Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Sometimes the stars align, and things fall in place as if they were destined to happen. That is certainly the case for Owen Vogelsong, who came to Pocahontas County to serve as a teacher and leader.
Vogelsong had two goals –to be a P.E. and health teacher and to be a director of the Christian youth group Young Life.
The Young Life director for Pocahontas County was David Moore, but he was in the process of moving to Nicholas County to continue Young Life work there. There was also a P.E. and health position open at Pocahontas County High School.
“The opening came up this year, so I was able to move here,” Vogelsong said. “I was talking to Scott Berg, our regional director for Young Life, and we were like, ‘this is an awesome opportunity’ and it all just kind of fell in line.
“I took over Young Life from David and I got a job up at the high school,” he added. “It all just worked out. It was honestly amazing.”
The mission statement of Young Life is to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and to help them grow in their faith.
“My job as an area director for Young Life in Pocahontas County is to do and host events, and get to know and build relationships with kids,” Vogelsong said. “Get to know kids with that goal in mind to hopefully, one day, inevitably, introduce them to the character of Jesus Christ and help them grow their faith.”
The club is open to middle and high school aged kids. Vogelsong has a club at the high school and after school meetings in the basement of the Marlinton Presbyterian Church.
“Once a week we meet in the Young Life office right there in the middle of downtown Marlinton and we have fun, play a couple games and at the end, there’s always some kind of scripture that we read and talk about,” he said.
The high school club meets once a month and is partnered with FCA – Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Vogelsong first became aware of Young Life as a student in Greenbrier County.
“I had been in church pretty much my whole life growing up and it wasn’t until I got involved with Young Life when I was a sophomore in high school that I truly understood what the gospel meant, what it meant for me, what faith meant for me and who I was,” he said.
Vogelsong continued his participation in the organization as a college student at Concord University and led Young Life during that time. After earning his degree, he knew he needed to continue his leadership role in one way or another.
“I felt like God was calling me to do it and pursue it; and who am I to tell God no,” he said.
Vogelsong has a group of high school students who loyally attend the meetings once a week and said he is working on growing the middle school membership with the help of other county leaders, such as WVU Extension 4-H Agent Luci Mosesso.
“I don’t know that many people at Green Bank just yet, but hopefully, Lord willing, I will,” he said. “I know at Marlinton, Luci Mosesso is a great resource. She helps me out a lot getting middle school things up and running.”
At the end of February, Vogelsong and Mosesso are taking a group of middle school students to a Young Life camp for fun and learning about the gospel.
Plans are in motion to add more field trips, including a small group trip to Summersville and the larger summer camp at Rockbridge in Goshen, Virginia.
“It is a Young Life camp,” Vogelsong said. “They literally have everything you could ever imagine and want to do. If you want to play volleyball, basketball, soccer, football, baseball, whatever, they’ve got it. Kids can run around and just go wild and have the time of their lives.
“At the end of the day, we have Young Life club, and we do those things that we try to do here – sing a song, do skits, play games and at the very end, we sit down and talk about life and talk about Jesus,” he added.
Vogelsong said the camp is a very fun experience and he still looks back fondly at his time attending.
“When I was in high school, I can honestly say it was the best week of my life and it’s such an honor to try to get kids there and have them, hopefully, have the best week of their lives there,” he said.
The Young Life program is 100 percent funded by generous donations from the community – through individuals, churches and organizations. The goal is to get kids involved without asking them to pay to attend events.
Individuals and organizations interested in supporting the program may contact Vogelsong by calling 304-667-3243 or emailing him at olvogel1@gmail.com