Page 14 - Glory & Grace Issue 4: "Small Wonders" Nov 2021

MCKINLEY OUTSEN
DIRECTOR OF YOUTH MINISTRIES
For most people, getting sick isn’t a good thing. But in the summer of 2021 in the mountains of Idaho, illness was the "small wonder" that began something very good.
As staff at Luther Heights Bible Camp began to welcome campers for the first week of camp, a stomach bug moved through the staff causing many of them to become ill and unable to serve where they were assigned. The top priority was to ensure that each cabin of kids had a healthy counselor to lead them through the week.
Luckily, the camp’s Program Coordinator was able to step in and lead one of those cabins. That coordinator happened to be McKinley Outsen, and the group she took charge of happened to include Cora Quanbeck, whose mother, Jen Quanbeck, happened to also be serving at camp that week as a Resource Pastor. Four months later McKinley was officially installed by Pastor Jen as the new Director of Youth Ministries at King of Glory Lutheran Church.
So who is McKinley Outsen? A recent graduate of Utah State, McKinley studied Recreational Administration with the hopes of being able to work in a field that combines her passions for the outdoors, youth ministry, and recreation. She is the youngest of three girls who grew up in the small town of Logan, Utah. Some of McKinley's fondest memories come from the mountains at Luther Heights Bible Camp and her experiences with her youth group at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. She even spent a week at Christikon as a middle-schooler going through Confirmation. For her, the mountains are her “home away from home,” where she most feels free and at peace, and is constantly reminded that God is good.
As the youth director at KOG, McKinley’s vision is to see that our students have a community where they feel safe and loved at all times, and can build deep relationships with one another and God: “Middle school and high school are important times in a child’s life where they are learning who they are and who they want to be. I hope to motivate and support them every step of the way.” She adds, “I think that a key part of youth ministry is just being together. A place where you have [a commonality] with every single person. Faith is a large factor in many people's lives; so having a place where faith is the common ground allows us to dig deeper and grow closer together.” Her goal is to provide opportunities and experiences that help our youth grow in faith together and foster a community filled with love and care.
"The mountains are
calling and I must go." ~John Muir