Our youth ministry is preparing to embark on a journey together that won't be particularly comfortable....
For the week of July 22-28, we will be taking high school students (going into 9th-12th grade next year) down to Chicago to experience service and the mission of God in a culture that might be quite different from what many of us are used to. We will working closely with an organization called Sunshine Gospel Ministries, a fantastic, Jesus-centered organization that works for the peace of the city and for the advancing of God's kingdom in broken communities.
This is not an experience that will be particularly easy. And, for some, it may not feel particularly safe. Now, we know that telling you this from the beginning is likely not the best marketing strategy and probably not exactly what you expected to hear. But our experience tells us that not only are these things true, but they are also gifts from God for our combined benefit. Experience has shown us that rarely does God work in the places we're comfortable; rarely is the work of God easy; rarely do the places that God leads us feel safe. Indeed, if we're honest, our American context and culture have elevated these feelings (comfort, ease, safety) into modern-day golden calves - in moderation they may be helpful, but in excess they become idols. We are eager to invite you outside of your comfort zone and into a place of challenge and growth in the Lord.
Our athletes and musicians know these lessons well...in order to become a better athlete, you have to be challenged and become intentionally uncomfortable to grow. Learning to play the guitar requires a few band-aids on fingers. As we turn our focus on others and on selfless service on this mission trip, we expect (actually we plan) to push past the familiar and into the difficult.
This means in part that we expect to flip some expectations and typical patterns: rather than expect us to learn how to change the community we'll be visiting, we expect that community will change us. Rather than have the primary posture and goal of this trip be service, we expect the primary posture to be learning and listening. We don't plan on changing a community in a week; we plan on having the community we visit change us for a lifetime. We expect that the most important missions work you will complete in your life will be after leaving Chicago this summer, not while we're there. We fully expect us to join the movement of God in that community, not to simply "bring God with us".
We plan to stress the interdependence of the body of Christ - that is, the communities we're in need us as much as we need our communities. And as a result, we expect this to not only change how we view Chicago and the communities we live in, but how we view God moving in our lives...for the rest of our lives.
Would you consider joining us as we embark on this journey together?
For more specific information about the trip, and to register, DOWNLOAD A REGISTRATION PACKET BELOW.
This is not an experience that will be particularly easy. And, for some, it may not feel particularly safe. Now, we know that telling you this from the beginning is likely not the best marketing strategy and probably not exactly what you expected to hear. But our experience tells us that not only are these things true, but they are also gifts from God for our combined benefit. Experience has shown us that rarely does God work in the places we're comfortable; rarely is the work of God easy; rarely do the places that God leads us feel safe. Indeed, if we're honest, our American context and culture have elevated these feelings (comfort, ease, safety) into modern-day golden calves - in moderation they may be helpful, but in excess they become idols. We are eager to invite you outside of your comfort zone and into a place of challenge and growth in the Lord.
Our athletes and musicians know these lessons well...in order to become a better athlete, you have to be challenged and become intentionally uncomfortable to grow. Learning to play the guitar requires a few band-aids on fingers. As we turn our focus on others and on selfless service on this mission trip, we expect (actually we plan) to push past the familiar and into the difficult.
This means in part that we expect to flip some expectations and typical patterns: rather than expect us to learn how to change the community we'll be visiting, we expect that community will change us. Rather than have the primary posture and goal of this trip be service, we expect the primary posture to be learning and listening. We don't plan on changing a community in a week; we plan on having the community we visit change us for a lifetime. We expect that the most important missions work you will complete in your life will be after leaving Chicago this summer, not while we're there. We fully expect us to join the movement of God in that community, not to simply "bring God with us".
We plan to stress the interdependence of the body of Christ - that is, the communities we're in need us as much as we need our communities. And as a result, we expect this to not only change how we view Chicago and the communities we live in, but how we view God moving in our lives...for the rest of our lives.
Would you consider joining us as we embark on this journey together?
For more specific information about the trip, and to register, DOWNLOAD A REGISTRATION PACKET BELOW.
Where's the New Youth Center?
We are finally located on the same campus as Walloon Lake Community Church! Simply drive around the back of the building to the end of our back parking lot.
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Check out www.walloonchurch.com to see what God is doing in and through our church body as a whole!
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