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Sharing the faith with inner-city kids

By Betsey Norgard

Augsburg youth and family ministry senior Ross Murray filled out a visitor card at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis one Sunday morning and ended up with an internship. On kind of a gutsy whim, and anticipating the 100-hour internship his study required, he wrote "internship?" on the card - and to his pleasant surprise, they took him up on the suggestion.

Since September, he has met on Wednesday evenings with a group of senior high youth at Central, working with them on community service projects. On Sunday mornings, Murray is part of the ninth- and 10th-grade education hour, and trains 10th-graders in peer ministry. In addition, he participates in the various retreats and activities with the youth.

About half of the 80-100 youth at Central are not children of congregation members. They are neighborhood kids, many non-white and non-Christian, who find Central to be a safe place where they can do fun things with their friends.

"We send a bus around to pick up the kids," Murray explained, and said that others are beginning to come once they see their friends leave on the bus. "It's really good outreach for us."

The youth and family ministry major, begun in 1996, partners the religion department with Augsburg's Youth and Family Institute. The major is designed to train people who seek leadership roles in their churches, but not necessarily as ordained ministers.

"The youth and family ministry major is practical; a religion major gives you the knowledge in theology, but doesn't necessarily teach you how to share it with others," said Murray. "The special classes we have teach us to go into a congregation, to share our faith, and to relay the knowledge we've learned."

In May, Murray will be part of the first four-year graduating class of youth and family ministry majors. Augsburg is the only school in Minnesota and one of the few ELCA colleges to offer this program.

Augburg's Youth and Family Institute national peer ministry director Lyle Griner meets regularly with Murray and the other youth and family ministry majors who share the youth and family outreach floor house in Anderson Hall. "Lyle teaches us stuff we haven't learned in class, and shares the resources he's collected," said Murray.

The internship at Central Lutheran has given Murray experience and a comfort level working in a context very different from his tiny home congregation in Littlefork, Minn.

"I'm excited about Central, because of what a large and diverse church it is, and about working with inner-city kids," he said. "It's an urban experience I didn't have before."

Currently serving as a volunteer, Murray has been hired for the summer, after he graduates. In August he begins a year-long tour with Youth Encounter, a Christian outreach group. After that, Murray plans to enter Luther Seminary for a master's degree, in preparation for congregational work in program and activities planning.

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