YOUTH MISSION TRIPS

When Rev. Rick Haverly was hired to be our Associate Minister in 1996, having primary responsibility for coordinating our ministry with youth, he came with a vision of offering our young people in high school an annual Youth Mission Trip.  These trips would offer our youth hands-on opportunities to live our gospel faith by serving the poor and needy; life-changing cultural and spiritual experiences; deep and lasting relationships with both peers and advisors; and meaningful and significant ways to extend the outreach ministry of our church family.  Since then, Rick has offered Youth Mission Trips during school vacation week each and every February.  He has created a 3-year cycle of trips.  The first year the kids travel to Baltimore/Washington, D.C. to work with Habitat for Humanity.  The next year they visit New York City, where they split up with advisors, travel via the subway and work in soup kitchens all across the city.  The third year, they fly to Mazatlan, Mexico; stay in a U.C.C. church there which serves the poor and runs a school for poor children; and work on projects to aid the church and school.  Through the years, our young people have, indeed, found these trips to be life-changing and extremely valuable.  In fact, many of our Youth Mission Trip veterans are now committing their lives to missionary and service work among and for the poor, which will surely enhance our world and advance God’s kingdom of peace, love and harmony.  This coming Saturday, 18 youth and 4 advisors will leave fly to Mexico for their 2005 Youth Mission Trip.  Our thoughts and prayers will be with them.