That money goes to salaries, mileage, youth group activity supplies and occasional expenses incurred in fundraising for the youth mission fund.
The Youth and Family Ministry program was developed in 2006 after a decision was made not to hire another associate minister. Over time this position has grown to provide augmentation for many of the programs that exist in the day-to-day life of our congregation. Youth and Family Ministry works in conjunction with the Board of Christian Service to oversee the annual mission trips as well as encouraging and developing additional mission opportunities such as the Midnight Run, the Homeless Sleep-out, The Eddy Shelter Dinners and myriad collections that benefit our area shelters. Additionally Youth and Family Ministry works to fundraise money into the Youth Mission Fund, which provides scholarships for mission trips. This fundraising offsets the otherwise potentially prohibitive cost of mission trips, making them accessible to anyone who wants to engage in service.
Our Director of Youth and Family Ministry, Chelsea Chiappa, also works with the Board of Deacons to provide support for the spiritual development of the congregation by leading worship services and planning the special services of the year. She also helps to train Stephen Ministers and later provides a liaison of communication that allows Stephen Ministry to consistently identify and care for potential care receivers in our community of faith. In addition, Chelsea communicates with Tim, Bill and Kris to provide visitation and respond quickly in the event of tragic events that affect members of our church.
Additionally, Chelsea oversees the Youth Groups of the church, working to recruit and support volunteers that run the events as well as taking feedback and tailoring the program to make it dynamic in an ever-changing world. This is done in conjunction with Sybil and the Board of Christian Education.
We have a dynamic and service-oriented congregation that clearly believes Christ calls them forward to be constructive in the world at large. Ultimately service work deepens our faith and our understanding of God’s existence alongside us every single day.
This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. –Corinthians 12:25-27
