When I was 18 years old, I joined a crew of kids from my church to do hurricane relief in Homestead, FL during our Spring Break. Hurricane Andrew had nailed south Florida the August before, becoming one of the costliest hurricanes in American history. I was certain that though my construction skills were limited to hammering thumbs, I mean nails into planks of wood, my work would make a sizeable impact in all of the devastation. Well, there was a sizeable impact made that week, but it had little to do with meeting the vast needs of Homestead. I learned two life lessons. God taught me that there is an entire world out there hungry for the life-giving message and redemptive kingdom work of the gospel and that we cannot do it all on our own. This work starts with God’s spirit and it happens through God’s church. I have carried these lessons in my heart for over 20 years.
It is with this anticipation of God’s formation in the lives of our youth that our ministry teams passionately prepare for our two summer trips.This year Fish Club resumes their annual trek to the Appalachian Trail the first week of June and High Hope’s embarks on a workweek at Greenpoint Reformed Church in Brooklyn, NY in August. This will be the 26th year for the A.T. hike, and this will be the 5th time High Hopes has travelled to Greenpoint, so these are good and strong traditions that are being carried forward. It is such a gift to be able to witness all the ways God is at work in connecting their young hearts to God, each other, the church, and the greater world.
There are two specific ways that you too can connect with this work. Please be in prayer for our teams; that God would give us safety and robust health before, during, and after our trips. We are also in need of funds for the High Hopes trip. In fact, save June 28 on your calendars! After a three year hiatus, High Hopes will be resuming our 1950’s drive in, where you can feast on hotdogs and ice cream. Check upcoming bulletins for more details.
As always, let me say thank you to you all for the honor and blessing of working with the youth of Hope Church. They are gift to me, just as they are a gift to our church.
~Beth Jarvis, Youth Ministry Director