Suzanne was identified for her demonstrated ability to be an enthusiastic, creative, and compassionate youth leader who will build relationships with the youth in both congregations. She has served in Faith’s Chancel Choir since 2022 and created the Faith 101 curriculum for our new youth members. Suzanne is a physics teacher at Poolesville High School. She and her husband, Benjamin, have 7 children between the ages of 13 and 20.

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SUZANNE'S VISION

When I was an obnoxious 12-year-old, my father entered the ministry. He was placed as a part-time local pastor at a very small church where we were the only children, but by God’s grace, my brother and I found a new church family in a local youth group. Though we didn’t attend that church, the people of that congregation helped to shape us into the adults we are today.

It’s an extraordinary blessing to be trusted by these two congregations to do the same. I have spent the last 20 years as a teacher and a parent, interacting every day with young people at their best and their worst - but in every case, the difficulty of today is evident. I see that they are carrying the burdens of a sinful world, largely not of their design. Most of all, I can see they are reaching out to God.

This may not be a surprise to you, but I’m a person who needs a plan…preferably color coded. With that in mind, I have been pleading and petitioning God for a neatly organized flow chart of how to perfectly serve our youth. But despite my cajoling and carrying-on, one thing echoes through my heart over and over:

Love God. Love each other. Change the world.

By the grace of Jesus Christ, that’s what we are ready to do. We are committed to reaching out to our young people, from 6th - 12th grade, and creating whatever programming they need that we can provide. That could look a lot of different ways - from a more typical youth fellowship gathering to homework help to video games to things we haven’t thought of yet. It looks like reaching out to our young people and listening to all they have to say.

I don’t know where this journey will lead us, but I know that this is the road that God needs us to walk.

Will you pray for us as we begin?

Suzanne Smedberg Youth Coordinator