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Kelly Rupprecht, Part-time Youth Minister, Trinity Church Ambler
Recently returning from Rhode Island to the Philadelphia area has been a blessing for my family. My husband Ryan and I both attended WHS and were married at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in 2002 and thus are quite familiar with the area. We now have a wonderful, eighteen month old son, Reese.
I attended Elmira College in New York and studied Speech Therapy and Special Education. My secular career has included teaching, speech and language therapy, coordination of special education programming and the supervision and support of special education teachers. I have focused primarily working with adolescents with emotional, behavioral and psychiatric disorders. |
I was baptized and raised as an Episcopalian and love the Episcopal Church. My husband and I have both been involved in Christian Youth Programs such as Young Life, Inter- Varsity Christian Fellowship and College Christian Fellowship. Although I was raised Episcopalian, I am associated with various denominations. I hope to draw from all my experiences within my own faith journey to create something that is meaningful and original for our youth. I believe that Youth Ministry should be practiced in the spirit of Accompaniment- “a mutually transforming relationship between an adult and a younger person who is helped to make the passage through adolescence into spiritual maturity, “to the measure of the full stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).” Adults might accompany directly at points and make room for others to safely accompany as well.”
What led me to Youth Ministry are a great combination of things…basically God calling me over and over until I finally listened! Dave Canan was my Youth Minister as an adolescent and I realize that my teenage years would have been drastically different if not for the interaction at youth group and the ability to openly question my faith without repercussion. I have struggled with my faith journey but realize my struggle is a true testament to God’s power and love.
My goals for the youth group are to :
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Share the love of Christ with youth in a non-threatening environment
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Share the work and presence of God and Jesus Christ in our daily lives,
- Share the power of the Holy Spirit to inspire,
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Share the value of Christian friendship and community,
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Share the importance of sharing God's love by helping others, and
- Share the Christian faith journey as an adventure
I am excited to get to know all of you!
God Bless, Kelly Rupprecht
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