6. Interview with Janel Lewandowski (Part 2)

Return to Janel Part 1

FF: How long have you been here?

Five years

FF: What are the moments you feel most passionate about?

This committee that I work with is really difficult because the organization is changing and shifting. But it has been really rewarding to work with young adults around the table because they want to live integrated lives. It's fun to watch them challenge each other and say how is this event that we're doing different than something someone else would do - how are we going to bring Christ to people. It's hard to integrate, and it's exciting to see people working this question

Since Gwen's gotten involved we worked on getting more people involved in hosting so we aren't doing everything - uncovering people's gifts and letting them use them. The retreats have been very powerful people getting connected and making friendships that are deep and related to spiritual lives.

FF: What would you say is working well in each?

Young adults - parish's concrete commitment to inviting young adults here - that's been intentional. Youth ministry - its been the unbelievable people who come out of the wood work and say they're willing to help in these amazing ways as volunteers.

FF: How has having so many young adults here shaped the church?

One way has been growth of the parish - young people come and get married have kids. From 500 to 5400 families. Having young adults in this parish has enabled us to do some things with technology because they bring the skills of how to do it. Like the block party wouldn't happen if you didn't have 2000 young adults pouring beer, doing the web site. It creates vitality, energy and hospitality in the parish. Young adults want to get involved especially because they don't have commitments to family. They want to meet people and get involved - feel a part of the community. They want to help out. It's a group of 2000 volunteers - we don't have any trouble getting volunteers for things.

FF: 4 struggling youth people who came before you, trying to serve the church and do their best in the midst of 5 yrs of great transition. Were there pieces of their work that you found valuable or did you start with a clean slate?

Starting out I think I was pretty arrogant thinking I could change the world, now I empathize - this is kind of invisible ministry here. Plus seeing the youth ministry and having expectations and not fulfilling them. I think the treasure that was left are the individuals that were groomed as leaders who are committed to youth ministry. Also the foundation of captive audience from the children's ministry. So we have had that benefit. I've known the families here through the children's ministry so I didn't have to start from scratch here - that was a big advantage.

Even in young adult ministry there's been transition. We used to have a guy who split 50-50 between youth ministry and young adult ministry and he was so charismatic. People would come because he was so fun and hospitable but when he left there was nothing. So we've intentionally not had a young adult person because then the people have to take responsibility for the programs themselves. We share between the three of us to make sure we get the mission and vision for young adult ministry out in the group and share the responsibility of leadership.

FF: This is a huge staff, how is that?

Sometimes I think it would be nice to go to a church with a pastor and a secretary… but it would be hard to leave here. Our staff is so huge and so talented and so experienced - most folks here have 20 years more in ministry than me. So it's a great example that people can stay in ministry, and I am learning a lot from them. There are communication breakdowns but at the same time we can pull off the block party without any of us being involved - hardly any of us that work in this building.

The committee of young adults is so transient - so leadership is hard in the midst of that. How can we make sure the baton gets passed when people are always changing? That's draining on the staff. So we decided to scale back events in order to get things on line and organized first. Our communication with people is the first hospitality. We are trying to get them to take responsibility for this ministry so that when people leave it doesn't default back to us. Gwen is working wonders - she's created some policies and procedures that are really helpful in a big organization like ours. That change has just been in the last 6 months. It is amazing that in the midst of so much transition that on the surface things have pretty much stayed the same

FF: How about tracking?

We just cleaned up our database and found that the majority of our people have moved. So now we're focused on hospitality and welcoming people - avenues is meant to be an entrance into the BSM ministry - not a ministry in and of itself. So we have had to be careful about that.

FF: How has the message you give them changed as a church because of that transience?

Continually inviting people in rather than seeing a lifelong journey for them here - although a lot of young adults are staying here. We know we have a better chance of getting them here for a one time event or a short term commitment - like on this committee will be 6 month term - it used to be 3 years but we never had anyone that long. We want to engage people who are uncertain about their future.

FF: So rather than expecting them to stay here for the long term you welcome them and nourish them here with no expectations?

Anonymity is attractive to young adults at first - they can come here and check it out. Then when they are ready for a smaller community they sometimes move to a smaller church. So we see them as seeds sent out into the wider parish when they leave us rather than wasted effort.

FF: How does working here form your faith journey?

For me its been difficult because I've wanted to keep some space between personal life and ministry - so I don't go out with people after a first Friday for example because I want to go home and see my husband, pet my dog. So when I know someone is new to town I don't go out with them to the bars or whatever. I'm still guarded about my personal life. Working with these young adults has been helpful in my understanding transition - what kind of theological and theoretical framework can help with those transitional times. So I might not always be going through these transitions, but I can understand and help them work through it.

For George there's not the expectation that he will hang out with them. I think I feel that because I'm younger and I don't have kids. The ones that I do connect with are involved in youth ministry as group leaders - because they've taken another step in and I work with them more closely. They are more committed to the questions I'm interested in exploring.

FF: What's the genius behind what goes on here?

We see the value in inviting young adults into the church. I know that there are a lot of parishes that don't know what to do with you until you are married with kids. They don't know where you fit in. I think this is a place for people who want to struggle with faith questions, to grow and ask questions - working through a conscious decision to welcome and accept all people as Christ has been made specific to young adults. Part of it has been looking at all the young people downtown and all the freeways and saying - we can do something different than suburban churches - give people a place to experience diversity.

FF: How does preaching fit in with young adult ministry?

I think the way the preachers tie in the scripture to real life - what is the morality here, how does it connect with our lives. It's more than just giving rules - it's giving a framework, asking people to think about what you're being called to, how you are being called to respond to God's love. There's a lot of talk about the community and how we are called to serve the greater community and the parish. I think that has appeal for seekers who are weary of institutions and want to serve.

FF: What's up for the rest of your day?

I'm headed home early today. My big commitment this summer is the Summer Stretch program - service and fun combined for youth. Parents feel good about it because their kids are doing good stuff, I like it because I can hang out with the kids instead of doing administrative stuff. It gives me hope for the future of the youth ministry here.