Welcome one another, therefore,
just as Christ has welcomed you,
for the glory of God.

~ Romans 15:7

My Saint John’s Summer

I wasn't feeling nervous exactly when I first arrived at Saint John’s after a six-hour drive from my home in the valley, but I also didn’t know exactly what to expect. Having grown up with missionary parents in Pentecostal churches, I am somewhat new to Methodism, but my pastor from home, Rev. Todd Jones, had assured me that Saint John’s would be a welcoming place. Still, I wasn’t sure how the next 5 weeks would go. But as soon as I came to worship, I realized that the people here really matched my energy (especially the JOYful folk!). I knew in advance that Saint John’s was a reconciling congregation, but seeing all the people in rainbow stoles confirmed it: this place is unashamedly affirming.

This was the first time for me to be away from home like this, and I’m not going to lie – it wasn’t easy for me to be so distant from my family and friends. But from the first moment I arrived at Saint John’s, I felt warmly welcomed. My living space was comfortable and well-stocked, and it was super convenient to be right across the street at 5900! So many people at Saint John’s (too many to name!) have gone out of their way to make me feel cared for and accepted, including inviting me into their homes and treating me to multiple meals out.

As part of my pastoral internship, my goal was to experience as much about church life at Saint John’s as possible, and it really feels like I’ve done that. In Sunday worship, I was able to try out many roles: liturgist, leading prayers, preaching a sermon, and musician. Of these, the most challenging was probably writing and preaching a whole sermon, but I was really lucky to have Rev. Bobbi Kaye Jones as a mentor for this. She really helped me organize my thoughts and gave me great tips on preaching; plus it was cool to experience how she was similar to my home pastor, who also happens to be her nephew.

I participated in a lot of activities outside of worship, too. I went to my first Annual Conference in Corpus Christi, helped out with the Middle School service camp, watched movies and went walking with the JOY Senior Adult group, did a hospital visit, delivered food to Hope Food Pantry, joined the Saint John’s Pride+ group at the Pease Park Pride Picnic, and joined the Youth group for a couple of their activities. I feel like my experiences helped me get to know people at this church at more than just a surface level.

The past month has not been without challenges, though. I struggled a bit with cooking for myself (everyone on staff knows about my burned sweet potatoes!) and missed my tight-knit community in the valley, especially having to miss out on celebrations for birthdays and Pride. But when I return home this week, I’ll be taking part of Saint John’s with me in the memories and connections I’ve made. I’m very grateful to this community for providing such a wonderful experience for me. I’ve learned so much this summer and even conquered the mysteries of properly cooked sweet potatoes! I will definitely keep in touch with the friends I’ve made here, and I also plan to participate remotely when I can.

Thank you, Saint John’s! I’ll never forget you.

Tags: pastoral intern