This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Meet the Young Adult Service Corps: Nina Boe, 2013-2015

In my time with the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC), I had the pleasure of serving with Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil (Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil) from 2013 to 2015, first in the Diocese of São Paulo and then in the Diocese of Rio de Janeiro. In my first placement, I supported the office of the Provincial Secretary and in my second year, I supported the diocesan office as well as the parish community of the Most Holy Trinity.

I quickly realized there was a reason we talked about flexibility so much at mission orientation, because I didn’t really have a “normal” day or routine. Some days I focused on developing my Portuguese skills so I could help translate a sermon or article into English. Other days I was at the parish supporting our outreach ministries. I also had the privilege of visiting other dioceses, meeting with bishops, clergy, and lay leaders, and learning about ministries across the country so I could help share their stories within and beyond Brazil. I was able to visit places even some of my Brazilian friends had never been to because the church was there.

I wanted to serve with YASC for many reasons. I grew up in diverse communities and consistently encountered God, faith, and love in the people around me – people of different cultures, faiths, and traditions. God is already in the world. YASC was a calling to go walk with people and be in community.

One of my fondest memories was visiting the Diocese of Brasília and spending time with Bishop Maurício Andrade. The trip included visiting a rural chapel that had historical roots in a quilombo, a community in which many residents were descendants of escaped slaves. The trip to visit them and celebrate the Eucharist together involved driving on paved roads and dirt roads, taking a barge across a river, and then more dirt roads, occasionally avoiding cattle. This was one of those times that I was the first American many had ever met, and to be able to communicate and connect – to be in community – and share that Christians around the world – whom they would never meet – were praying for them was a blessing for me as well as the people I met.

It has been almost 10 years since I finished my time in Brazil. I learned a great deal and feel that there’s so much more to engaging in God’s mission than we often realize. Some of my memories of the work I did during those two years have faded, but I carry the people, experiences, and relationships with me to this day. I can’t begin to acknowledge the impact this time had on me or love that I felt – and hopefully shared – as we developed a sense of community around the world. We may not all feel called to go and be with others, but there are no borders in our hearts or prayers. God calls us to be in community with God and each other. YASC has played a big role in my answer to that call, and I am deeply grateful. Thank you! Obrigada!

Young Adult Service Corps

The Young Adult Service Corps is a ministry for Episcopalians ages 21-30 who are interested in exploring their faith in new ways by living and serving in communities around the worldwide Anglican Communion. Learn more at iam.ec/YASC.

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For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds, and the resources we provide are used in small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between.

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6210 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.