Salem Wildfire Student Ministry

• Welcome from Pastor Neil
• Who We Are
• Flyers for Upcoming Events
• How To Get Connected
• Sunday School Info
• Meet Us!

As the Pastor of Salem Community Church, I would like to welcome you to our Wildfire Student Ministry newsletter. Having served in youth ministry for 19 years, I have a passion and a love for students and student ministry. While the ministry will be in the hands of our energetic leaders, I will be involved in many activities as well. We are excited to partner with you in the spiritual growth and development of our children. Whether you are visiting us for the first time, or already part of our church family, you are invited to join us at any time for the activities listed below! I am available to you if you have any questions or needs. We hope to see you soon!

In Christ,

Pastor Neil Suders

Pastorneil05@gmail.com

717-753-2112

You will find us tucked in the hills of some of the most beautiful countryside I've ever seen. We value our rich history as a community and gratefully acknowledge those that have worked with the youth in the past. These "youth" now have young families. Social media, artificial intelligence, and so many other factors make living for Jesus all the more difficult and complex. The kids need us more than ever.

We believe youth ministry is more than a calendar of events. Ministry begins with relationships that lead to discipleship. We are open to students of all ages, regardless of current church membership. We would love to have you join us! Salem is an amazing place to be, and we don't want you to miss out on this incredible church family!

Discipleship means developing character, which doesn't only happen in church. It happens when kids have the opportunity to live out their choices, look at the outcomes, reflect, and be met with grace and an opportunity to try again. This is why we want to meet our students on their turf...to understand what is important to them and cheer them on. Our groups build relationships through engaging activities and service opportunities. Don't we all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves? To make a difference in our community? We know our kids do, and we are giving them the chance to step up and step out.

We love seeing new faces! We have a leader and a youth group member ready to reach out if you are interested...please call Jessie Leatherman at 240-676-1811 to get connected!

The name "WildFire" represents all of the students we serve. Although many of our events currently engage the majority of our student body, we are focused on developing three distinct age groups. Our youngest students age prek and kindergarten have a sunday school class of their own, and are included in all events planned by our Family Ministry! "Sparks" caters to students in grades 1 through 3, while "Ignite" is designed for students in grades 4 through 8. Our high school ministry is gaining momentum as we work to bring new members in this age group together.

Brandon Leatherman was born and raised in Wolfsville on a beautiful farm, where he now lives with his parents and his own family. Jessie Leatherman, his wife, moved out here from Baltimore as she pursued her degree, and is now teaching Kindergarten in Frederick. Brandon has the heart of a servant and seems to always be helping someone. Along with their 3 children, 4 dogs, horse, chickens, guinea pigs.....(you get the picture...)...they enjoy playing games, kayaking, hunting, and hanging out with close friends and family.

Linda, who is pictured above on the inflatable slide, is nothing short of amazing! She is an awesome listener, is a beast of a pickle ball player, and is always up for anything! Unlike Jessie and Brandon, she can (and WILL) hold her own in a debate about professional sports! Her lifetime of experience brings much needed wisdom to our leadership team, and we are all better because of her.

Hannah Rouzee and Jody Duley-Eccard are sisters who make a dream team when it comes to working with kids. Both of their careers have centered around students of varying abilities. Their fun, down to earth perspective makes them a favorite of our kids....who have said that seeing them is the "best part of their day". Hannah is married to Bryan and have 2 children in the program. Bryan has been a football coach with Middletown Valley Athletic Association for 4 years. He brings his enthusiasm and coaching experience to support our kids in the church. Jody and Tim are newlyweds and are enjoying being THE FAVORITE aunt and uncle to Kenzly and Lawson!