Scholarship Week Two: The Quiet Power of Being Believed In

Over the years in ministry, I have come to believe that one of the most meaningful things we can offer another person is encouragement. Encouragement reminds people that they matter, and helps them feel seen. It often says:

I believe in you.

Your future matters.

You have gifts to offer the world.

You do not walk alone.

I have watched what can happen when people experience that kind of encouragement. I have seen young people grow in confidence they did not know they possessed. I have watched adults return to school with courage, uncertainty, and hope all at once. I’ve sat with students navigating deadlines, finances, changing plans, exhaustion, excitement, and all the emotions that can accompany the learning and discernment of pursuing further education.

Education invites growth and stretches confidence. It opens doors, sparks questions, and creates new possibilities. Along the way, though, our encouragement matters.

That is one of the reasons the McDougall United Church Scholarship has meant so much across generations. For many years, this congregation has supported students connected to McDougall families as they pursued education, training, and vocational goals. Through this scholarship, our community has offered practical support alongside that deeper message:

We believe in you.

We are cheering you on.

Your journey matters to us.

I keep finding myself thinking about the many people surrounding each scholarship recipient over the years. Parents and grandparents. Family members and mentors. Friends, teachers, church members, and loved ones who helped nurture gifts, offer reassurance, celebrate milestones, and encourage someone to keep going. This scholarship has always been part of those wider stories. Now we have an opportunity to strengthen that story for future generations.

Each contribution to the McDougall Scholarship Fund becomes part of something larger than purely a financial gift. It becomes encouragement, possibility, and one more way of saying to a student preparing for what comes next: “your community believes in you.”

If you feel called to support the McDougall United Church Scholarship Fund, I invite you to do so. Together, we can continue offering encouragement, opportunity, and care to the generations that follow.

And if you have ever been someone who believed in another person at an important moment in their life, thank you.

You already know how deeply that kind of encouragement matters.

You can learn more about the McDougall Scholarship here.