If you ask me, everyone, at every age, is looking for a place where they belong.

But perhaps this statement is most obvious when it comes to kids (and especially teens!). They want to know: Do I have a place here? Is anyone glad that I showed up?

 

As a church, we have an incredible opportunity to answer those questions with a resounding YES! – and all it starts with them being known.

 

For those of you who don’t know me – hello!  My name is Kate Milheim, and I am Wife to Aaron (23 years and counting!) and Mom to three daughters – Clara (18), Anna (16) and Mary (9). (I probably should have run this blog post by them first, but we are just going to go with it!)  My family has attended Christ Lutheran for over 10 years, since Clara was in second grade. Our youngest two girls attended CLC’s Children’s Center as preschoolers, so they were already very comfortable with the church, and we dove right into Sunday School, worship and Wednesday night programming (including many years in Christmas and dance shows!). As the years went on and our girls grew, we tried to stay fully engaged with the church, attending Stepping Stones events, church camping retreats (yes, me included!) and youth group, and celebrating special milestones such as First Communions and Confirmations (and last year for the first time, the tear-jerker event for high school seniors that is known as Quillows…IYKYK, as the kids would say).

 

Like many of you, our girls were busy with school and sports, but we made a conscious decision to invest our time here at the church for many reasons. Of course at the center of the decision was walking with them in their faith journey, but there was also this:

 

I wanted this place - the church, its building, its people - to be a happy, safe place for them.

 

A place they felt welcomed.

 

A place they found rest.

 

A soft landing.

 

A place that felt like home.

 

Throughout their childhoods, our older girls both had special experiences in the church. (Mary’s still young enough that her favorite church activity is playing in the gym, so I’ll have to update this blog again for her in a few years.)  Clara loved any chance to get involved, and she eagerly awaited the volunteer opportunities each August for CLC’s 8 Days of Service. She was welcomed with open arms to the quilting group one such summer (I’m not sure a teenager had ever joined them!) and those ladies then joyfully taught her how to use a sewing machine, so she could make her own quillow.  She also faithfully attended Wednesday night church dinners, and when homework loaded up her final years of high school, instead of skipping out, she would bring her laptop and settle in with a coffee outside of Cornerstone Gifts. Folks would pop by and say hello to her, always inquiring what she was working on, how those college applications were going, etc.  It was a bright spot of calm in the week for a busy teen – and I loved that she still wanted to come with us, and found our church to be a place she could take a deep breath and relax. I sure will miss those evenings with her this year since she’s now away at college (Go Dawgs!).

 

At some point along the way, I started teaching Sunday School and fell in love with the chance to spend time with our youth, especially during the years leading up to and after Confirmation. (By the way, it turns out middle schoolers are actually awesome.)  Anna had a particularly special Confirmation Class, and I’ve loved watching these kids navigate their teen years. They are smart, funny, and truly love the Lord.  We have learned and grown a lot together, and walking alongside them has been a gift to me.  Best of all, their experiences here at CLC have given them another place – besides school or at an extracurricular activity – where they belong.  Bad grade on that test at school?  Forgot your line in the play?  Lost the big game?  We see you; come on in.

 

We have an incredible team at CLC which cares for our youth and families with intentionality, kindness, and love. Natalya knows Clara makes sourdough and loves fun drinks; she invites her every year to make flavored hot chocolates during Alternative Gift Market. Tyler knows Anna is at the pool six days a week and always inquires when she’s racing next. Kristin and Rachel came to find me on Clara’s Quillow Sunday to hug me and see if I was going to make it through the ceremony (close call, but I did it). What a blessing to be loved so well, and truly known, by our church family.

 

Fall is in full swing, and there is a joy and newness in the air here at Christ Lutheran. I loved seeing new and old friends at Kickoff Sunday and I can’t wait to see everyone again at Wednesdays Ablaze and Sunday School in the coming week. The website and bulletin are full of ways to get involved, and I sure hope you and your family will jump in. (On that note, for the kiddos who LITERALLY want to jump - Mary and her friends are eagerly awaiting the start of church basketball season, and we’d love to have you!)

 

Most of all, I hope you’ll find here what my family has:  A place you are known. A place to belong.  A place that feels like home.

 

xxoo,

Kate