November 27, 2007

Dear Friends,

Left to right: Doug, Jessica, Bethany, Sarah, Alex, Melissa and Maureen.

One of the hats I wear is Northern Ireland site coordinator for the PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer program. The YAVs I oversee work with inner-city churches and community projects offering a range of activities for the very young to the elderly: parent/toddler groups, after-schools clubs, computer classes, women’s groups, youth clubs, senior citizen’s lunches, keep-fit—the list goes on and on. Plenty of possibilities for volunteers to match their particular skills and interests to the needs of their placement site as well as chances to develop new skills to tackle unexpected challenges! Let me introduce you to this year’s volunteers.

Bethany Therriault, from Eastminster Presbyterian Church in York, Pennsylvania, is working with youth and other programs of Garnerville Presbyterian Church, which reaches out to a low-income housing estate in East Belfast. She also works with The Link, an inter-denominational initiative that connects town churches and the local community through a drop-in centre for young people from lower-income areas of Newtownards, ten miles east of Belfast.

Melissa Wheeler, from First Presbyterian Church, Canyon, Texas, serves with Cooke Presbyterian Church in a mixed area of southeast Belfast through work with youth from the congregation and the surrounding community. She also appears from time to time with her guitar in worship. At The Vine Centre, located in a low-income inter-face area in North Belfast, Melissa works with study support and youth clubs, a senior citizen’s lunch club, and is being trained as a welfare benefits advisor. Recently she helped lead a “Preparing Youth to be Peacemakers” course with young people there.

Maureen Wilson, from Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indianapolis, assists Fitzroy Presbyterian Church through youth work with children from the congregation and the surrounding community and a weekly late-night outreach to students. At the nearby Mornington Community Project—in a Catholic/Nationalist inner-city district of south Belfast that has suffered greatly during “the Troubles”—she is involved with youth clubs, after-schools activities, a women’s group and a senior citizens lunch club.

Alex Wirth, from Grace First Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, California, works with Fortwilliam Macrory Presbyterian Church in North Belfast. This congregation uses its building to actively engage not only with its own members but with all sections of the community in a district that is becoming increasingly Catholic/Nationalist. Among other things, Alex leads a Sunday evening youth fellowship and a Saturday night youth club in the strongly Loyalist Tiger’s Bay area. He also assists the 174 Trust, an inter-denominational group operating a community and youth centre in a nearby low-income Nationalist area of North Belfast. There Alex focuses on youth and after-school projects, and the PHAB Club for physically disabled and able-bodied. Ask Alex and he will tell you he has never played so much indoor football (soccer) in his life!

Jessica Samoy, from Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Tucson, Arizona, works with Whitehouse Presbyterian Church in North Belfast and outreach to surrounding schools. Whitehouse is situated in a “no man’s land” between housing areas identified with Loyalist and Republican factions. Six years ago, Whitehouse’s building burned down in a sectarian arson attack. Today it engages in creative cross-community work with the area from which the perpetrators likely came. Jessica works with youth ministry, a cross-community project for older adults, assists with worship, and connects with schools in the area through drama and support for religious education and creative learning aspects of their curriculum.

Sarah Craven, from Covenant Presbyterian Church, College Station, Texas, isworking with Strand Presbyterian Church in a modest residential district of East Belfast. Strand has become a pilot project in urban mission through the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and plans to replace its traditional building with a multi-purpose community facility in the near future. Sarah works with children’s and youth ministries within the congregation, a statutory youth club in the district, and links with local schools as part of the congregation’s outreach. A visitor from Strand in our church last Sunday came over to me and said, “We just love Sarah, thank you for placing her with us!”

All of the congregations and community ministries where the YAVs serve love them and are extremely grateful for their presence, enthusiasm, and the gifts they bring.

While I was in the United States in October speaking in presbyteries as part of Mission Challenge ’07, I had the delight of linking up along the way with nine former YAVs who had served in Belfast. It was amazing to listen to their reflections on how a year as a YAV had shaped their lives and to hear what they are doing now.

Northern Ireland is one of eight international locations for the YAV program. There are also ten YAV sites in the United States. No matter where in the world volunteers serve, the sites have common components: Experiencing, understanding and interpreting another culture; reflecting with other YAVs on faith questions raised by the experience; participating in a local worshipping community; practical service in a setting of need; and commitment to embracing a simple lifestyle and exploring social justice issues.

For further information on serving through the Young Adult Volunteer program in Northern Ireland or in other locations, contact PC(USA) Mission Service Recruitment at 888-728-7228 ext 2530. Applications for 2008–2009 need to be in by the end of February.

You may be the only way a potential YAV hears about this program.  Share this letter with at least one.

Faithfully yours,

Doug Baker

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 172