Called, Committed and Growing.
My name is Ally Bartlett, and I was created with a purpose by a perfect God.
I am a junior at Eastern University, majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Christian Thought. I’m from Galax, Virginia, which is where I owe my accent and love for sweet tea. Since, I moved to Downingtown, Pennsylvania. I also enjoy good conversation, spending time with friends and family, and learning. I love Jesus more than anything and have a passion for serving others.
I have been blessed with many opportunities to learn and grow in response to a calling to ministry. Two examples are my role as a Campolo Scholar as well as serving on staff at Hopewell United Methodist Church as Coordinator of Young Adult Ministries. I am excited to see what God does in the future at Eastern University and through these opportunities, but I am also ready to celebrate every moment in life with the Joy of the Lord in my heart.
As summer fades and fall begins, I find myself reflecting on the past few months, which have been filled with beautiful and challenging opportunities. With each reflection, I am struck by the way God has stretched me and enabled me to grow.
I have learned how to dig deeper into the Word, rooting my heart and mind in His own. I have learned how to be filled by God and others, and how to use that to pour into the lives of others effectively. I can now testify to the expression, “blessing follows obedience,” which I grasped in a tangible way while serving in Nicaragua. I have witnessed God’s faithfulness and grace in exponential ways that I will carry with me for years to come.
While the summer was truly incredible, it was not without challenges. These challenges molded me into a better disciple. One of the most prominent and yet difficult blessings has been leading so many people of varying ages, backgrounds, and stances: from teaching Bible stories to 400 kids at Hopewell’s Vacation Bible School program to leading and learning from my peers; from leading devotions for middle schoolers at a summer camp to preaching and helping youth through a difficult and exciting time; from discipling four wonderful young women to connecting with individuals with far more wisdom and life experiences than me.
It has been surreal to be able to step into a role I felt called to, regardless of my gender or age, both of which would have prohibited me from doing so at a different point in history. Throughout all of these challenges and opportunities, I am only more eager to use what I have been equipped with this summer. The reality that I can step deeper into a call to ministry as a Campolo Scholar and be trained by such gifted individuals, is a blessing I don’t take for granted.
I am honored to be even a little part of God’s perfect plan and purpose. And I am grateful for how the Campolo Center for Ministry is helping me to become as fruitful as possible… to help change the world in the name of Jesus.