A few weeks ago, our Student Ministry team welcomed Naomi Kuhns as their new Student Ministry Associate! We sat down with Naomi to ask a few questions about her background, her new role at Calvary, hobbies outside of work, and more. We are excited to get to know Naomi more as she continues working with our students for the glory of God and the growth of His kingdom.
Q: What do you do at Calvary?
A: So, I feel like that's a loaded question! My title is Student Ministry Associate, so my focus coming in is to concentrate on the girls of CSM and be able to offer resources to them—whether that be girls' Bible studies or specific girls events—and working with our female leaders and coaches, providing resources to them as well. There are things that keep being added to my plate, so my job description is growing every day I'm here.
Q: What made you interested in working with students or young adults?
A: Well, my degree is in Professional School Counseling and I'm graduating from Lancaster Bible College in May with my Masters of Education in School Counseling. So, I've had a passion to work with students for a while, and I originally thought that that was going to mean I would work with students in a school. And now, it means that I'm working with students here at Calvary, so it just turned out to different than I thought.
Q: And you're happy with that?
A: Yes, yeah, it's been so good! And every day I'm here, I'm like, "Yeah, I could be here for a long time!"
Q: That's so good to hear. So how did you come to faith in Jesus?
A: I grew up in a Christian household, so I started going to church the second I was born and I said "the prayer" and did all the church things when I was really little, but once I actually joined our youth group—which is funny now that I'm working with a youth group—my youth pastor I had at the time really wanted to push students to know what it meant to actually live out their faith and not just think that because their parents take them to church, they're fine. So, yeah, that was when I really was like, "Okay, what does it mean to take on my faith as my own?" Two years later in ninth grade, I was baptized and [my youth pastor] was actually the one that baptized me. So that was a really cool opportunity.
Q: What are you most excited about since joining staff?
A: I think the thing that I'm most excited about is going back to that first question where there's so much potential and opportunities for my job to grow and give me different ways to grow with the girls and to be able to lead them well. And because of my counseling background and my education in mental health, just being able to provide them with resources when depression and anxiety and stress of life and school come, and all the things that come with just being a teenager, and being able to care for them well.
Q: What do you do when you're not at Calvary? What are your hobbies?
A: Now that school is quieting down and graduation is just around the corner, I can now read—for fun! Which is so nice. I'm reading a novel for the first time in forever, which is great. I also really just like to do anything outside—going for walks, going for hikes. In the summer, my soon-to-be husband and I will go kayaking with his parents, which is so fun. So we're looking forward to that! But right now I don't have a lot of time outside of here and I'm still finishing up my internship too. So, Monday and Tuesday I'm at my internship, Wednesday and Thursday I'm here [at Calvary], Friday I work from home, and then Sunday's I come in and I kind of work on Sunday to?! It is just a weird phase of life. Hopefully, next week is my last week of internship, so that's one less thing on my plate.
Q: What are you learning about God these days?
A: I am learning truly what it means when people say, "You can plan whatever you want, but God is ultimately going to lead [you]where he wants you to be." And I always said that and was like, "Yeah that makes sense; God's in control, God is sovereign." And then when I was applying to schools all over the place and getting interviews and like, thought that that was the direction I was going to be in. And then all of a sudden, Calvary said "You should work here!" and I was like, "ehh I don't know!" And I just decided that, through a lot of prayer, that I was going to follow where He was leading and I'm still learning that as I come into work every day. Yeah, just really learning what it looks like to be open to wherever God is calling you and leading you, and just trusting that He knows what's best.