He is Risen Indeed!

What Makes an Eagle Fly...Steven Joyce's Boy Scout Eagle Project

Center Avenue United Methodist Church sits on top of a hill in Pitcairn, Pa. It was established in 1892, and from the outside you can tell it once ministered to a large and vibrant community. Over the years, the community of Pitcairn has fallen on difficult times causing the church the church to struggle as well. While the church remains a beacon of hope the community, growth of the church family and community outreach has been a challenge. One solution to this challenge may just have come from a direction not anticipated.

This boost may have come from a teenager who did not listen to those who had low expectations of him; those who tried to tell him he was not able to do things that other kids could do. This teenager had chosen to listen to those who believed in him more than he believed in himself. He chose to listen to Sunday school teachers and pastors who taught him about Jesus and Jesus’ call on each of us to live our faith in our daily lives. This teenager listened to the Plum High School Cross Country Seniors and alumni who expected him to succeed and took a risk and believed in him when others were not so sure. He listened to the scout leaders who taught him skills. He listened to all those voices that believed in him.

Steven Joyce is this teenager and his choice of listening was vitally important because Steven happens to be Autistic. To many people, that label alone would indicate huge limitations. To most people, it would mean he could not be someone who at age 15 could undertake a Boy Scout Eagle project bringing the strength of several churches, 30 volunteers, and almost $1000 to create a new nursery at Center United Methodist Church. Steven hopes this nursery will be one of the seeds to help the church’s ministry and outreach to the community to grow.

Steven and his family are members of the Monroeville United Methodist Church and while members, they met the Bloise family who among others believed in Steven. Cyndi and Frank were two of his Sunday School teachers and their daughters treated him as a dear friend. Cyndi went to seminary, became a pastor, served as Associate Pastor at Steven’s church for six years, and now is pastor of that church on the hill in Pitcairn.

When it came time to pick an Eagle Scout project, Steven knew exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to do something for Cyndi’s church because he said she had believed in him, and as a future Eagle Scout it was his turn to believe in her and her church. He chose the nursery project because he likes little kids and wants them to grow up strong and healthy. Steven believes the way to do grow up strong and healthy is to be at church and being there often begins in the church nursery.

Steven did not know Autistic kids weren’t supposed to be leaders; he did not know that sometimes big churches don’t help smaller churches; he did not know that believing in others wasn’t enough; he did not know his hugs were infectious and would get others motivated. Steven just moved ahead, motivated by his love and his vision, and the bigger church helped in a big way. Steven had as many volunteers as needed and when he needed funds, they materialized. His scout troop, his cross country team, his teachers, his friends and his community were there. As people look at the beautiful, clean nursery, the lesson is not the project itself but rather how God works through us as a connected body, that every small contribution adds up to make a difference of the larger project, and how God does amazing things using unexpected and ordinary people.

What makes an Eagle fly? This Eagle flew with the lift of those who took a risk and believed in him with the bright light of faith as their guide. Steven’s journey to and through his Eagle Project, shows how an honest faith and belief in others can make a big difference in people’s lives.