The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

A reception was held recently to recognize the three 2015-2016 Young Adult Volunteers (YAV's) who are currently serving in Chinook. YAV Site Board Chairman, Pastor Dennis Findorff, said the event was also a celebration of the support from volunteers and organizations that makes the YAV program function in Chinook. The YAV program is an ecumenical effort supported by six local churches: Alliance Church; Assembly of God; St Gabriel's Catholic Church; American Lutheran Church; United Methodist Church and the Chinook Presbyterian Church. Globally the YAV program is administered by the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA).

Becca Roberts, Alyson Wilson and Alex Sprague, current YAV's, arrived last August to begin their year in Chinook. The current YAV's will not be leaving until late July but the local governing board decided to hold the reception before school was out for the summer.

Pastor Findorff, in his opening remarks, explained, "It takes a lot of people and participating organizations to make the YAV program happen." He recognized a number of organizations that provide volunteer opportunities for the YAV's-from the local schools to the senior center, nursing home and food pantry. The YAV's also participate each week, during the school year, in the local youth programs and will be helping with Loaves and Fishes, the feeding program, this summer.

Part of the evening was a series of digital greetings and updates from former YAV's. Several former YAV's have been attending various seminaries to prepare for full-time church related careers. Part of the purpose of the YAV experience is to help young adults discern future courses of action for their lives. Katie Brendlar, a 2013-2014 YAV and now in seminary in California, will be coming back to Montana this summer as the interim minister at the Presbyterian church in Potomac, near Missoula.

Steve Edwards

Becca Roberts, Alyson Wilson and Alex Sprague arrived in Chinook last July to serve as Young Adult Volunteers (YAV's). The three will be leaving mid-summer and a reception was held recently in their honor.

The current YAV's shared some of how this year has affected their future plans. Two will be attending seminaries in the fall and one is completing the interview process to serve as a youth minister at a church in her hometown. Chinook is the only 'rural' YAV site in the program and the three current YAV's, all from urban areas, commented how their first experiences living in a rural area presented unique opportunities and challenges for them. Findorff noted, "Part of the mission of the YAV program is to equip future leaders to adapt and endure. Hopefully this year on the prairie has helped these young adults gain some useful life skills."

Pastor Jack Mattingly, who is the Chinook site coordinator, said interviews are already underway to select three YAV's who will serve next year. He said, "The first new 2016-2017 volunteer has been selected. She's actually from a town smaller than Chinook." Maybe locals will learn something from this new YAV about living in small towns.