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LIFE IN ABUNDANCEJulie Hagen has built trust with theyouth at Advent Lutheran since shearrived two years ago.Julie Hagen (continued)“I appreciate how Julie has stuckwith us for so long,” he said. “To behonest, I almost wanted to leave(the youth group) before Julie camein. I felt like the youth group hadbeen let down too much.”Previous youth leaders, who wereserving as volunteers, would getburned out and leave just as Winefelt a trust was being built.“At first, when Julie came, I thought,‘How much different can she be?’”said Wine. “But after giving her achance, I appreciate her working withus and the projects she’s doing.”Hagen said she gets the mostinvolvement from youth duringcommunity service projects. Theymay play Bingo at a nursing homeor help serve community lunch,whatever they can do to be witheach other and make a difference.“They know they’re helping otherpeople and they get something fromthat too,” said Hagen.As a child, Wine watched his oldersister, nine years his senior, get involvedin the youth group at Advent. To him,it seemed like a family. Since then,he’s strived for that feeling, but sofar it has escaped him.He’s now one of the oldest in thegroup, with a wide berth betweenhim and a number of younger kids.But that hasn’t stopped him fromtrying to build up that feeling offamily for future generations. Heintroduced friends to the churchwho now come on their own.Wine’s actions echo those of acongregation and leadership devotedto families in a city where manychurches lack the same focus andsome may be dying because of it.“Advent made a missional commitmentto ministry with children, youth andfamilies,” said Brown. “The childrenand youth programs at other Lutherancongregations in Manhattan wereeither very small or non-existent. Webelieved this to be an area of ministrythat families from both Lutheran andnon-Lutheran backgrounds wouldembrace and support.”Hagen felt the support of the nearly300-member congregation fromday one.“I’ve had the opportunity to bring innew ideas and a new set of eyes andsay, ‘Let’s try this. Let’s work togetheron this,’” said Hagen. “It’s not just metrying to do this. It’s these familiesand these other young people. It’salready been two years, but theenergy and the support system arestill there.” ●Julie Hagen said she has felt thesupport of the entire congregationat Advent since she was called asthe director of children, youth andfamily ministries.STORY Fall 20099