ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This season we are focused on innovation. For Samantha and her key volunteer Maddie, they were excited to start something new and shiny in their program. But all of that halted when one of their students told them that the students feel like the adults in the church don't listen to them. They ripped up what they knew about ministry and started at the base again: building relationship with students in a more meaningful way.
ABOUT SAMANTHA HASSELL: Rev. Samantha Hassell has served the Cumberland Presbyterian Church as a Christian educator and youth pastor for over 20 years. She is a graduate of Bethel College (B.A.) and holds a Master of Arts in Youth Ministry from Memphis Theological Seminary. Samantha served as a Lead Innovator in the Center for Youth Ministry Training’s Innovation Lab and she and a team from the Sturgis Cumberland Presbyterian Church learned together what innovation looks like in youth ministry and beyond. Samantha has been a contributing writer for Faith Out Loud, Feasting on the Word, Growing in Grace and Gratitude and was the writer of the 2016 Presbyterian Youth Triennium Small Group Manual. She and her husband, Rev. Victor Hassell, have three children.
Along with Samantha is Maddie Roberts. Maddie grew up in the Sturgis Cumberland Presbyterian Church and served on its Innovation Team. Maddie remained active on the team even after relocating from KY to MI – that’s what value she saw in this process for her home church!
ABOUT WOMEN IN YOUTH MINISTRY: We are an organization that seeks to elevate the voices of women in a male-saturated field. Go to womeninyouthministry.com to explore our blog, join our Facebook community, and learn more about Heather Lea Campbell and her amazing team of women who lead this organization.
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