Youth & Family Director

January 14, 2010

Dear Council Members and Congregation,

Over the past year and a half, I have been blessed to serve among you. I have shared your joys and pain and worked with you to promote the faith development of our youth and children at All Saints. Although I have enjoyed it immensely, the time has come for me to step back and allow you as the people of God to decide the next steps for the youth and Christian Education ministry.

As many of you know, I have a full time position as an Area Complex Director at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. This position requires that I live in the Residence Hall of 600 freshmen that I supervise. I began both this position and my position as Youth and Christian Ed Director at All Saints within 4 days of each other. Since that time, the 54 mile round trip between Ypsilanti and Hartland has become a hardship, and does not allow
me to spend enough time on either position.

Additionally, the nature of my job at EMU is serving freshmen students and their needs require my availability nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Although I have had the backing of my supervisors here at EMU to work at All Saints, I do not feel that I can continue to serve both my students at EMU and the youth and families of All Saints without causing further damage to my health.

I know that this continues to be a time of great transition for the body of Christ at All Saints. I have great confidence in the leadership of the congregation, including council, the transition team and your staff team to provide the continuity necessary to keep the youth and Christian Education ministry going in the right direction. Now is the time for each of you to use your God-given gifts in ways that you may not have previously considered.  I urge you to speak with our Christian Education Chair Heidi Mills and our Director of Lay Ministries Kate Zywicki about ways you can serve our youth and families, and about how you see this ministry growing in the future.

As of today, I resign my position effective 30 days from now. During the next month, I will work to provide leaders with the tools and information necessary to move forward. I am grateful to God and to you for your friendship and support and hope to keep in touch with many of you in the future. I pray for the Spirit to use this opportunity to breathe new life into your journey and mine.

Your sister in Christ,
Amy Simonson