Marissa Alspaugh, Coordinator
of Youth Ministry at
St. Timothy, Walkersville
Marissa Alspaugh, Coordinator
of Youth Ministry at
St. Timothy, Walkersville
by Judy Williams
Marisa Alspaugh became St. Timothy, Walkersville’s, new Coordinator of Youth Ministry on July 10. She replaces Sandra Maxey, who served the parish as Youth Minster for over fifteen years.
A native of Frederick, Marissa grew up attending St. Ignatius parish in Ijamsville, and graduated from Urbana High School. A self-described “youth group junkie,” Marissa was an active participant in the youth ministry program, SPY, at St. Peter’s, Libertytown, serving as a peer minister for the youth there while she was in high school. Working under the guidance of St. Peter’s youth minister, Dawn Miller, Marissa realized that she felt most and live and happiest while working with SPY, sharing her faith with her peers. Her thirst for faith, combined with her gifts and talents – she is a people person and an organizer – led Marissa to realize that youth ministry was her calling.
Marissa attended St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor’s degree in Religious Education. While attending St. Vincent, Marissa served as an intern in the office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Greensburg. She also found the time to be in the college’s campus ministry and also the youth ministry program Our Lady of Grace parish in Latrobe. After her studies were completed at St. Vincent, Marissa attended the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio where she earned her Masters in Theology and Christian Ministry, with specialization in catechetics. At the same time, she continued to serve as a youth minister, this time on a multi-parish level.
As Coordinator of Youth Ministry at St. Timothy’s, Marissa will over see the religious education programs for youth in grades 7 through 12, as well as the confirmation and RCIA for teens programs. She hopes to increase the activities of the parish youth group, including retreats, social activities and service projects. “I want to give the parish teens a sense of community and belonging,” she said, and to this end has already gotten to know a group of the 100 or so parish youth, through a few casual get-togethers (frisbee tossing and water wars) at the parish during the past month. Eventually Marissa would like to implement Lifeteen at the parish (for more information, visit Lifeteen.com). She also plans to add a youth ministry page to St. Timothy's website.
Marissa and her husband, Brian, who met during their years together in SPY, are newly-wedded, live in Urbana and are members of St. Timothy parish. Marissa is very happy to be a part of St. Timothy’s very vibrant and welcoming community. She is grateful for the support she has found in a large pool of adult volunteers. As she reflects upon the exciting future ahead of her in her new position, Marissa keeps in mind her goal of inspiring teens to follow Christ, and recalls the words of St. Paul,
"No
one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven…
So this joy of mine has been made complete…He must increase; I must decrease."
John 3:27, 29-20
The CEM Center welcomes Marissa to ministry in Central Maryland!