Each Fall, our ’Ohana youth are invited to take part in our Faith Exploration program, now open to all high school youth, grades 9-12. This year we had an exceptional group of eight Faith Explorers: Miles Detmer, Ciri Foy, Clay Foy, Ella Gomsrud, Joren Lindberg, Audrey McKercher, Marina Moyce, and Judah Williams. These awesome youth were truly engaged, which made for a wonderful experience of learning in community. Our weekly classes culminated in an overnight weekend retreat at the church, where we had an opportunity to go deeper.

Faith Exploration is a concentrated time of fellowship building, spiritual exploration and open conversation on what it means to be a Christian and a person of faith. We do this in a safe and supportive environment, exploring the principles of our progressive Christian faith in comparison with other faith traditions. The goal is to allow our youth to build positive and grace-filled relationships with other students and members of the congregation, to gain a deeper understanding of God’s love for all people, and to awaken a desire to begin their personal faith journey within the embrace of our church community. Imagine sitting around the campfire under the stars and asking the deeper questions of life. Faith Exploration has that vibe and is a joyful experience, providing opportunities for rich dialogue and interconnection.

Our gratitude goes out to Gretchen Jewett and Ana Luthien Keathley, who accompanied our youth on this journey. Without the assistance of our lay volunteers, this program couldn’t happen. And special thanks go out to our interfaith community of guest speakers; Hanuman Hoffman for presenting on Hinduism, Hanan Elsherif on Islam, Rabbi Ruhi of Temple Beth Israel on Judaism, Will Dickerson on Zen Buddhism, and our own Mike Wolfe on Progressive Christianity.

At FCC, we place more value on the search for understanding than on absolute certainties. These youth are true seekers and have embarked on a lifelong path of spiritual learning. May they feel the support and presence of our community’s love, wrapping around them now and in all the days ahead.

Have questions? Contact Mark Lindberg at markl@fcceugene.org.