The power of an invitation can be life-changing. Emily Tonkovich knows this very well.
Tonkovich will not soon forget the day her freshman year growth group leader invited the group to attend Delight, a women’s ministry group on campus. Little did she know when she accepted the invitation, the ministry would be transformative for her. In fact, it would be so impactful, that she would sign up to be a leader as an upperclassman and the role would lead her to her first full-time job with Delight after graduation.
Tonkovich began at Grace in the fall of 2019 and is set to graduate in May of 2023 with a youth ministry major and business administration major.
Tonkovich’s involvement with Delight grew during her second year. As she got more comfortable in the group, she formed more friendships and developed a love for studying the Word with the ladies involved. After applying to be a leader for her third year, she was disappointed to learn that the club would be disbanding; the current leadership team did not have the capabilities to lead the next year. This motivated Tonkovich to relaunch the club so more women could connect and grow at Delight, just as she had.
“The previous leaders gave me the contact information for Delight and said that I could reach out to them to restart the chapter,” said Tonkovich. “At first I wasn’t sure, but, after praying about it, I knew that this was something I needed to do.”
Tonkovich worked with Student Senate to reestablish Delight and build a leadership team. Not only did she get to practice leadership and administration skills, she also got to put what she learned in her youth ministry major into practice as women came together around Scripture. More than anything, she values the accountability that Delight provides in her personal study of God’s Word.
“In high school, I didn’t really struggle with reading my Bible because I had my own space to draw away and be with God,” said Tonkovich. “In college, I found that I didn’t have a space that was my own, so my time with God was lacking. Delight had specific reading and workbook assignments that we would interact with in small groups, so I had to have it done in order to participate.”
Tonkovich has a heart for connection and helping ladies form strong friendships with one another. She loves seeing how God has brought people together through Delight and how those friendships have continued to grow.
For instance, Tonkovich had the opportunity to go to a Delight leadership conference in North Carolina with one of her co-leaders. They bonded over the shared experience and brought what they learned back to the rest of the team.
In the midst of her senior year, Tonkovich saw Delight had an opening for a Michigan Regional Director. She immediately jumped at the opportunity. After two rounds of interviews, Tonkovich was offered the position in January of 2023 – securing her first post-graduate job a whole semester before commencement.
Starting in August, Tonkovich will oversee Delight chapters at several colleges in Michigan. She will visit the chapters, sit in on their meetings, and be a source of support to their leadership teams, which is what Tonkovich looks forward to most.
All of Tonkovich’s experiences at Grace have been helpful in preparing her for future position. At this past Missions Conference, Tonkovich went to a seminar called “The Joy of Fundraising.” She was the only student to show up to the seminar, so she got to have a one-on-one conversation with the missionary about trusting God in the fundraising process – a pertinent lesson for Tonkovich, who will be raising funds for her salary this summer.
Tonkovich wants to continue to see Delight grow, and she would tell any woman considering joining Delight, “If you are looking to grow in your faith, to make more friends, and to be part of a community, you should definitely come to Delight!”
If you want a youth ministry major from a college that provides further spiritual growth opportunities through clubs and activities, then Grace is the place for you! Check out our undergraduate majors, look through our clubs and activities, and fill out an application to get started today.
