By Tucker Paulk
Youth leader, Escatawpa, Mississippi, USA
Hey everyone, my name is Tucker Paulk. I’m nineteen years old, and I serve as a youth leader and priest at my Community of Christ congregation in Escatawpa, Mississippi.
I’ve been blessed to grow up in the church, surrounded by family and people who’ve encouraged my faith and helped me discover what it means to live Christ’s love every day. I’m especially grateful to be part of a world church that truly values young voices—giving people like me the chance to grow, serve, and share our stories.
Though I don’t fully remember much about my home congregation as a kid, I can tell you that my two favorite “church things” growing up were potlucks and summer camps. A big part of my spiritual development took place at Bluff Springs Campground in McDavid, Florida, USA, which has been my go-to place for spiritual recharge over the years. It’s where I first felt God calling me into leadership and where my faith came more alive each year.
That not only made me want to do my best to help with camps as I got older, but it pointed me toward a more active role in church, even after leaving camp behind each summer.
After getting home from our senior-high camp in 2022, my sister and I realized that we were among the few youth in our congregation. Not long after, I felt God putting it on my heart to try to change that. We immediately got to work, inviting everyone we knew to church and creating events that would get young people interested and excited to be there.
I’ve been blessed to grow up in the church, surrounded by family and people who’ve encouraged my faith and helped me discover what it means to live Christ’s love every day.
What started as a dream to bring young people together has turned into one of the greatest blessings of my life.
Over the past three years I’ve had the chance to help host dozens of youth events at our church, reach out to youth and teens in our community by the simple act of being a living invitation, and even create and travel with our Community of Christ Escatawpa Witnessing Team to share our story with other congregations.
Over the years, I’ve seen what can happen when you give young people the space and ability to lead. They rise to it!
As of late I’ve tried to focus my ministry on creating those spaces and sacred communities by helping promote and organize youth and young-adult gatherings like Spectacular and Extravaganza. Now, I’m part of Emerge, a movement that’s all about showing youth that their voices matter in shaping the church’s future.
Through all of this, I’ve learned that ministry doesn’t always start with a plan. Sometimes it just starts with a “yes.” I said yes to God at fourteen, and that “yes” keeps leading me into new ways to serve, grow, and help others find their place in God’s story.