Faith Footprints: The Week That Changed Everything

I’ve been going to church for as long as I can remember, but I only recently have been going on my own. In my faith statement for confirmation, I started off with ‘religion has always been something forced on me’ but then followed it with the reasons why I was going to start going to church more in high school. I am over halfway through high school, and I truly have experienced so many things here in this community that I continue to choose to attend this church. One of the most influential experiences was at Pine Lake Camp in the summer of 2023. This was a week that introduced me to a community that would ultimately become something I never want to say goodbye to. I made so many new friends that week and encountered God in a way I’d never thought I would. When camp was ending – sadly – my cabin and I all made the plan to go to youth group the following week and then that ended up being one of the most memorable nights of my life. I so deeply enjoyed the new community of people and deepening my connection with God. Soon after high school started, life got really busy (like it does for most High Schoolers), but I could always look forward to church at the end of the week. This is the place I have been shown a kindness I can’t find anywhere else. I can honestly say this community has made me the person I am today, and is the reason why my connection to my faith has grown and will continue to grow.