Year One Reflections & Ongoing Support Needs

Reflection and Thank You Thank You! I cannot express enough my thankfulness for each one of you and your support over this year. Thank you for every prayer you have prayed for me and for the students I work with. It has been a comfort knowing I am not alone in this and a gift to share this year with you. Thank you also to those who have supported me financially. How has the Lord been answering your prayers and working through your financial support? I started mentoring one of the high school girls and doing a Bible study with her. We are going through John intentionally focusing on the character of Jesus and the invitation He gave His disciples to come and see.   I got to teach through the book of Galatians for Sunday school and hear from the students about struggles with people pleasing, trying to earn God’s love, and the temptation to walk in the flesh. God has continually deepened my love for the students and joy in being with them. My understanding of God and His character has grown through the mentorship and training I have received. Also, God provided me with an apartment in Oak Park! I have already passed multiple people from Calvary biking or walking past me. I am very excited to live in the community I am serving. How God Used This Year in Me Throughout my time at Moody, I never pictured myself working at a church. The thought of vocational church ministry intimidated me. Yet in His kindness and wisdom, the Lord opened the door for me to work at Calvary, which has been a huge joy. I started working at Calvary knowing only a couple of people and very little about youth ministry, but I ended up loving the people and the ministry. Here are some things God has used this year to teach me about (youth) ministry, myself, and life: Our needs must first be met in God, or we risk neglecting the needs of students. During a residency meeting, we discussed the importance of being aware of our needs. When we are ignorant of our needs, we may show up to serve because we need to feel loved, heard, purposeful, or accepted, rather than to love students. As I have driven to youth group, prepped for Sunday school, or talked with a student, I have sought the Lord when I notice my need for the students’ approval or love motivating my actions asking Him to meet those needs. Teaching and leadership carry responsibility. I quickly noticed Nigel’s high view of the responsibility of being a youth pastor. Middle school and high school are formative years, and we are dealing with moldable students. Our influence is not something to be taken lightly or be misused. Nigel gave me a greater appreciation for the gift of doing youth ministry and my humility had grown as I consider my need for the Lord's help to care for the students well. We plan intentionally by faith. In May, we developed strategic plans for our ministry areas. We identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Then we articulated specific goals and steps. While ministry is ultimately relational, structures allow those relationships to flourish and us to be present. It was helpful to be given a framework for vision casting in ministry and also to be reminded that we ultimately surrender any plans to the Lord. Youth ministry is partnering with parents. As an RA, the students on my floor often felt autonomous and I cared about their family relationships, but did not have contact with most of them. On the other hand, middle school and high school students still live at home under the care of their parents. The students’ parents are their primary caregivers and disciplers. So I have been learning how to support, encourage, and communicate with parents seeking to join them in their care for their student. Strengths are an opportunity to serve and grow. I learned more about my strengths this year through various tests and by stepping into teaching, small group leading, mentoring, and administration under the supervision of church staff who provided feedback. I began to see more of the beauty in the strengths God has given me and intentionally lean into them. I also learned that our strengths are opportunities to grow. If you have a strength, that does not mean you do it perfectly. Rather, you lean in and learn how to strengthen that quality or skill. When we are discontent, we often miss the evidence of God’s goodness in our lives because we are focused on what we don’t have or where we want to be rather than where we are. In January, I was confronted with my discontentment with aspects of this season. I was struggling to see the purpose and value in nannying. I was also wrestling with feeling behind in life. I felt like I should have more figured out, be more skilled, or have reached more milestones. As I prayed for contentment, God opened my eyes to the gifts in this season that I was taking for granted because I was wishing to be further along or somewhere else. I have learned to live more presently and gratefully. Friendship and family are good gifts and God honoring priorities. Since graduating, the pace of life slowed down, yet I was exhausting myself seeking something that felt eternally significant to do with every spare minute of my time. I felt like I should always be busy with ministry. As I learned that is not true and rest is necessary, I began to value and see the significance of relationships that are not explicitly ministry relationships. I learned God is pleased as we celebrate with friends and family or show up for everyday moments. I was reminded that God is honored as we love one another. He has been teaching me that family and community are good and a worthy investment of my time and energy, a lesson I was resistant to learning at college in all the busyness. Continued Need for Support As I enter this next year, I will continue to need both prayer and financial support. These updates gave you a glimpse into how God has used your prayers and support, but there is more you do not see. Many weeks I left Sunday school or a conversation thinking that someone must have been praying for that because of the peace I felt or the doors God was opening for relationships. So, thank you! I will continue sending out these updates over the next year for those who are interested in hearing what the Lord is doing and receiving prayer requests. I am also in need of continued financial support. While Calvary will be covering 50% of my salary for this next year, the other portion will still come through support raising. Whether you gave a one-time gift or a monthly gift this past year, would you prayerfully consider continuing to support me, or even increasing your support?

 Ways to give:

1.      Online – You can give through the church website at https://calvarymemorial.churchcenter.com/giving. Select “Calvary Resident Faith Lasky” on the drop-down menu next to the amount you are donating.

2.      Check – Make the check payable to “Calvary Memorial” with “Residency” on the memo line. Include a note with my name in the envelope to help the church track receipts. The church’s address is:

Calvary Memorial Church

931 Lake Street

Oak Park, IL 60301 

Thank you all for your prayers and support!

~ Faith