First United Church of Christ Northfield

When Rev. Sandy Johnson of First UCC Northfield, Minn. introduced a new program for college students and recent grads called “Leadership 21,” she was unsure what to expect. Initially designed as a series of weekly meetings to explore a sense of calling to ministry, Leadership 21 evolved throughout 2009 to become much more than that.

“We began meeting in 90 minutes sessions, and I chose a variety of activities to invite prayerful (and sometimes playful) consideration of students’ gifts and how they might use them in service to others,” Johnson said. “What I quickly realized was that these students are already crammed with programs and activities – they just needed a space to reflect. So that’s what we became.”

Searching for History

During one session of Leadership 21, Johnson had the students review materials she had pulled from the extensive church archives.Those artifacts included annual reports, worship bulletins and newsletters from decades long past. “The students got to see themselves as one part of a long history of church members,” Johnson said. “It was a great adventure to see their reactions, and I think it deepened their understanding of our denomination and our church.”

Searching for Sanctuary

The group also ventured out to look at three different sanctuaries from an architectural point of view. By reflecting on the differences between prairie gothic, auditorium style (1880s) and a pretend gothic chapel (1930s), the students were able to broaden their own sense of how space can interact with the practice of worship. “Many of them walked up to the pulpits to ‘try on’ for themselves what it felt like to lead in that space, which was enlightening,” said Johnson.

Searching for God’s Image

During one session, Johnson took several renderings of God from the magazine, Seasons of the Spirit, and had each student identify which image he or she was drawn to most. “One woman who has a heart for peace and justice issues was particularly drawn toward an image of a crowd gathering, which she interpreted as God’s presence in the action of community,” Johnson said. “Another student chose the traditional ‘wise old man’ image, which certainly sparked conversation.”

Throughout the course of Leadership 21, two young men who had little to no experience with church growing up both felt a calling toward religious groups on campus. “They didn’t necessarily have the church background or language before this program to be able to recognize that calling, but their experiences with Leadership 21 are leading them to identify the possibility of a call.”

The group met with local young clergy, and dove deeply into identifying many church and denominational struggles – human sexuality and underrepresented groups in ministry leadership positions, among others.

Members of the congregation at First UCC Northfield are slowly awakening to awareness that noticing, naming and nurturing young people toward understanding their own calling is important. As the congregation moves in a new direction in 2010, the results of Leadership 21 will continue to shape and renew First UCC.