Fall Season

This is becoming a more seasonal blog than the original biweekly that I intended, and for that I apologize.

As we head into the fall season I am somewhat relieved, as summer was difficult for many of our staff, and for me was just long. I spent a lot of time in a support role for other staff teams, which was needed but not really along my gifts so I am somewhat glad for the close of the season. I also relish the structure that comes with fall, and look forward to routines that may feel full, but at least allow for coffees with friends, housework and grocery shopping. I miss those things! (Yes Mom, even housework... but I'm sure I'll get over that quickly!)

In my ever-changing role with ICYA a new season usually means a new job description and this year is no different. We are saying good-bye to our program director, Kevin Friesen, who has been with ICYA in various roles for the past 8 years, and to our administrative director, who is due with her first baby this Christmas. This means I step back into leadership roles. I am still striving to complete a degree in youth leadership this spring, and continue to work only half time at ICYA, so we have put together a team to corporately lead the program staff until a new director is hired. I look forward to working with this team, but am a little apprehensive as I know the challenges ahead for us. Pray for grace, wisdom and unity as we go forward in this.

I am also working alongside another staff back in children's drop-in, hoping to be involved more in volunteer recruitment, Bible teaching times and continually expanding our capacity in that program.

The cooking club has been cancelled for this year, as a new policy makes it difficult to have kids in our homes, and our industrial kitchen at ICYA is not really allowed to have kids in it for food safety reasons. Complications that change our ministry, but do not end it. We are throwing around ideas of an art club or drama group instead - the point is to spend time with youth in relationships that will lead them to Christ, and whether cooking or acting or racing cars - those are just tools and at the end of the day, not the most important thing at all! In the meantime, each of the girls who were in my cooking club are all now enrolled at St. Aidan's Christian School, a school that operates out of our building, where they are taught Bible among other subjects, and they continue to grow in their walks with the Lord.