Welcome Ethan Miller, New Director of Youth & Family Ministry
Word from Wiese
30 August 2023
Hip, hip, hooray! Everyone, please help us welcome Ethan Miller as our new Director of Youth & Family Ministries.
Ethan actually grew up just down the road, in Griffin, Georgia. He attended St. John Lutheran Church, pastored by Rev. Katie Pasch, who in her retirement now attends (and guest preaches) at COS and gave Ethan an enthusiastic double-thumbs up.
Growing up, Ethan loved his church’s youth group and especially attending National Youth Gatherings, our synod’s leadership camp called Affirm, church camps and more.
Ethan is a smart-cookie. With a masters in chemistry and biochemistry, Ethan has worked several years as an environmental health and safety officer. But God works in mysterious ways. Recently, Ethan answered what he felt is a call to ordained ministry in the ELCA and actually just last week started seminary, part-time and remotely, at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in South Carolina. A win-win proposition is what appealed to the COS Search Team. Several COS members felt Ethan’s service among us would be a terrific way to invest in a future leader while simultaneously receiving blessings from Ethan’s vibrant faith.
Ethan begins tonight at our Wednesday gathering of LOGOS and LOFT (middle and high school ministry) when he’ll be introduced to parents and kids.
Over the course of the weeks ahead, please reach out to Ethan. Introduce yourself and add your own special twist and voice to a “hearty hello” from all of us at COS. You can email Ethan at [email protected]
We’ve said it before and let’s say it again: thank you Shelly Jakubowski for your outstanding tenure as INTERIM youth director! What a fine ministry you led. Our whole congregation is appreciative. We’re so grateful that you’ve pledged to be very supportive of Ethan’s leadership and will stay involved as a small group guide in LOGOS and in any way you can help. Regarding this moment, Shelly says, “I am so thankful for the search committee who worked really hard to find someone with a heart for our youth. I think Ethan will offer a fresh perspective & I’m very excited to welcome him into our Youth team & our church family.”
Likewise, we’re grateful for the hours that Search Team Chairperson Ben McCumber, Pastor Miriam, and all who served as part of the Search Team, in conjunction with the Personnel Team, have spent on this discernment process. Well done. We look forward to the good days ahead the Holy Spirit will unfold!
Celebrating with Ethan and you,
Pastor Fritz
Questions:
- Did you have a youth group director growing up? Who comes to mind?
- Was faith formation important in your life when you were 12-18 years of age? If so, how?
- How can you pray for our new colleague in Christ, Ethan Miller, in his new role? How are you willing to be of help?
Let us pray.
Dear God, we remember how when kids are baptized at church, all of us pledge our support of their faith journeys. Thanks for working through our financial and personal gifts so that support is activated in effective and tangible ways. Today, we’re grateful that Ethan Miller joins our ministry with our incredible youth and their families. Bless Ethan with energy, wisdom, and joy in serving. Bless our kids that they may grow with this new caring leader in their lives and the ministry that surrounds them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
