We come as strangers and unite as friends to grow our faith and share the love.
That, my brothers and sisters, is the new mission statement for the youth group ministry here at Plainfield Congregational United Church of Christ. The youth of this church wrote it together during our Summer Retreat weekend at Lake Thunderbird, and they could not have made me more proud… which seems to be a theme as of late. Throughout the entirety of our summer together, the youth of this church could not have made me more proud.
After a year of planning and preparations, the mission trip to Grand Rapids was on this July, and throughout our week away, I was in awe of the young people I have proudly come to call my friends. Surrounded by youth groups from many other churches, our youth stepped up to help lead dances during morning and evening worship, served countless people in the surrounding community, reached out to their peers to create great friendships, and spent an entire week taking faith seriously—communing with the Lord, experiencing the presence of the divine, and discovering that (whether we deserve it or not) we are always welcomed into God’s family. When we stopped at the Michigan Dunes for a day on the beach before returning home, I looked out into the water at 13 young people whose lives had been deeply impacted, and whose good works that week had deeply impacted not only those they served, but a certain youth minister as well.
One week later, I set out to Pilgrim Park with another group of youth—the awesome confirmation class of 2010-2011. For seven days, I watched as the younger youth of this church learned about what it means to live like a Christian, how our church emerged in history, what exactly is in the Bible, and how to share faith with others. I count myself lucky to be spending the upcoming year in the presence of this class of confirmands—a group of thoughtful youth who are sure to teach each other many things, and who I expect to learn much from as well.
Immediately following the week at Confirmation Camp, nearly 20 more of our youth joined me at Pilgrim Park for a day of service work around the camp before heading off to our Summer Retreat at Lake Thunderbird. Tubing, water skiing, and s’mores made the list of traditional highlights of this relaxing weekend, but our discussion of the first missionary gave extra purpose to the weekend as the youth were challenged to think about their mission—as individuals, and as a youth group. (Check out John 4:1-28 to learn more!) New and old members of our group worked together to compose the mission statement written above, and it’s a statement that I can honestly say represents the youth group ministry happening in this church. Count yourselves lucky, friends, for in your presence is a group of young people dedicated to each other, to the Lord, and to sharing the love with all those they meet. Truly, this congregation is blessed.
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