Friends Forever: Peyton's Abiding Story

Peyton began worshipping at Abiding Presence in Elementary School with her family and has memories of singing in the children’s choir, being in Sunday School, and having fun with her friends. Then their family moved across the country for a military assignment. Years later, when Peyton was beginning 8th grade, her family moved back to Burke and returned to Abiding Presence. “It made things ten times easier for me to come back to my friends and adults like Ms. Lori who directed the children’s choir,” Peyton recalled. “Having those familiar faces definitely made a difference in my middle school years and it made me feel so good,” she shared.

During her senior year of high school, Peyton learned about the Summer Internship program from Pastor Meredith. “I was so excited to have a summer job and I knew every summer I could depend on having that job,” she recalled. “I even got my college roommate to work here for several summers,” she shared. “Over the summers I worked here I got to see the same kids year after year even though they weren’t members of the church,” she said. “It really meant something to them to come back and see familiar staff faces,” Peyton shared.

One aspect of her College-Age Internship with particular significance were the vocation presentations by church members. “Hearing their stories was so enjoyable and they helped me see that what you study in college doesn’t dictate what you do for work.” That experience empowered Peyton to pursue a position outside of her chosen major and she’s loving it.

Nowadays you’ll find Peyton leading Confirmation classes as one of several post-graduate age young adults. “I look forward to teaching Confirmation every Sunday,” she said. “We are building relationships with these youth at an important developmental age when they may need advice or someone to talk to and we hope we’re building that with them,” she shared.

“Abiding Presence is unlike any other church and no one else has what we have,” Peyton shared. “It wouldn’t be possible without the congregation supporting it financially and all the other resources it takes to do what we do here,” she said. “I know I can go to our pastors with anything I need and they are both amazing resources who will be there for anyone,” she shared. “During my years on summer staff, people were telling me I could do whatever I wanted and it completely changed the trajectory of my life,” she said.

When thinking about the relationships developed among the summer staff, Peyton said, “Anything we did at church, from activities to Sunday worship we were forming relationships and it was so special.” She shared,” I don’t know any other friends of mine that have relationships like that; it’s really rare.” She went on to say, “I view my church friends differently than other friendships because I know they aren’t relationships you would question and I know we will be friends forever.”