Joel Folkemer: ‘Something brought me back’

“Our neighbors have as many gifts to share with us as we do with them,” says Joel Folkemer of Union Lutheran Church.

Presented by: Our York Media

Joel Folkemer wanted a “real job” when he grew up.

But sitting in the pew at Union Lutheran Church on West Market Street in York, Joel did what he swore he would never do: he followed the generations before him and went into ministry.

“I never had that magical angels singing, bright light moment of God calling me to be a pastor. Instead, it was consistent experiences of feeling called to public ministry, both personally and from others around me,” Joel says. “I do know that when I pushed away, something brought me back.”

He came to York three years ago when he was asked to lead a struggling congregation in York. Attendance was down. There was a lack of purpose. The church didn’t clearly represent the community in which it was located.

Our neighbors have as many gifts to share with us as we do with them. To share, we have to get outside our walls.

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Joel Folkemer

Monthly community breakfasts were transactional instead of relational, he says.

“Transactional service ranks us. It says, ‘I have something of value. You don’t,’” Joel says.

So instead of just serving breakfast, church members sat down and ate with those who walked in the door. They host kid activities at Creek Fire and York Fest. Joel even donned a pair of black, knee high boots and walked a mile to benefit the YWCA’s ACCESS-York and Victim Assistance programs.

“We’re here because we want those relationships to flourish,” Joel says. “Our neighbors have as many gifts to share with us as we do with them. To share, we have to get outside our walls.”

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