Month: August 2026

An Exciting New Year in Youth Ministry

An Exciting New Year in Youth Ministry

We’ve had a fantastic summer in BMPC’s youth ministry: a transformative pilgrimage to Taizé, France, and a joy-filled week at the Montreat Summer Youth Conference in the mountains of western North Carolina. Now school is back — or almost back — for all of us. The end of summer is always a little bittersweet, but there’s plenty to be excited about in the year ahead!

First up:

Rita’s! On Wednesday, September 2, at 5:30 p.m., I’m buying Rita’s for any youth in grades 6–12 who want to come celebrate the start of the year. Come meet me at the Rita’s in Bryn Mawr for one last summer treat — and a chance to kick off a great year together.

And there’s even more coming:

We’re expanding our ongoing mission opportunities for young people, because serving others shouldn’t be something we do only for one week each summer. We’ll visit Gemma Services on October 4, November 1, and throughout the year to spend time with vulnerable young people living in Gemma’s residential programs. BMPC youth don’t need to arrive with special skills or a perfect plan. They can simply show up, make friends, and share their gifts through sports, academics, the arts, and — most importantly — their willingness to be themselves.

We’re continuing our gender-based programs for 6th–9th graders, creating space for candid conversations about the messages we receive — especially online — about what it means to be masculine or feminine. Burgers & Root Beers and Matcha & Mahjong are opportunities to have some fun, be ourselves, and talk honestly with caring adults about the pressures young people are navigating. The first gathering is October 5.

Something new on Wednesday nights. Starting September 16, we’re launching a new weekly fellowship program for 4th–7th graders. This is a chance for young people in late elementary and middle school to have fun, learn, grow, and build community together as they make the transition from children’s ministry to youth ministry.

At the same time, Student Serve is getting a new focus for 8th–12th graders. We’ll ask big questions, dig deeper into Scripture and theology, and explore what it means to grow as leaders — not just in the church, but in the world around us.

It’s going to be a great year in youth ministry. Yes, saying goodbye to summer is a bummer. But there’s a lot to look forward to. See you at Rita’s on September 2 — and at all the great things to come!

Accessible Excellence

One of the many blessings of my role as Director of Music & Fine Arts is working with your Music and Fine Arts Council. Together, we spend a good chunk of our time discerning the possibilities for a ‘year in music’ at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church. Punctuated by the rhythms of the liturgical year and the musical fodder they provide, we’re able to offer a variety of events, all under the umbrella of “Accessible Excellence.” From world-renowned recitals presented in collaboration with other musical organizations, to displaying artwork by you, to the profound beauty of the music sung weekly by the Sanctuary Choir, to a community Come and Sing event; there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re a first-time concertgoer, a music student, a professional musician, or someone who just loves all things art, welcome to the 2026-2027 year of music at Byrn Mawr Presbyterian Church. 

Whether you’re feeling a pull to join one of our many ensembles (beginning at PreK and ending… well, much older than PreK!), deepen your connection with your faith through the medium of Music & Fine Arts, or simply learn of the concert offerings this year, I invite you to visit bmpc.org/mfa to learn much more about how you can be involved. I, alongside my colleagues Mitchell Miller (your new Assistant Director of Music & Fine Arts), Tori Fisher (Administrative Coordinator, Music & Fine Arts), and Daniel Carroll (Organ Scholar), am truly excited about the year ahead, and we can’t wait to share it with you.

I Lift My Eyes to the Hills

This month I had the joy of spending a week of continuing education at Ghost Ranch, a former dude ranch, now a Presbyterian conference center about an hour south of Santa Fe. Ghost Ranch is an awe-inspiring location known not just for its Presbyterian history, but as a site of historically significant paleontological discoveries and artistic inspiration. Georgia Okeefe herself lived at the Ranch starting in the 1930s.

The conference itself was incredibly life-giving, and the connections and conversations I made with clergy from a wide range of generations and Christian traditions were refreshing. But the landscape was what really captivated me. I kept taking the same photos over and over again, hoping that maybe the next one would be able to capture the overwhelming beauty of the mountains and surrounding mesa. One evening, a friend and I took the chairs from our guest room out into the middle of a field to stargaze and be overwhelmed by a clear glimpse of the Milky Way.

One of the most famous mountains viewed from Ghost Ranch is Cerro Pedernal, which means “flint mountain.” The architects who thoughtfully designed the main lecture space at Ghost Ranch ensured that there was a clear view of Pedernal behind each of our keynote speakers and preachers. I will confess that mostly while I was listening to the presentations, I was looking at the mountain.

Okeefe herself is said to have painted Pedernal at least 29 times. I wonder if, like me with my iPhone, she kept trying to capture the overwhelming beauty of the mountain that can’t be fully captured in film or in oil.  The quote commonly attributed to Okeefe in reference to Pedernal is, “God told me if I painted it enough, I could have it.”

It is no wonder the Psalmists found both beauty and divinity in the vision of a mountain –
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

My prayer as we near the end of summer is that you too have found a place to experience the beauty of God’s creation—something so remarkable that it defies being captured in a photo. But also, that the summer has offered a time of quiet and retreat, a time of reconnecting with friends old and new, a time to give thanks for the blessings of this life in the midst of its challenges.

May we lift our eyes to God’s glory revealed in the world around us and remember again the One from whom our help comes and our calling to be stewards of God’s beautiful creation. And may we carry that sense of wonder, gratitude, and renewal with us into the season ahead.

“Georgia O’Keeffe – Red Hills with Pedernal, White Clouds [1936]” by Gandalf’s Gallery, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

God’s Surprise 

I am a planner. Sometimes I even dedicate time to planning out a planning process. I have multiple calendar templates, pens of every color, Post-it notes, apps, spreadsheets, and lists that help me manage everything from when to plant things in my garden to when we need to start working on the t-shirt design for VBC. When I look at a perfectly laid plan, I feel a deep sense of both satisfaction and completion.  But what I see as a complete task, I think God sees as an opening negotiation.
Usually before I can record my newest color-coding system, something has already changed. A hospital visit isn’t scheduled 6 months in advance, and a really important question can’t wait until the designated block on Tuesday mornings; as Leo Tolstoy argued, “The most important time is now, the most important person is the one you are with, and the most important work is to do good to that person.” I try to live that practice, but my calendar sometimes trips me up. Let’s just say, while I don’t condone it, I can understand why the priest rushed past on the road to Jericho.
My summer shifted with a surprise trip with the youth to Montreat, NC. My carefully laid plans for August shifted; and yet, coming here was an invitation from God to be present and an unexpected surprise. Even now, five days in, sleep-deprived and a little bug-bitten, I have been surprised by all of the holy moments along the way. Moments from worship, from short conversations, from prayers spoken and practiced, from the giggles that filter out during late-night conversations down the hall, from the walks between buildings, from the care our adult team—Pastor Andy and Kathy Stevens—extend while keeping us on schedule. These are moments when God speaks in new ways, when I see grace extended to me again.  I asked our youth last night to share a few of their favorite surprises from the trip. As you look at the pictures and read their words, I hope you see a God who shows up, weaving a timeline that no amount of planning could have created.
“I was surprised to see bears!”
“ I was surprised by the friends we’ve made who live near us.”
“I am surprised by how impactful the week has been.”
“I’m surprised to learn how many things go on behind the scenes. It’s pretty cool.”
“I’m surprised by how beautiful it is.”
“The activities (Rec) have been really great.”
“That most of the leadership are volunteers who give their time to make this conference happen.”
“Really great preaching.”
“How much free time we get.”
“Connecting with people in my small group.”
“Sometimes I feel like our at-home church community is really localized, but seeing all these people from nearby reminds me that there are more people than I knew.”
Thank you, BMPC, for making this week possible for all of our youth—and a few grown-ups, too!