Finding Peace in God's Creation

Nature has always been a safe space for me and the place I’ve felt closest to God. I was an active kid, playing multiple sports year round to both burn off the chaotic energy of young Jenna but also because being outdoors was where I felt most at peace. Then, through confirmation, I attended a week of Kairos camp at Lutheridge and was introduced to the connection between God, ministry and the outdoors. I quickly fell in love with the connection and, though I never attended camp as a camper again, I became more aware of the connection and have found myself looking for God anytime I’m on a hike or otherwise spending time outside.

I’ve also known that I wanted to work with kids in some capacity for a really long time but wasn’t sure how that would look. I was then given the opportunity to be the NC Synod Youth Representative on Synod Council and the LYO Board and quickly fell in love with the idea of ministry and started wondering about what youth ministry might look like as a future career. I then got the privilege to work as both a camp counselor and Lutheroad Area Director at Lutheridge and once again fell in love with the idea of outdoor ministry and, through Lutheroads, the idea of working with kids in a church setting, not just an outdoor setting. Through my time as a Youth and Family Ministry major at Lenoir-Rhyne University, I made connections and attended events to learn more about what this career path looks like beyond the classroom and camp setting.

Through talking with pastors and other youth ministry professionals that I know, look up to and respect, as well as working in my college internship, I fell in love with the idea of working in a church. While I’m still in the process of learning what all working in a church entails, I am so excited that my journey has led me to Grace! While I made a bit of a pit stop by participating in the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World in Florida, I’m so excited to be back in North Carolina and continue meeting new people, learning everyone’s names (I appreciate the patience as I’m learning them all!), brainstorming new ideas for things to do with the youth, learning what they’ve done that they enjoy and, overall, getting to know them better!

Since the outdoors is such a big part of why I became interested in ministry, I would love to incorporate that into time with the youth. Whether that is going on hikes or sitting outside in a quiet space and listening to the sounds of nature, I’m excited to explore more ways that the outdoors and ministry connect and overlap. I’ve also heard about the love of food among the youth and am excited to spend time in fellowship with them (and hopefully their families) over some good food!

Jenna Ramsey, Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries