First Presbyterian Church Fort Dodge

On Sunday, August 30th, we announced exciting news in both services! Our search committee has finished its work. Earlier this year, the committee invited Gabriel to be our full-time music director, and at the end of August, our committee invited Libby Redmond to be our full-time youth and young adult coordinator.

Over the past two years, Libby has served as an intern in our senior high ministry. During this time, she has planned our fall retreat, organized and led weekend mission trips to Omaha, organized a large portion of our summer Guatemala trip, led other interns, planned, and led countless Wednesday evenings at 707, and worked with our adult volunteers.

Libby is currently also a student at Buena Vista University, majoring in Human Services and minoring in Psychology. She attends the BV extension at Iowa Central on Monday and Thursday evenings and plans to graduate within the next 18-24 months.

During these last two years, as I’ve gotten less directly involved in 707, Libby has gotten more involved. You would think that during these two years of transition, students would be less interested in the ministry and the program would be suffering. However, the opposite has been true. We consistently have more students involved in our ministry, students are frequently inviting their friends, and people are doing even more in-depth activities while in 707. Students are excited about growing in their faith and we are consistently having interns who are excited to serve in our youth ministry.

Libby will also be working with a strong adult volunteer team who is enthusiastic about this new opportunity. We will have more adult volunteers working directly with students this coming year than what we’ve had in the past. This will help us more effectively minister to all of the senior high students who are coming so regularly.

What makes me the most excited about having Libby in this position is that she has been raised up from within our own church ministry. She grew up going to Monday Afternoon Club (MAC) and 707. It was because of her experiences in these ministries of our church that she decided to serve as an intern over the last two years. During her time as an intern, she discerned a call to youth ministry and decided to change her college plans so she could get more experience working in the church.

We should be proud of our church that we are raising up young adults who are passionate about following Jesus and helping others do the same!

Blessings,
Austin D. Hill