Pastor Wesley W. Ellis of the First Congregational Church in Ramona, California, left, joins members of the Ramona Youth Collaborative during a “Sundae Funday event.” The collaborative is an ecumenical program for teenagers operated by First Congregational Church and four other churches in Ramona: St. Mary’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, Ramona United Methodist Church and Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church. Photo: Ramona Youth Collaborative/Facebook
[Episcopal News Service] For young people in the San Diego County community of Ramona, California, who don’t feel comfortable being themselves in other churches, a new ecumenical partnership is opening doors of inclusion and hospitality.
The Ramona Youth Collaborative was soft launched in April, on Easter Sunday, and formally launched earlier this month as a partnership of four Ramona churches, including St. Mary’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church. The goal is to welcome and serve local teenagers by upholding core Christian values of love, “radical hospitality” and spiritual depth.
“We want the youth to have a space where they can feel like they belong and be known for who they truly are,” the Rev. Hannah Wilder, vicar of St. Mary’s-in-the-Valley, told Episcopal News Service. “Many youths are facing isolation and mental health challenges. So, instead of working separately, we decided to pool our resources and show that the church can be a place of belonging and love and hope for young people.”
The other three churches in the collaborative are First Congregational Church, Ramona United Methodist Church and Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church. About 20 youths in grades 6-12 among the four churches have been participating so far.
Ramona, an unincorporated town in San Diego County, is a conservative and rural community, Wilder said, and some youth groups organized by other churches in the area convey the belief “that it’s a sin to be gay or queer in any way.” By contrast, Wilder described the Ramona Youth Collaborative’s core values, especially “radical hospitality,” as the “heart” of Jesus’s ministry.
The Ramona Youth Collaborative hired Ray Swavely to serve as its director, working out of First Congregational Church. He leads the teenagers on weekly trips to the beach, and they gather every Sunday for Bible study, games and other activities. Over time, mental health workshops, community service volunteering and other programming will be added.
Pastor Wesley W. Ellis of the First Congregational Church said the Ramona Youth Collaborative is not intended to be a source of evangelism for the four churches, but instead a source of holistic community outreach and growth.
“We believe the kids in Ramona deserve a spiritual home – a place where they can ask difficult questions, where they can grow in their faith,” Ellis told ENS. “We don’t expect anything of them beyond being their genuine selves.”
The Ramona Youth Collaborative’s programming, including Swavely’s salary, is projected to cost about $80,000 a year. Funding comes from donations and grants, including $16,000 from the Missing Voices Project, a religious network supporting marginalized youths based in Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida.
The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego awarded $24,000 to help launch the program. Wilder said the diocesan grant helps fulfill St. Mary’s-in-the-Valley’s commitment to pay $15,000 a year for the program’s first three years.
“We’re deeply grateful for the grant,” Wilder said. “Bishop [Susan Brown] Snook and the Diocese of San Diego have been very supportive of the collaborative.”
Wilder and Ellis both said that feedback from participating youths has already been positive.
“A teen recently said to me, ‘I’ve never felt this safe before in a church.’ I think that one comment has made all the hard work worth it, and this is just the beginning,” Wilder said. “I really hope we can be a lasting presence in young people’s lives, and I’m already seeing God’s spirit moving in this work.”
-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.