In early June we will welcome Renee Reimer as the new RMC Youth Program Director.

I first learned to know Renee when she came on board as the Junior Choir Director at Bethel College Mennonite Church. She had a magnetic personality, she was a hard-worker, and she seemed to genuinely love working with our junior highers. The choir grew in size and maturity under her leadership.

Then one day she popped into my office and said, “I want to direct a play. How about we do Godspell Junior?” Okay. Good idea, I thought. But does she really know what that involves? (My mom is in theater and I know what it takes to put on a play!) For the next several months she studied the script, organized a rehearsal schedule, communicated with families, held auditions, encouraged the kids, drew in other Bethel friends to help, and ended up pulling off one of the best productions of Godspell that I’ve ever seen. All the while she had her eyes on another theater project: My name is Rachel Corrie, a one-woman play based on the journals and e-mail messages of an American college student who, in early 2003, died while working with the International Solidarity Movement in the Gaza Strip. Click on these two links to learn more about that project:

Bethel article

Renee’s blog on the experience of preparing and performing My Name is Rachel Corrie

Renee is currently a 5th year senior at Bethel College, majoring in Music Education. Here is Renee’s resume for those who want to learn more.

Renee will begin at RMC on Monday, June 9. Her office will be on the 2nd floor. Thanks to the Trustees, especially Gary Kaufman, for working hard to get the space ready. We have some more work to do as you can see from these pictures, but at least we’ve started!

Welcome Renee!