Youth Ministry

Youth Ministry at St. Martin's
Beginning September 26, 2021, the Youth Ministry schedule will be as follows:
- All youth are invited to a bonfire from 6-8pm on September 26 from 6-8pm.
- Senior High (youth in grades 9 through 12): meet in-person on the Second and Fourth Sundays of the month at 12pm
- Confirmation class (any youth age 12 and older) will meet on the First and Third Sundays of the month at 12pm (through the Bishop's visit on December 5).
Youth Ministry is led by the Rector, the Rev. Jarrett Kerbel, and Minister for Children & Youth, Anne Alexis Harra, with support from adult volunteers.
Recently, the youth group has served at the St. James Welcome Table, making sandwiches for the Welcome Church, and assembled the cross we used during the 2021 Holy Week and Easter season. Prior to the pandemic, the youth group was active in the SUPPER program, took mission trips to Guatemala, and participated in events with other local parishes.
In 2021-2022, we hope to continue our outreach ministries with the St. James Welcome Table, as well as serve more at SUPPER. In November, the Diocese of Pennsylvania will offer a course in Dismantling Racism through The Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing: youth ages 13 and older are invited to attend this retreat which will be held at the St. Luke's retreat center in Germantown. (More information to come.)
The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel and Anne Alexis are in the beginning stages of planning a mission trip. To be involved in the planning of the trip, or to assist in fundraising, please contact Anne Alexis.
To be added to the youth group mailing list, please email Anne Alexis Harra, or contact the Parish Office (215.247.7466).
Have an idea for a youth event? Interested in volunteering with the group? Please contact us!
The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel (he/him) was educated at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago and Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He was ordained Priest in 1995 in Danville, Pennsylvania where he worked as a Hospital Chaplain and a Head Start teacher. Pastoral positions followed at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Flossmoor, Illinois, St. Paul and the Redeemer in Chicago, and then Rector at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Park Ridge, Illinois. After following his wife, the Rev. Dr. Alison Boden, to her new position in Princeton, New Jersey, he was called to be the Executive Director of the Crisis Ministry of Mercer County. The largest food pantry and the gateway agency for Homelessness Prevention services in Mercer County, the Crisis Ministry also runs a Welfare to Work program and an innovative free farmers market. Jarrett became Rector of St. Martin’s in February 2011. He formerly served as the co-chair of Philadelphians Organized to Witness Empower and Rebuild (POWER). Jarrett serves as Dean of the Wissahickon Deanery and is an Associate of the Order of the Holy Cross. He is an Adjunct Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary where he co-teaches a regular class on Faith Based Community Organizing, Theology and Practice. Jarrett has been published in Sojourners, the Huffington Post, Yours the Power, and the Journal of Public Theology. He is the father of two children, Timothy and Martha. Anne Alexis Harra (she/her) was born and raised in Wilmington, DE. She and her beloved partner, Cole (he/him) currently live in Manayunk. Anne Alexis graduated from Washington College in May 2019 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Philosophy. Anne Alexis has served on the Diocesan Council in the Episcopal Church in Delaware, as well as the Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission, and the Diocesan Assessment Committee. Since moving to Philadelphia in January 2021, she has served on the DioPA Youth Leaders Team and the DioPA Dismantling Racism for Youth Leaders Team. She is passionate about children's spirituality and using education as a force for good in their spiritual lives. Beginning with the waters of baptism, Anne Alexis has devoted her life to serving God in the Episcopal Church. Raised on Godly Play in Sunday school and moving into a tight-knit youth group, she is aware of the positive impact that the Church’s presence can have in the life of a young person. She is passionate about encouraging children and youth to explore their faith on a personal level while also committing to a community-centered effort to enact change for the greater good. Anne Alexis is passionate about racial justice and healing, as well as advocating for the rights of children in the context of the Christian faith. She hopes for a church where all of God's beloved are welcomed, heard, and included. She seeks and envisions a church where every member feels the true love of God in Christ. Anne Alexis is deeply aware of the profound impact of Jesus' unyielding love for all, including the most tender and vulnerable in our society: children. Hopeful for a day when all marginalized peoples are treated with equity, she continues "to seek and serve Christ in all persons." The Baptismal Covenant and Sacrament of Eucharist guide her ministry. Anne Alexis’ father owns and is president of a local funeral home in Wilmington. Some of her earliest childhood memories include observing him engage with bereaved families in a way that can only be described as ministerial. Her mother is a hospice nurse who guides her patients and families through a dignified palliative care stage. Anne Alexis’ parents have left a huge impression on her heart. A ministerial goal she has at St. Martin’s is exploring the often taboo topics of dying and death in the hopeful context of the gospels. In her free time, she enjoys weightlifting, reading, spending time with her family (notably her godson, Will), and watching new shows with her beloved cats by her side. She and Cole enjoy trying eclectic restaurants in their neighborhood -- observing COVID restrictions, of course!The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel
Former Rector
(215) 247-7466 ext. 101 | Anne Alexis Harra
Minister for Children & Youth
215.247.7466 x104 |
News & Updates
Reflections on Outdoor Worship
Holy Week for the Whole Family
Saints of Color Who Inspire Our Ministries: Harry Thacker Burleigh
Saints of Color Who Inspire Our Ministries: Rev. Pauli Murray
Saints of Color Who Inspire Our Ministries: Rev. Absalom Jones