Let us Continue the Celebration

The week of missions trips. At least that's what my social media feed is portraying about this past week. The Nazarene Youth Groups are returning from NYC in Louisville, there are many teens and families who have returned from missions trips through Youth Works all over the country, and along with many other groups my youth group of the First Presbyterian church of Mount Vernon has returned from our trip to Wayfarer's Land Camp. Our trip was not your average missions trip, but it filled each of the students in different ways and planted seeds of amazing ideas in their minds.

This trip was the first big trip that I have planned for a youth group and in the past I had been on the other end of this--with Youth Works I was the one planning and welcoming in the youth groups. Since the moment I got hired I spent hours talking about this trip, vision casting, and helping coordinate the many fundraisers we put on. There were many days where it felt like the very point of our meetings was to prepare for this one trip--which is precisely the idea that I do not want to portray to the students. This trip is meant to be part of the normal rhythm of our OUT/IN/UP approach to ministry. Was this trip completely normal? No, but it was a much needed reminder and refresher for all the ministry we can do here in our home community of Knox County.

                                                                       The Group right before the trip to Wilmore, KY.

We departed early Monday morning for Asbury University in Wilmore, KY for a trip where we had little to no expectations and could not have guessed the amazing ways that the Holy Spirit was going to work that week. We had a safe and relatively uneventful drive which was good because once we arrived we jumped right into the crazy schedule of our week. This jam packed schedule seemed to overwhelm everyone on the first and second day, except for myself who has run similar settings through YouthWorks. As a new leader who was still getting acquainted with this youth group family, I was pretty worried about how the rest of the week would go with how drained and exhausted the entire team seemed when we debriefed that first night.

Then we attended our first worship session when we were there and it all came into focus. The students began to relax. Many began to be vulnerable and just praise their Creator as we embraced this theme of celebration and asked the Spirit to fill us with His good and perfect gifts. As the week progressed I was blessed to see students worship through fun water games, crazy running indoor games, through raising their hands and dancing like fools for Jesus more and more each day, through sharing in our church group times,  through serving by helping out at a Shelter for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence, and through seeking God in prayer. Every day I saw the teenagers get more into the different elements of worship and every day I saw God shining through each and every student. Each night when we would share at church group time, through all of our giggles and fun stories, I was nearly brought to tears each time as I reflected on how blessed I am to lead this amazing family.

We did have one incident where we had to rush a student to the hospital, but God was able to use that experience to bring us closer together. The joke has been that since I had a hospital run on this trip I was officially initiated into the group. Throughout each day of celebrating Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost I felt closer to each individual there and by the end of the week I had felt like I knew each of them for many years when in reality I had only been there for around two months. There is something about going through incredibly stressful situations with people that brings you even closer together. It creates a bond that cannot be faked.

As we prepared to leave Wayfarer Land Camp the 3DM team stressed the importance of allowing the celebration from the week to continue on in everyone's lives. There was a story told of when we were all in preschool how when it was our birthday we would bring in cupcakes to share with everyone. The older we get the more we lose this mentality of sharing good gifts with people. The prayer that was left over everyone as we departed was that we would continue the celebration and share our "cupcakes" of the experience with all that we would come in contact with.

I saw the beginning of those cupcakes being shared at our Missions Trip Debriefing night last night at our Youth Fellowship. We had invited out Session members, church sponsors, and parents to hear the testimonies of those who got to attend this incredible missions experience. As I sat there and listened to most of the students stand up in front of everyone and share how God has impacted their lives on this trip, how they want to go back next year, and how they could clearly feel the Spirit within them it filled me with joy. It was not simply happiness, but it was a joy that the Spirit provides. All week as I had heard that "every good and perfect gift comes from the Father" I had been praying for each of these amazing students. I had been praying that the Spirit would work within their lives and bring about transformation where they needed it. So to hear them share of these incredible Spirit-led experiences they had I truly felt like it had been a gift from the Spirit. As I felt thankful for this gift I felt I should do something I had not planned on. I invited everyone attending to lay hands on those who went on the trip and pray over them. I asked everyone to pray that this fire that is burning within those who went would stay and continue to lead them to do amazing things in their very own community.

                              The group being prayed over after we have returned                                     

So my prayer for all those who went on the trip and really for anyone who already went or will be going on a service oriented trip this summer is that it will fill you with the great gifts from the Spirit and prepare you to continue in your own community to do what the Lord is calling you to. My prayer is that everyone who returns from a trip will be empowered to continue the fire, to share the cupcake, and to realize what kind of leader they are. To realize as it is says in Ephesians 4 if they are an apostle, evangelist, prophet, teacher, or pastor/shepherd. I pray that each and every individual who either traveled on our trip, went elsewhere, or stayed in our community will be so empowered by the Spirit they will know how they are to minister, where they are to minister, and what they can do to share that light.

Holy Spirit lead us.