A Letter From New Member Audrey Schuette

Hi, my name is Audrey Schuette, and I officially joined Northbrook UMC just over a month ago.  I have been attending Northbrook with my parents since last January, and in the span of less than a year, I became one of the founding members of the young adult bible study and was called to serve as a volunteer with the youth ministry.  
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As cliche as it is, one of the things I love most about volunteering on Sunday nights with the youth ministry is the youth themselves (…and the free meals).  It’s privilege to be young enough to connect with the youth, yet old enough to appreciate how uniquely crafted, cherished, and talented each individual is—regardless of how they interact with others at church or at school.

This past weekend, I volunteered to assist with Northbrook’s youth ministry’s lock-in!  We visited Snow Island at Lake Lanier, which was freezing but also so much fun (maybe a little too much fun at the end there with the spin-y rides).  We also went to Moe’s, played games like hide-and-go-seek, made root-beer floats, sang worship songs, watched a movie, slept a little, and ate breakfast together.  I feel it’s important to note that all of the planning for this amazing 25+ person event was done by one of our youth and one of our adult volunteers and funded through the generous donations to Northbrook.  
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Our congregation’s joyful demonstration of their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness continues to reach out into our community, touching friends who are invited to fun lock-ins, adults who are looking to guide the next generation, and young adults like me who are looking to continue engaging in Christian community after our time with our college ministry comes to an end.  Thank you for being a part of this journey at and with Northbrook UMC.

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