A spirited “well done!” to Edina Hall for earning a Yale Divinity School Certificate in the Youth Ministry Leadership program.

The nine-month long program was divided into trimesters with training in “Leadership Theory in Church Organizations,” “Theological and Spiritual Care Towards Youth,” and “Empowerment, Liberation, and Justice Work with Youth.”

Dr. Rev’d Jill Olds and The Rev’d Jyrekis Collins led the 24-person cohort. Participants came from a variety of locations (Hawaii to Connecticut and places in between) and represented multiple Christian faith traditions (UCC, Amish, Episcopal, etc.). They met weekly online to learn and discuss where youth ministries are today, and how to support them (and each other) in the coming years.

When asked about the experience, Edina said, “Receiving the information was like drinking from a fire hose at full blast. It was quenching, but a lot to digest. The stack of books I want to read is almost bigger than the stack of books I had to read.”

Given the intensity of the experience (while continuing to work full-time at her professional job), Edina has decided to take a hiatus as a youth formation leader. She will use this free time to fully digest the information and explore where it might be offered to Saint Philip’s youth—and the diocese.

You can learn more about Edina by reading her “In Conversation…” interview here.