The participation of youth in world mission was the focus of the Nov. 13 Mission Thursday featuring youth from the Diocese of Maine who have been involved in companionships with people in other parts of the world and who attended Mission 2025 in Honduras. They had also shared their experiences at the Maine diocesan convention on Oct. 25.
The teenagers shared their experiences both in person and on video. Watch the video of the webinar here.
Ava Keniston, age 16, from St. Peter’s Church in Portland, spoke of mission as crossing boundaries and getting out of her comfort zone. She emphasized that mission is not about fixing things, but doing with other people rather than doing for them, thereby respecting their dignity and agency. She expressed concern about climate change and how it disproportionately affects the poor. Ava had spent several years living in Tunisia, where she was an active member of St. George’s Anglican Church in Tunis. She had studied abroad in Seoul, South Korea, last summer and plans to study in Paris, France, next summer. She attended Missio 2025 in Honduras this year and is currently completing the GEMN Mission Formation Program.
Lucy Swarr, age 14, from Trinity Church in Portland, had journeyed to Uganda with her home parish twice. She recalled how she was “overwhelmed” by the poverty she experienced during her first visit but was able to develop a relationship with a local school there on her second visit. The time in Uganda made her more grateful for the blessings of her life at home, she said. She noted that mission should foster self-sufficiency rather than dependence. She also participated in Missio 2025 and is currently completing GEMN’s Mission Formation Program.
“It’s a beautiful thing to be human,” said Sarah Mansir, age 16, from Christ Church in Gardiner as she reflected on her learnings about mission. She attended Missio 2025 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and was excited to learn more about the connection between mission and climate change, which impacted her understanding of her call by God to act to serve the most vulnerable and God’s Creation.
Said Catherine Mansir, a senior at Gardiner High School, “I like being involved in church because I get to meet lots of different people and stay in the loop with Episcopal Church policy and events.” Catherine attended the Episcopal Youth Event in 2023, during which she heard a presentation about world mission opportunities for young people. The following year, as part of the Official Youth Presence to General Convention, she and her peers argued in favor of a resolution (2024-A086) to support greater access to youth mission and global mission formation resources. Since then she has participated in a domestic mission program several states away aimed at hurricane relief.
Coordinating the Nov. 13 event was Emily Keniston, formation minister for the Diocese of Maine and chair of the Standing Commission on World Mission.