The Church is not a building

I was always told that a church isn’t just the building; it’s the people in attendance. For seventeen years, I have attended the same church – Trinity UMC. I was baptized and confirmed there, and yet I never really knew what went on behind the scenes. I knew about the ministers and the secretary, but that was about it, and I was ignorant about everything else going on. For my senior year at Columbus School for Girls (CSG), I was assigned a senior project (Senior May Program) to go out and intern for the month of May. I barely knew what I was having for breakfast the next morning, let alone the entire month of May! My mom suggested contacting Rev. Katy Wheat, who is the Associate Minister for Mission and Small Groups, to see if she would allow me to work with her for the duration of May. When Rev. Wheat accepted, I had no idea what was in store for me. All I could do was eagerly wait.

A very memorable experience is when I accompanied the pastoral staff to two home blessings at the Forum, which is a retirement community in Columbus. One of the women knows my mother and it was such a meaningful experience that I won’t ever forget. I saw these women gain instant comfort once their home was blessed; it was unbelievable!  It was not just comfort - it was the joy I could see in their eyes that made it such a happy and unforgettable experience.

Deciding to work at Trinity UMC was one of the most eye-opening experiences that I have ever had. I had the opportunity to work with so many different people and groups in and out of the church that I would have never gotten to otherwise. One of the things that touched my heart the most was being at New Life United Methodist Church on a Sunday morning. I had the chance to lead a Sunday school class that had four “tween” girls in attendance. Before I went to New Life Church, I had never had much experience in this kind of situation. I went to Upper Arlington schools through 8^th grade.  Most of the kids who go there have parents in an very comfortable financial situation. Then, for high school, I transferred to CSG. Almost all of the girls there have fairly wealthy parents. Between Upper Arlington and CSG, money wasn’t an issue for most people and I never knew of anyone who didn’t have enough money to buy food. Growing up, I never knew anyone who was in a situation any different from mine, and that’s just how it was.

When I walked into this Sunday school class, I had no idea what to expect. They didn’t seem any different from 13-year-old me, but I started noticing differences when they were telling me their grades. I was going into eighth grade when I turned 13, and they were going into sixth. Then they started talking about a girl who wasn’t there. When I asked where she was, and one of the girls said “In a homeless shelter.” I was not expecting this at all! I have never known anyone who had to go to a homeless shelter; the only experience I ever had was when I was volunteering. Later I found out that having to live in a homeless shelter was always a worry in the back of those girls’ minds. This experience helped me realize: it’s not only foreign countries that need our help - our neighbor’s right here in Central Ohio need assistance, too.

            All these opportunities strengthened my faith in so many ways. I saw people who had been Christians for 80 years, and I saw girls in situations where they were in fear of losing their houses, but still able to keep their faith in God. I thought that my faith would be strengthened by the amount of time I spent in worship, but I was completely wrong. All the new people that I met made up the Church, whether they were spending their free time volunteering or going about with their daily business. I never thought these people would change my life and teach me to be so thankful for everything I have. My faith is so much stronger especially because of what I learned from these 13-year-old girls. I learned that my faith may be shaken, but never broken. I feel God put me with Rev. Wheat to experience new situations outside of my comfort zone and my faith is so much stronger because of it.

Ellie Thompson is currently a senior at Columbus School for Girls and will be graduating on June 6, 2013. In the fall, she plans to attend Xavier University where she will double-major in marketing and finance. While at Trinity, Ellie’s main focus has been on communication and mission work.