Already Knew

Sarah Lee grew up in the Episcopal Church. From an early age, the rhythms of liturgy, prayer, and community shaped her faith. But it was during college, through campus ministry, that her relationship with God deepened and her sense of call began to take root.

As a young adult, Sarah Lee didn’t drift away from the Church; she stepped further in. She became involved in campus ministry as an undergraduate, eventually began working for St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, and lived in Redeemer House. At every stage of her journey, the Church didn’t just welcome her— it invested in her.

Sarah Lee embodies what we mean when we say “one body, many parts.” She has been a child formed by the Church, a college student nurtured by campus ministry, a young adult leader serving children and youth, a resident of Redeemer House, and now a bridge between congregations.

Recently, Sarah Lee attended the joint parish retreat with Redeemer and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Churches. She chose to go intentionally, knowing she was entering a new chapter and wanting to spend meaningful time with the children and families she had grown close to over the years.

At the retreat, Sarah Lee led youth programming focused on prayer. Together, they explored different ways to talk with God. What struck her most wasn’t what she taught; it was what the children already knew.

“They already knew how to talk to God,” she reflected. “I was just giving them space to explore that further.”

One afternoon on the retreat, while the youth were making prayer jars, Deacon Mike from St. Andrew’s stopped by to ask what they were doing. The children eagerly explained the project— and then decided to make prayer jars not only for him, but for Mother Lisa and Father Wiley as well.

Their instinct was generosity.

In a world that often feels heavy and divided, these children responded with creativity, light, and love. And that instinct did not come from nowhere. It grew in communities like Redeemer and St. Andrew’s— communities that share resources, nurture leadership, and create space for every age and stage of life to belong.

Sarah Lee sees that clearly.

“Redeemer has an incredible constellation of parishioners— from older folks, to families, to college students,” she says. “Its ministries, like Jacksonville Campus Ministry, Redeemer House, and the Food Pantry, are powerful ways to meet people where they are.”

Her own life is evidence of that.

Because Redeemer invested in campus ministry, Sarah Lee found deeper faith in college.

Because Redeemer supports Redeemer House, she experienced intentional Christian community as a young adult.

Because congregations collaborate, she has relationships that extend beyond a single parish.

That is true generosity— not just financial generosity, but generational generosity. A Church that understands we belong to one another.

Today, Sarah Lee moves into her next chapter still connected spiritually and relationally to both communities. The seeds planted in her childhood, nurtured in campus ministry, strengthened in Redeemer House, and expressed in parish life continue to bear fruit.

Her story reminds us:

When we invest in young people, we are not funding a program.

We are shaping leaders.

We are cultivating their own generosity.

We are building a Church where every part of the body matters.

One body. Many parts.

And each part strengthened because we choose to give.