My Summer at a Glance
I want to start by saying that my time here at Aiken’s First Baptist has been another great summer, and I might even add that it was one of my favorite summers yet! For those who might not recall, my name is Emily Berry, and I am an Intern here for Sarah, our Minister of Youth and Pastoral Care. This is my third summer interning with the Youth and my fourth overall at Aiken’s First Baptist. Somehow, we fit so many fun and exciting activities and events into the eight short weeks that I have been here for this summer. We planned a movie day for Inside Out 2; we ate yummy food and talked with the youth during our Prayer Breakfast and Lunch club events. We went to a baseball game, did a night of late-night bowling, helped with VBS, got wet at the kickball slip-n-slide, and had a blast going to the pinball arcade and eating ice cream together! It was a jampacked summer, and I enjoyed every second of it. Along with everything we did, I also participated in worship in many different positions, whether by reading scripture, doing the call to worship, or writing a pastoral prayer. I was able to immerse myself in ministry work. On top of everything I could do here, I was also allowed to participate in the General Assembly. I was given ample opportunities to network and see old friends at this CBF-organized conference. At the end of the week, I was blessed and commissioned along with my fellow interns during the final worship service.
Since the biggest summer event is Unidiversity, our summer camp, the prep took up most of our time this summer. Sarah and I spent countless hours in the office working to make this short week at Maryville a week to remember for the Youth. And not to toot our horns, but if you ask any youth, I think we accomplished just that. Camp week has always been my favorite time during the summer; as a youth and even as an intern, my sentiment is the same, maybe even more so than that of a camper. I had the opportunity to help at camp, teach a Bible Study (this year being 7th and 8th graders), and lead the volleyball elective, which I particularly enjoyed this year. The cool thing about these opportunities is that I get to work with and be surrounded by kids, not from our church; these youth are sometimes strangers, yet you can make connections with them that have the potential to last years and years to come.
Along with connecting with youth from other churches, I am always excited to see what new things I experience with our youth. What new personality traits will they feel more comfortable showcasing during this week? What funny stories are they now willing to share during our late-night talks? How will they show how much they have grown compared to last year, not only in their faith but also in who they are? It’s such a privilege to see them grow in so many ways, seeing that I have known so many of these youth since they were babies.
As my summer and internship are quickly coming to an end, I want to give a shoutout to the AFBC staff, who are such a great group of individuals, who work well together, and strive to do what is best for everyone. I am honored to be able to work with them for such a short amount of time in the summer. They make it hard for me to go back to Clemson and make me wish I could stay year-round! More specifically, I need to give an even bigger thanks to not just my boss but my friend, my partner in crime, Sarah. You are amazing at what you do, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else I would want to do this work with. You guide and inspire me in many ways, making my summers valuable and gratifying!
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