By: David Rimarski
Summer trips are a big part of student ministry! There is so much excitement (and a bit of anxiety on my part) built around these special trips and retreats. One of these summer trips is the high school summer mission trip. I wanted to share about this trip simply because I am excited about two things happening.
The high schoolers alternate every year between a retreat and a mission trip. We do this because, during our retreat to CIY, they focus on what they call “Kingdom Workers”. These are students who go above and beyond to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their communities. CIY sets apart a block of time dedicated to talking about kingdom work. In addition, they usually show a highlight video of a student or group of students who are doing great things for God’s Kingdom. At the end of the retreat, the students are challenged to be kingdom workers and find an area where they can make a difference while sharing the love and hope of Jesus with others.
This mission trip is the perfect opportunity for these high schoolers to put that in action! When our scout team went to Western Kentucky, I was shocked to see how many people are still waiting to receive help with their home from last year’s tornado. There is still so much work to be done and so many opportunities for these high schoolers to share the love of Jesus through their work and words spoken to these people who need it.
The next thing I am excited for is the opportunity for students and adults to connect. Our church is pretty large and while it is great to have such a large body of believers coming together to worship, it can make it somewhat difficult to get to know everyone there, especially if there a generation or two gap between people. The students will get to be placed on a team where they will work with some amazing people who can teach them different things about work and life. This is an amazing opportunity for student and adults to make a difference in the lives of those effected by the tornado, but also create meaningful relationships within our own church body. This trip is going to be amazing, and I can’t wait! Would you please be in prayer over this trip and those who are involved, that God will work through the hands of so many who are willing to serve those who need it the most!
