If you hadn’t heard… we have two wonderful interns serving in Student Ministry right now! Kelly Carson and Maddie DePoty have been valuable voices and a welcome help to our whole Family Ministry team, as well as friendly, dedicated mentors to Browncroft’s students over the last several weeks. These two recently had the chance to participate in the Student Fall Retreat at Camp LeTourneau in Rushville, NY, where they saw firsthand the many ways God is working in these middle and high schoolers’ lives. We know this is due, in no small part, to the role Kelly and Maddie have played in pointing these students toward Jesus and helping to make this ministry the best it can be. We are thrilled to have them with us! Here’s what they have to say about their time serving so far:

–Carissa Gray, Communications Coordinator

Kelly—

My name is Kelly Carson, and I serve as an intern in Student Ministry. My main role is to lead the 6th Grade Sunday Morning group, and I also support the Student Ministry team by helping prepare for Wednesday Student Nights.

One of the coolest moments on the Students Retreat a couple weeks ago happened on Sunday morning. The students had some free time before the final service, and a few of them decided to sit in the gazebo and worship the Lord. That small decision quickly grew into a gathering of about 30–40 people standing around the gazebo, worshiping together for almost an hour! It was truly amazing to watch students choose to spend time in worship on their own.

I see God at work in Student Ministry through the culture shift that Cody (Student Director) has brought. He has encouraged students to step up and lead, and they have embraced that challenge in such a beautiful way. The clearest example of this is in our student worship—students are beginning to recognize how God may be calling them and are being empowered to take steps in that direction. It’s been so exciting to witness this growth, both as an intern and as a small group leader for the 9th grade girls.

Maddie—

My name is Madison DePoty, but you can call me Maddie. I am one of the current Browncroft Student Ministry interns, alongside Kelly Carson, and I am a small group leader for 7th grade girls and Pre-K. I have been attending Browncroft for just a little over a year and a half, but I have found my forever family and home within the church. My role as an intern is to pour my love and passion for Christ into the students and the behind-the-scenes activities. More importantly, my role is to learn. I love to learn and grow in my faith. What I have been in charge of so far is the Browncroft Students Instagram page and the logistics for Never the Same Camp, which will take place in July 2026.

The thing I have enjoyed most about serving in this role is the connections I have made with the leaders, staff, and students. Finding community is a common struggle amongst people my age, but I’ve been blessed with a community beyond my biggest prayers. Student Ministry recently went on the Fall Retreat from October 10th – 12th at Camp LeTourneau. We had a weekend full of beautiful messages from Cody, spontaneous worship sessions, and many fun games. On Saturday, we played a game involving shaving cream and water sprayers. The leaders who attended (including me) put a Santa beard of shaving cream on our faces, and the students used the water sprayer to wash it off. All the leaders on the team had to get the shaving cream sprayed off to win. The game was called “Shave the Leader”. After my team won, everyone ended up spraying each other with water and shaving cream. One of my 7th grade girls even “did my makeup” with shaving cream! It was such a fun game. The icing on the cake was that we all went into the lake to wash up. The time was full of so many laughs and smiles and just pure connection with everyone there.

I see God working in Student Ministry in every layer, from Cody to Lizzie Cornell (Student Coordinator), to Kelly and me… and even in the leaders and students themselves– When I first started to attend Browncroft, I was a senior in high school attending Wednesday Student Nights. The way God was moving, you could tell He had more in store. Seeing Wednesday Student Nights now, you can tell God’s hand is blessing and touching every single heart and mind. Through my time here, God has taught me to slow down and take a step back to watch the beautiful creation He has placed in front of me. Truly, every person I have met has been a blessing to me. I cannot wait to see how God continues to move through Student Ministry! Don’t be afraid to stop by and say hi!!