I love going to church gatherings; they’re always an uplifting spiritual experience, with people who share the same heart as yourself. This past Spring 09, a couple of friends and I attended the 2009 Episcopal Province VIII Campus Ministry & Young Adult Gathering. This year's theme was Liturgical Choreography and Prayerful Action.

    The first day we flew in early, and we were welcomed with smiles and hospitality from Chad Sundin, the leader of the worship team, and The Rev. Dr. Gil Stafford, the Chaplain for the Episcopal Campus Ministry @Arizona State University, who is also the Vicar at St. Augustine's, which is where the gathering took place. The night started off with a film called, “Beyond our Differences.” The film connected all the people in the world through religion, that even though we may all worship differently and worship different Gods, we are still one people and we all must stick together. Like family, unity and community. I think that’s what I got out most from the weekend, was the importance of establishing community within our surroundings: no matter where we go in life, whether it be moving to a new place in San Francisco or going grocery shopping, you can always find a way to connect with people.

    The next day we had workshops. One I went to was about a deacon who shared her experience of how she got into ministry and how God called her to be a deacon. She was great and reminded me of a mother reading a bedtime story to her children, she was so nice and gentle. And all this talk about ministry wasn‘t really going anywhere until the team found out that a third of the participants were interested in ministry. So the team just decided to put a little group together to talk about that. It was a wonderful thing to know that I wasn’t alone when making a really big choice in my life. Seeing like 10 other young adults that felt called to ministry boosted my confidence for discerning and put a little bit more happy in my heart, to know that the youth are stepping up.

    This Province VIII event was really great, and I think one of the best things about gatherings like these are the people you meet and the people you connect with. When I first got there I was hekka tired, and so I took a nap, and while I was taking a nap I woke to find that one of my friends that I met from another Episcopal event was there in front of me attending this one. I stood right up and gave him a hug. My friend Joey from California, who was now a student at ASU, decided the night before that he was going to attend. It’s just really great to see people you haven’t seen in awhile and pick up where you left off and praise God together. I even met the sister of another good friend of mine that I met at another Episcopal youth event. It’s just so crazy cool. It’s all about community and connecting with others. And that’s all I’ve got, reach out to your community and “put a little love in their hearts.”