It Was the Summer of 2004

It was the summer of 2004.

I had just graduated high school and I spent some of the summer at Sonshine Ministries, a Christian summer camp for middle and high school students that is run completely on houseboats. God had made it clear to me early in High School that He was calling me to vocational ministry, but it was the summer of 2004 that I felt a specific calling to work with students.

I came home and started to volunteer with the youth group here at Good Shepherd. It has been almost a decade since then. In September 2006 I was hired as a Student MInistries Assistant, and in April 2010 as the Director of Student Ministries. Where has the time gone!?

I absolutely love working with students. In fact, through my time at Sonshine, Azusa Pacific University, and here at Good Shepherd, God has made it clear to me that he is calling me to work with adolescents for the long run. I feel the best way for me to minister to adolescents is through one day becoming an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church.

In order to do so, I see the need to further my education within the areas of adolescent studies and theology. This coming fall I will be attending Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey, as I seek out my Masters in Divinity with an emphasis in Youth Ministry.

I am extremely excited about embarking upon this new opportunity and journey. As excited as I am, I am equally as sad to be leaving Good Shepherd. The students here are a huge part of my heart, which has made this decision one of the toughest one I have ever had to make. At this point in my life, I feel this the right time for this change, though it will not happen for another 7 months! I am here for one more round! That includes Mexico, Summer Camps, and Urban Plunge.

I want to make sure that these next few months are special. I want to grab ice cream and burgers with students, families, and other members of the congregation! I would love to do anything I can to make the rest of the school year one to remember. So please, if you would like to meet, let's schedule a time to do so!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I am more than willing to sit down with you or your family for a cup of coffee, a meal, or simply to hang out.

With Much Love,
Werner Ramirez