Elevating a Generation: Follow Shawn and the Family
// July 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // Current Events, Elevate Update, Family Life, Web Sites, Youth Ministry
So, this is the Shoup family’s last week in Rapid City, SD, for a while. We’re gathering boxes and preparing for our big move to Duluth, MN, next week. We’ve been non-stop packing — or so it seems — since Monday morning. The mix of emotions is hard to describe. We’re so excited for the new adventure before us, and especially for Deanna’s medical training and education at UMD, but we’re also saddened to leave so many absolutely wonderful friends and family behind.
This morning, I – [Shawn] — packed up all of our personal belongings at Destiny. It was a sad day. Too many memories and strong relational attachments here to not have some emotional response…
As we are making this transition, this blog will also be making a transition. If you want to continue following the Shoup family and my — Shawn’s — blogging and youth ministry endeavors, we invite you to join us by visiting / subscribing to our personal site found at elevatingageneration.org. Elevate Student Ministry’s new pastors-to-students, Derick and Pam Brown, will be taking over the content of this site as of this week. As a result, this will be our last post here.
I’m writing content for several student ministry web sites and hope to do more of that as we make this move. I’ve been slow lately with all of the going’s on, but am committed to the call on my life and the amazing network of youth workers / peers I’ve met over the years. I also have a deep passion to see this generation follow God with everything that’s in them. That’s why our ministry tagline has always been “elevating a generation”: we genuinely want to see students go to the next level in their relationships with God.
For all of you that have been a part of Elevate Student Ministries over the past 9+ years — students, leaders, parents and the rest of our Destiny family — we love you. Words are not enough to convey our gratitude for letting us be a part of your lives. It has been an honor that has been unsurpassed by anything else to-date. The memories, laughter, and tears will never leave us.
We truly hope that you can join us for the Destiny-hosted farewell service this coming, Sunday night at 6:30 PM. Non-Destiny friends, peers, and family are invited, too; we want to hug and thank you all in person. You can Facebook RSVP to the event here.
We’re expectant about where Derick and Pam are going to take this student ministry. We’re so excited that God brought them to Destiny to take this thing to the next level. We wholeheartedly encourage you to support them as they step into their new roles as your pastors.
On a closing note: if you aren’t already, I invite you to connect with me on [Facebook] and [Twitter]. Distance doesn’t mean that we have to be disconnected in this technologically enhanced world.
Much love.
