Posts Tagged: yav

Pentecost: Building a Strong Foundation

Right Here, Right Now Rev. Dr. David Gambrell spends of plenty of time with young people. He is a father of two daughters, he volunteers to teach confirmation classes at Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky and he was one of the youth leaders who preached at the 2019 Presbyterian Youth Triennium. He says Triennium… Read more »

Pentecost: One YAV’s Journey of Faith

From Northern Ireland to Nashville Rev. Ashley McFaul-Erwin would not likely be a pastor for the Presbyterian Church today if she’d stayed in her homeland of Northern Ireland, and especially if she had never found the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program. From Northern Ireland to the U.S. seems like quite a big leap, but it’s… Read more »

Beauty in the Unknown

Guest post by Clara Hare-Grogg, 2019-2020 Young Adult Volunteer The Philippines, where I served as a Young Adult Volunteer until being evacuated due to the global pandemic, is acutely vulnerable to disasters like volcanic eruptions, typhoons, and floods. Even everyday weather is notoriously unpredictable. The ability to deal with the unexpected has therefore embedded itself… Read more »

Pentecost: The Greatest Love of All

The children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Remember that song from the 1980s? It is called “The Greatest Love of All.” And what greater love is there than God’s love for the children? The chorus in that song goes “the greatest love of all Is happening to me…. Read more »

Pentecost: Surprised by the Spirit in New Orleans

The Holy Spirit is moving Can there be any more inspirational words to hear from a young person than these? “The Holy Spirit took me, and changed me in ways that I wasn’t expecting.” During Pentecost, we celebrate that the Holy Spirit has opened the doors to faith in Jesus Christ. While serving as a… Read more »

Pentecost: Building a Life of Faith

Who was the first person to teach you about Jesus? Who was the first person to  show you how to honor God with your life? Who helped you open the doors to new understandings of God and of faith? When did these things happen? For many of us, they happened during our childhood. They happened… Read more »

Seeing faith through a different lens

Young Adult Volunteer program opens eyes to the church’s relevance in our world Sitting on a city bus in Washington, DC, with the plight of homeless people weighing heavily on him, Andy Thomas experienced a homecoming of faith. This Presbyterian Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) had attended a memorial service for the 41 homeless people who… Read more »

The First Third of Life, Your First Impression of the World

We all know the importance of a first impression. As kids, we all learned about strong handshakes and heard, “First impressions are the most lasting,” and “You don’t get a second chance at a first impression.” Think of all the firsts in your life: your first best friend, your first day of school, your first… Read more »

Minute for Mission: Young Adult Volunteer Program

A Year of Service that Changes Lives and Transforms our Church The racially motivated murder of nine people last year at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, sent shock waves of distress and heartache across our nation and around the world. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Young Adult Volunteer Hannah Weinberg-Kinsey was one… Read more »

Meet more SOLSN Ambassadors!

It’s time for another round of meet the Ambassadors – since it’s been awhile since you’ve heard from me, I’m going to introduce you to two for the price of one! Anna Owens and T.J. Piccolo served with me as Young Adult Volunteers in Belfast, so suffice it to say I’m excited to have them… Read more »