*Republished from the September 2015 issue of The Kayseean
By Matthew Miyares
Erin Almond, a junior and FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) leader, is preparing to obey God’s call to Ireland. She aspires to have a long term opportunity to be involved with youth in Ireland, particularly taking advantage of in-church opportunities.
“My family is from Ireland, so I have always wanted to visit. I have heard about some youth ministry opportunities in Ireland, and I have been talking to Assistant Professor Dan Kreiss about moving to Ireland after graduation.
Originally attending Grand Canyon University in Arizona, Almond began considering the Education Program. After having the opportunity to visit King, she began to realize that this may be where God was calling her.
“I liked it,” she said, “and I began to make steps toward coming to King.”
There are many ministry opportunities that I am interested in getting plugged into, but I am not exactly sure what I will be doing,” Almond said.
“I loved Education, but realized this was not something I wanted to do long term,” she explained. She began to take Introduction to Youth Ministry with Assistant Professor Dan Kreiss. At the end of the class, she felt “called to the ministry but was still quite unsettled as to what capacity God was going to use her.”
Stepping forward, Almond changed her major to Youth Ministry with a minor in Psychology.
“I love Youth Ministry because I have the opportunity to love the kids as Jesus loves us. Personally, it encourages me to find people that share the same beliefs I do, and Youth Ministry provides that through a small group environment.
Assistant Professor Dan Kreiss is very helpful and experienced, and I am thankful for his impact in the Youth Ministry Program,” said Almond.
Almond said that understanding Christianity is hard for many youth. Therefore, “We need to be there for them.” She said she believes a different approach is needed in how youth are taught God’s Word.
For those students who are interested in pursuing Youth Ministry, Almond suggests that they take the Introduction to Youth Ministry course provided.
“Youth ministry is hard, and you must be open-minded to new ways of approaching things,” she said. Almond encourages fellow students to manage their time well and to get involved in any of the many activities King offers.
“Be ready to be challenged, but stand firm in your faith,” she concluded.
