E.C.T Youth Ministry- New Intern
Meet our new E.C.T Youth Ministry Mentoring-Program Intern: Jordan Collins-Brown
Jordan Collins-Brown (he/him/his)
こんにちは(konnichiwa) or hello in Japanese! My name is Jordan and I am honored to serve as the Youth Ministry Mentoring-Program Intern for Edgewater Congregations Together.
I was first introduced to this wonderful group back in 2017 with an introduction to Pastor Emily Heitzman through my mother. I was fortunate to establish a firm connection with the youth through our mission/service-learning trip to Dubuque, IA. I was also blessed to attend the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering and MYLE in Houston, TX with the youth. Witnessing the youth's passion for service work and putting our faith in action helped me realize that it is truly God’s work in our hands.
After the Youth Gathering in 2018, I was called to mission work in Kumamoto, Japan for the ELCA’s J3 program. From October 2018 to February 2022, I lived in Japan. I was blessed to worship and have fellowship with the local churches, as well as take on the mantle of high school English teacher for the students at Kyushu Lutheran High School. My time with the ECT youth gave me the skills I needed to form connections with my students and propelled me for spiritual uplifting time in my favorite country.
With my new role in the mentoring program, I’m excited to work closely with Pastor Emily and the other ECT pastors. My role for this position is helping our youth in any capacity that I am obliged to, serving our bi-weekly youth group meetings on Wednesdays, helping plan service trips and retreats, and connecting with other youth groups in the Chicago area. I am truly honored and blessed to be a part of this wonderful group!よろしくおねがいします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu) or I look forward to working with you in Japanese!
About Youth Group
The E.C.T. (Edgewater Congregations Together) Youth Group consists of 6th -12th grade youth from Ebenezer, Immanuel, and Unity Lutheran Churches and tutoring programs as well as youth from the neighborhood.