Amy Barger, Roanoke City
A Young Woman’s Passion
"Taking care of people."That’s how Amy Barger explains her passion in life. “And the pursuit of self-excellence... and shopping for shoes.” Not necessarily in that order, though, because nearly everything she does revolves around taking care of people and she does it well.
Amy grew up at Northminster, and her grandparents, who are longtime members, are still very active in the church. When she graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 2003, she went off to Radford University, transferring to Jefferson College of Health Sciences in 2004. That’s where she received her B.S. in Biomedical Sciences. Amy began ‘running’ with the ambulance and she thought of pursuing careers in medicine. Medicine seemed the obvious choice, given her interests and experience, and further studies in public health aren’t out of the question. But patients aren't the only people Amy looks after. While studying at JCHS, a classmate had a relative who needed a nanny and thought Amy would be good at it, so Amy applied. But don’t think for a moment she’s a glorified babysitter: In addition to meals and changed diapers and baths and bedtime stories, Amy helps with homework and school projects—especially math. “Tell me five animals that crawl,” Amy quizzes, mixing mathematics with zoology. Her experience with the Rescue Squad comes in handy—nobody is better at taking care of a boo-boo. Her young charges are quick—–both mentally and physically––but Amy is up to it. She has a high level of energy, and she needs to, balancing three young girls, the Roanoke City Fire/EMS, and the church. If she’s awake, she’s taking care of someone. Okay, and shopping for shoes. Amy gives an impish smile: “Well, shopping in general, but especially shoes.”
As Amy got older and began finishing up her studies, she found herself drawn back to Northminster. “I just really like the people. They remember who a person is and what he or she is doing.” Amy routinely lets people know when she has exams or what’s going on her life. She finds the folks at Northminster responsive and supportive. Perhaps that’s why Amy has become something of an ambassador for the church. “I want people to come here.” Why should someone visit Northminster? Amy has a number of reasons at the ready: The music is varied between traditional and high church and contemporary, the sermons are engaging and relevant, and the congregation is kind and welcoming. “There’s no ‘visitor-ishness’—you don’t feel out of place”, she says. In addition to knowing exactly what she loves about Northminster, she always knows what she thinks the future holds. While the people at Northminster are its greatest strength to Amy, she sees even more diversity in the congregation’s future. “Everyone can be a member of our church family,” she says with conviction. “All walks of life are welcome.” And will be taken care of. That much, Amy knows.