TLDR: St. Dunstan’s member and youth volunteer, Misty Schattle, reflects on her involvement with the St. Dunstan’s Acolyte Corps, celebrating the growth, courage, and dedication of the acolytes and urges the congregation to support and encourage them as they faithfully serve.
My name is Misty Schattle, and I have been a member of St. Dunstan’s for 18 years. While at St. Dunstan’s I have worked with our children and youth in a variety of positions including Sunday School teacher, youth group volunteer, and Vacation Bible School co-director, but my work with children and young adults goes back to my teen years. From day camp counselor to teacher and librarian, my jobs (some paid and some volunteer) have allowed me the opportunity to work with children of all ages. Through all of my work with young people, I have discovered that what I enjoy most is watching them grow.
I have been adjacent to the St. Dunstan’s Acolyte Corps for many years. My husband, Jerry, has been an acolyte master since 2019, and our daughters, Olivia and Carsyn, have been serving as acolytes since 2019 and 2022. As a parent, I have seen my girls blossom in ways I did not think possible. I have always known that they are strong, but I did not realize that they are also so brave. From their first Sundays as acolytes, they put on robes and processed down the aisle bearing torches. They have since moved into other acolyte positions such as cross and banner bearers, readers, and Olivia has even had the honor of being the thurifer at the Christmas Eve service. Although I know anxiety exists when they take on a new acolyte role or serve in a service they are not accustomed to serving in, they press on with grace while encouraged by our other kind-hearted acolyte masters, Deena Akinrinsola, Catherine Jones-Penco, and Pam Stewart.
Approximately a year and a half ago, I was given the opportunity to be the St. Dunstan’s Acolyte Corps scheduler. In this role, I have had the pleasure of getting to know the acolytes and their families better. I have learned many things about each acolyte including which services they prefer, which acolyte roles they like best, and even who enjoys reading in the service and who does not.
We recently completed the training for new acolytes. At training, our amazing senior acolytes were tasked with teaching the new members of our corps. These trainings were a joy to watch as our senior acolytes took time to explain each position, the order of the service, and the role each acolyte plays. Although our acolyte trainings do go into depth, they are relatively short, usually only lasting about an hour to an hour and a half for two to three sessions, leaving many new acolytes to wonder if they are truly ready to process. However, time and time again, we have seen that they are ready. They are so much more capable than they think they are, but even with fear and doubt creeping in, they put one foot in front of the other and press on. Within the past few months, I have proudly watched our acolytes stretch themselves by moving into more difficult roles even though they are scared. The truth is, when they are asked to step into a new role or another service, they comply. This is not because they are so confident in their abilities, but rather because they trust us as a congregation to support them.
Our acolyte corps is now larger than it has been in many years. We are 30 members strong! Seven of those beginning this month. When you see them each Sunday, I ask you to please remember that they are young and choosing to spend their Sunday morning serving. They will make mistakes, but as Jerry and I often tell our girls, church is a safe place to stretch yourself. People are kind, and everyone at church is there because they know they are imperfect and have something to work on. Please pray for our acolytes. They are doing so much good, but just as we all need encouragement, so do they. I implore you to speak encouraging words to them. Show them that you care about them and appreciate the role that they play in our services.
Misty
