SERVE Blog – ThereforeGo Ministries

Inviting Gen Z to SERVE

Amanda Roozeboom — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 16:24:55 +0000

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By Amanda Roozeboom, SERVE Director

Many believe that short-term missions trips cause more harm than good to the people and communities where they occur. All too often, this is true, but better models exist. ThereforeGo Ministries is a short-term missions organization rooted in long-term partnerships. We believe short-term missions trips remain an important way to foster young people into belonging, believing, and being welcomed into missions.

We’ve created a unique short-term mission model, called SERVE. This one-week domestic mission trip for teens in the U.S. or Canada introduces students in grades 7-12 to spreading the gospel through missional living and confronting justice issues. Unlike other short-term mission trips for teens, all ThereforeGo SERVE sites are hosted by a local church.

We believe short-term missions works best when it happens through the local church. We want to empower local churches to live missionally to reflect Christ’s love. This helps show young adults how a church should and can be alive and living outside its walls. Finally, this philosophy ensures that when groups leave, the people being served are not left behind; the local church remains to continue the relationships.

I recently spoke with Beth Seversen, author of Not Done Yet, and discussed what qualities local churches’ have that have teens and emerging adults as a significant part of the congregation. Her research shows that members of Gen Z want to be invited to serve – in meaningful ways – and contribute to the life of the church without the typical strings attached.

Faith communities that allow teens and emerging adults to belong before they believe and contribute before they commit, see this demographic stay and embrace the Christian faith. In a time when so many churches lament the departure of Gen Z-ers and Millennials, this is no small accomplishment.

Something similar happens when a participant attends a SERVE trip. The students are not second-tier volunteers. Each day, they contribute in meaningful ways. They are seen as people who belong and have a significant role within this temporary community. Yes, the adults drive the vans, facilitate evening small group discussions, and ensure safety on all worksites.

However, the students are in charge of completing the tasks at the worksites and building relationships with those receiving assistance. Through active engagement and learning the stories of others, the root causes of inequality become visible, and participants grow in their biblical justice conduct and consciousness. As participants discover a broader answer to, ‘What does your/the church do?’ we pray they can connect the dots and respectfully engage with their local church leadership to serve at home the rest of the year.

SERVE is a unique blend of community outreach and discipleship, with spiritual transformation as the goal at every level. With relationships at the heart of everything we do, we have seen this brief experience become a significant part of the lives of all who participate. Most importantly, the SERVE model provides spaces for Gen Z to belong and come to believe in their own time and place. Because SERVE is connected to the local church, when critical faith questions or doubts are expressed, Christian mentors are available to point them to Jesus each step of the way.

Teens are searching for security, significance, and strength. Throughout the SERVE week, teen participants ask themselves: am I okay outside my comfort zone, do I make a difference, can I make it through challenging experiences?

Members of Gen Z are searching for open doors and safe spaces to answer these questions. The local church has the extraordinary opportunity to welcome and walk alongside them as they make their way towards a faith commitment through acts of service and a sense of belonging. Jean Vanier, Founder of L’Arche Communities, believes,

“To love someone is not first of all to do things for them, but to reveal to them their beauty and value, to say to them through our attitude: ‘You are beautiful. You are important. I trust you. You can trust yourself.’ We all know well that we can do things for others and in the process crush them, making them feel that they are incapable of doing things by themselves. To love someone is to reveal to them their capacities for life, the light that is shining in them.”

Too often, people of faith are quick to exclude others. Gen Z is waiting for an invitation. Welcoming them in and giving them meaningful work to do can be risky. However, missions have always been a little dangerous. Fully embrace the risk. The relationships formed and the transformation experienced are worth it.

Originally published by EMQ a Missio Nexus publication in 2022.

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Embracing the Elderly

MacKenzie Knoll — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 17:09:27 +0000

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Interview with Leah, a Cadillac SERVE leader

One of the worksites that the Cadillac SERVE participants spent time at this summer was an apartment complex for low income senior citizens. The teams spent time washing windows, vacuuming, dusting, and sweeping porches.

“Most of the seniors were super appreciative, but some were uncomfortable having us in their space and having to accept our help,” said Leah, a leader from Minnesota. “It was really good for us to experience their discomfort.”

While these tasks may not have been the most exciting ones the teams completed all week, the impact they had was large. Not only did they work on tasks that might be difficult for seniors with disabilities or decreasing mobility, but they were also able to get to know the seniors as they worked.

“We were able to learn their stories and pray for them,” Leah said. “It was really impactful to see how having someone to talk to lifted their spirits.”

People that age are often very lonely and can feel secluded, especially if their physical health is declining. Assisting and, more importantly, visiting the elderly is a great way that our SERVE sites and participants engage with the community around them.

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SERVE-ing as a Family

MacKenzie Knoll — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 14:07:48 +0000

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Interview with Emily, SERVE Cadillac participant

“I’ve heard so much about the amazing things that happen on SERVE,” Emily said. “So I wanted to see it for myself!”

Although she is only a freshman, Emily has heard firsthand about the impact that SERVE has on both participants and the impacted communities.

“I have three cousins who have come on SERVE before,” she said. “This year, my aunt came as one of our leaders!”

Emily’s group traveled to Cadillac, Michigan. Throughout the week, they cleaned out a river, sorted clothes at a mission-based thrift store, and built a wheelchair ramp at a Habitat for Humanity house.

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not have all the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
Romans 12:4-5

As impactful as it was for Emily to participate with her earthly family, it is even more exciting that our fellow believers that we meet on SERVE are part of our eternal family – The Body of Christ!

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You Can’t Pour from an Empty Cup

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:15:00 +0000

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When I was asked to chaperone our group from Platte, South Dakota, I wondered what I could bring to the table for these kids? I had no experience or formal education to give them; I only knew the basic commandments and a couple fruits of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, that was enough for God to call me to SERVE.

In the midst of personal struggles I was facing, I wasn’t sure how I could encourage my team’s growth. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup! However, I was encouraged by a passage in John that talked about living water.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:37-38 NIV

On Thursday, my team helped at an equine therapy center, assisting in basic farm labor. The Holy Spirit let streams of living water flow from my heart as my group bonded over horse manure and hay bales.

On our last day, I received hugs from all three girls in my small group, each one so grateful for how I displayed God’s love for them. One hundred percent of what we did was really Christ working in them. What a marvelous lesson from SERVE at Park Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan.

By Melissa Sybesma

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Is There More To Supporting Student Mission Trips Than Writing A Check?

Rick Zomer — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 18:45:00 +0000

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My wife and I have been part of a small group for the last 20 years. We started out as five couples but the size of the group has grown to 22 as kids have entered our lives. As a result, I’ve been asked by several of them for support as they’ve gone on mission trips.

On some level, it’s an easy task: write a check and a young person has an experience that will impact their life. However, I began to ask what role I should play beyond simply providing funds. So, when the next kid from our group asked for support for her high school trip I agreed, but only if she agreed to meet with me when she got back. She agreed, and we met for coffee when she returned.

When we met I asked her two questions: what was her favorite part of the trip and what was she surprised by? Then I sat and listened. When she was done speaking, I told her what I had heard: that she loved the Christian community that developed on her trip and she loved working with kids. I confessed that I didn’t know what that might mean for her as she discerns what God is calling her to, but I hoped she’d consider her responses in that process.

I’m a big believer in mission trips and I do think they have the potential to change a young person’s life. That being said, if an adult’s involvement ends with writing a check, it seems to me the potential power of that experience in a young person’s life might be lost. After all, if I’m a young person and I’m told that a mission trip is important, wouldn’t it be important enough for an adult to ask me about it when it’s over?

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#GRATEFULL

ThereforeGo Ministries — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000

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The 2022 SERVE Theme is GRATEFULL! Read Mary Hulst’s reflection on service, gratitude, and her inspiration for this year’s theme.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Key Thought:

Have you ever heard of “sin, salvation, service” or “guilt, grace, gratitude”? These are often presented as the three moves of faith. First, we realize our sin or our guilt, then we receive the gift of salvation or grace, and finally we live our lives in service and gratitude. Service and gratitude go hand in hand. Both are responses to what God in Christ has done for us!

By looking at different bible texts, by trying different things in prayer, and by keeping our eyes open to what God is up to, we are going to discover the beauty and joy of gratitude. Also, psychologists tell us that the two ways to lift us from anxiety and/or depression are…service and gratitude! It’s like our Creator knew exactly how we need to live in order to thrive.

The Gospel as reflected in the Theme:

Christians throughout history have been known for their service. In the early days of the church, a plague swept through Rome. Those living in Rome who had the resources to flee to the country did, leaving the sick and poor behind. Included in the group that left the city were the pagan priests. They were considered elite, and they had the money to get out of town.

The Christians, however, stayed. Wealthy Christians opened their homes to those who needed it. Church members tended to the sick and dying. They shared their food, they shared their water, they took care of orphaned children. But they didn’t just do it during the plague; they did it all the time! Serving others was simply part of the Christians’ life. Service was so much a part of the early church that one of the pagan emperors who wanted Rome to return to their traditional gods was annoyed at the Christians’ practice of serving others because it made those traditional Roman gods and their priests look so bad!

Here’s what he said:

“Why do we not observe that it is their benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the dead, and the pretended holiness of their lives that have done most to increase atheism (non-Roman religion)? I believe that we are really and truly to practice every one of these virtues…. For it is disgraceful that, while no Jew ever has to beg, and the impious Galileans support not only their poor but ours as well, all men see that our people lack aid from us.”
—Emperor Julian “the Apostate” as quoted in Resilient Faith by G. Sittser pp. 138-13

Wouldn’t it be amazing if those who participated in SERVE this year were known for their compassion and kindness? Every SERVE host site is in a community that needs people. They may need help with the kinds of things that SERVE teams can do: gardening, painting, cleaning, sorting. But what they really need is the love and grace you can show them. They really need Jesus.

We do, too. Maybe you’ll show up at SERVE tired, or discouraged, or regretting the choice to come. Maybe you’ll be feeling pretty empty. Maybe you’ll need some folks who serve you through meals, or prayer, or worship, or just hanging out and playing cards. Can you look for how God will bless you through the service of others?

Or, you may be full of energy and ready to rock! It’s easy when we are full of joy to run right by someone else who may be hurting. During SERVE, pay attention to others and pay attention to God. Your zeal may rise and fall over the course of the week, but the practices of service and gratitude can keep you steady regardless of how you feel. Wouldn’t it be great if your heart for service and gratitude not only blessed the community you’re in, but also made you healthier and happier? Doesn’t that sound just like something God would do?

Service. Gratitude. They change the world. They change us! #GRATFEFULL

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Inspire Light

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 17:17:00 +0000

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Transcript of a Presentation by Rick Zomer

We’re going to be talking about empathetic listening, why posture matters when engaging with youth and emerging adults. And to start us off, I thought I’d tell you a little story about a trip I took to the doctor about 10 years ago.

I went to see him for an annual physical. Now, I know it’s not the most exciting appointment, but it typically begins with my doctor taking my vitals. They take my pulse, my blood pressure, and then they ask me to step on the scale. Now, over the years, I’d become accustomed to what to expect during this part of the routine. The first number on the scale was usually a two. And so, that wasn’t an issue. The surprise came, however, when the second number turned out to be a three and the third was a five. I wasn’t prepared for the fact that the scale told me I now weighed 235 pounds.

Now, upon receiving that information, I did what many of us might do, I blamed the scale. I told the doctor that it must be broken because there is no way I could weigh that much. My doctor, however, told me that the scale was routinely calibrated, and as a result, it was accurate. In essence, what he was saying was the data wasn’t lying. He said my weight had been creeping up over the past few years, and as a result, I now had a decision to make.

My first option was to simply do nothing. I could continue my current diet of pizza, burgers, French fries, I could continue to avoid exercise, and in doing so, I’d have the opportunity to watch my weight climb along with the fact that the likelihood I would develop high cholesterol, heart disease, or other health issues would increase.

The other option he gave me was to change what I was currently doing. He suggested I become more acquainted with salads, fruits, and vegetables, and become more active, and consider spending less time on the couch. According to him, the decisions I made now, at this point, either positive or negative, would impact my health over the next 30 to 40 years of my life. What he told me next, however, was even more direct.

He said, “Most people look at their health data, decide they don’t like the negative impact future an action might lead to, but decide they don’t want to do anything different.” Put another way, he was suggesting that most people don’t want to experience negative consequences that come from doing what they’ve always done, but they also don’t want to do anything different. As I’ve had time to reflect on this interaction with my doctor, I’ve come to believe that he was unknowingly describing the reality many congregations are facing in regards to their connection with emerging adults and their involvement in their church.

We see the data and we notice that young people are leaving the church when they finish high school and enter college, then the workforce. Our first response might be to doubt the data, it’s not accurate, or we’ll find some other reason to find fault with the numbers. Our second response might be to acknowledge that our church has an issue in regards to emerging adults and their connection and engagement with their congregation, but we decide that we don’t want to do anything different in response. After all, that age group has always drifted from the church during that timeframe in life. They’re the ones choosing to leave. We can do what we’ve always done because they’ll always come back.

The first approach would have us believe that there isn’t an issue, while the second acknowledges it, but it says, “It’s not my problem to solve.” I want to suggest that neither of these approaches are helpful to the reality many of our congregations are facing. Instead, I’d like to make the case that a better response might be to approach emerging adults with empathy. To do this, I want to consider three specific questions. First, how do we, the church, often approach emerging adults, those ages 18 to 25 years old, and their experience in the church?

Secondly, why is it this approach helpful? And thirdly, why might empathy be a more appropriate approach or strategy? How does the church often approach emerging adults and their experiences? The question is often asked of me and others who work with this population, why are they, they being emerging adults, why are they leaving the church? Or sometimes, even more boldly put, why are they leaving my church? The assumption is often made that they’ll come back whenever they reach a certain milestone, be it getting married, starting a family, or whatever the case may be.

Also, the question about emerging adults is often rolled into conversations related to the long-term health and vitality of the church. “If we don’t figure this out, we’ll no longer exist.” Put another way, the focus is placed on what impact this will have on me, not what impact this is having on the life of emerging adults. Why isn’t this approach helpful?

I believe it places primary responsibility for the current reality on emerging adults while minimizing accountability or responsibility for older members of the church. “They’re leaving, so it’s their fault.” To emerging adults, it can feel like they are a problem that needs to be solved, rather than a person that is valued. The discussion focuses on solving the emerging adult problem so our church won’t be impacted.

Churches often look around and notice the number of emerging adults who are no longer attending. I wonder how often does this conversation begins with the names of emerging adults who we don’t see in our pews and throughout the week. If the congregation’s working assumption is that the reality is the fault of emerging adults, it’s unlikely that a congregation’s response will focus on what they, as older adults, might need to do differently. It’s equally unlikely that our response would be rooted in empathy or compassion.

However, if older adults like myself begin to think about our responsibility in this conversation, we might view things differently. By that, I mean what if we began to think about why emerging adults are no longer part of our congregation as a response to what they’ve experienced in the church? You might ask, “What might have they experienced?” Maybe some of these statements are realities. Well, when I was your age, I had, and tick off whatever you want to put, I had a career, I had a house, I had a family. When I was your age, I was told to wait to be involved, to lead, that there wasn’t a space for me to be a leader in my church.

An emerging adult may have experienced a faith formation model built on staff, programs and curriculum, but with limited interpersonal interaction with other members of the congregation. An emerging adult may have experienced a church as a place with limited space for their questions or doubts. And lastly, they have experienced a church as a place where no one noticed when they left. If this is true, why might empathy be a more appropriate strategy or approach in this situation?

Now, I’ve heard several older adults say that they can’t relate to the world emerging adults live in, and as a result, they don’t feel able or equipped to connect with younger people. I believe empathy provides a pathway to building connections with emerging adults. Let me explain by offering a quote about empathy from the author, Brene Brown. She says, “Empathy doesn’t require that we have the exact same experiences as the person sharing their story with us. Empathy is connecting with the emotion that someone is experiencing, not the event or circumstance.”

What might that look like for older individuals? Let me offer some suggestions. First, rather than offering comparisons to what you had to come accomplished at a given age, ask what it’s like now for young people just starting out. You might hear that the ability to get a full-time job with benefits now requires a graduate degree, and to achieve that, young people are having to take a significant amount of debt and time to complete their education.

You might hear that the current housing crunch has led to a spike in home prices and significant increases in rent, which means emerging adults, who might prefer to have their own place, can’t afford to move out of their parents’ home. You might hear that these realities have created an environment where emerging adults don’t feel financially prepared for marriage and starting a family. You might hear that emerging adults want several of the things you’ve accomplished at their age, but they simply aren’t available to them.

Put another way, they’re trying to address some of the same issues you had at their stage of life, for example, questions around calling, family, giftedness or career, but these questions just take longer to navigate now than they did 25 years ago. You might consider asking them how that feels, listening to their responses, and asking how you can help. Secondly, rather than responding by saying, “I had to wait my turn to be considered a leader in my church,” I would consider you think about how that made you feel when you were in your twenties. My guess is, at that time, that response made you feel excluded, frustrated, angry, or maybe even disinterested in the church. I’m wondering why we’d want emerging adults today to feel that way.

Thirdly, rather than relying on a church’s program and curriculum, things like youth group, gems, cadets, catechism, all well-intended, other staff, children’s pastors, youth pastors, volunteers, consider what reliance on this model might be saying to an emerging adult. When you age out of our programs or staff structure, we don’t have people who connect with you or build relationships with you.

One of the things the church can provide emerging adults, which is often absent in other parts of their lives, is carrying older people who are willing to listen to and support them as they navigate a challenging life stage. Rather than saying, “I don’t have the answers to your questions or issues being raised, so I’m not going to say anything,” consider how silence might be received from an emerging adult. Let me start with this brief example.

For older individuals, a well-known phrase about silence goes like this. No news is good news. Put another way, silence is golden. That is not the world emerging adults inhabit. A world of silence can be unnerving to them. Technology has created a reality where they’re able to give and receive feedback from each other and receive answers to their questions in an instance. So, what might it say to them if they find their church as a place where questions are treated with silence, or worse, a response like, “We don’t talk about those things here.”

Let me suggest to us that it shouldn’t be surprising if they stop looking to the church for wisdom and insight on the issues they’re facing, and they begin looking to the numerous other sources available to them. To an emerging adult, no news is not good news. Silence from a person or community can simply be a reason to find a new source of information or answers to their questions. Let me suggest that oftentimes older individuals in the church are hesitant to engage with an emerging adult’s questions because we might feel ill-equipped to give an answer or struggle with the same questions ourselves.

The good news is that many of the emerging adults I know aren’t expecting older people to give them the answers. They’d simply appreciate a more experienced person of faith to say something like, “That’s a good question. I struggle with that too. Let’s explore that more together.” They’re looking for an empathetic response.

Let me conclude by saying I’m hopeful about the future of the church and the presence of emerging adults in our faith communities. I say this because of the conversations I’m privileged to have with emerging adults who share a longing to grow in their faith as they move through their late teens and into their twenties. I’m also hopeful because of the theology of the Christian Reform Church, specifically when it comes to the sacrament of baptism.

In our context, when parents bring a child to be baptized, through questions and answers, we acknowledge that every member of the congregation has a part to play in the faith formation of a young person, not just paid church staff or Christian school teachers. I believe that emerging adults are eager to have older adults enter into mentoring and discipling relationships with them. It might require those of us in our forties, fifties, and beyond to do something new and learn how to build these types of connections. The good news is when it comes to building discipling relationships, emerging adults aren’t looking and for us to be perfect. They’re just looking for us to be present. Thanks.

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What SERVE Means to Me

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 17:14:00 +0000

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by: Patty Schuurman, Youth Leader, on behalf of the Planning Team at Crosspoint CRC and ClearView CRC in Ontario, Canada

SERVE has been a staple in our youth group for over a decade now. Every July, students pack up their bags, jam some sugar/snacks into their pockets, triple check to ensure they have their passports, get commissioned by our church family, and pray together with leaders and parents before boarding a van and embarking on an adventure. Whether that adventure leads them to the states or another area in Ontario, our youth have found this trip to be invaluable.

SERVE has been a combination of fun and fellowship, boisterous activities and quiet reflections, hard work and leisure, silliness and seriousness, singing and sleeping. It’s been an opportunity to grow in relationship with our God, with each other, and with new faces as we seek to love our neighbor. The churches who’ve hosted us have done so with generosity and kindness, modeling how to love abundantly, live intentionally, and laugh ceaselessly. And the impact of this experience is noticeable years later as youth and leaders reflect on what SERVE means to them:

“SERVE is a place where teens serve others in a community while also deepening their relationship with God and with the people around them.” – Natalie Rekker, former youth

“SERVE is an opportunity for participants to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the community where the job sites are located.” – Marja Mol, former youth leader

“SERVE is a beautiful experience where youth can make a positive difference in the community and grow in their faith at the same time…and that’s a beautiful thing!” – Cindy Schreutelkamp, youth leader

“SERVE is a great experience for both students and leaders. It’s a time of spiritual growth as well as a great time of building new friendships all while learning how to serve others within the community.” – Carolyn Kaldeway, youth leader

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Serving Together at Home

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 17:12:00 +0000

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by: Molly Honcoop of First CRC Lynden in Washington

Perhaps most importantly, be an example. Remember how often Jesus left the crowds for silent prayer, verbalized gratitude to his Father, expressed compassion, and even met

Well into our planning for the year, we knew switching to SERVE@Home was going to be a challenge, but we never could have predicted the incredibly positive response we got from our church afterward.

Because the intergenerational aspect of our congregation at First CRC is so important to us, we wanted to make SERVE@Home an intergenerational experience as well. To do this, we decided to spread the experience out over two weeks (accounting for the busy schedules of families), encouraged family groups to sign up for the workdays, and even created devotional boxes for the younger kids that included a fun craft.

Once our SERVE@Home experience began, our pastor preached out of the typical SERVE “evening sessions”, and we sent the morning devotionals out to our congregation via email. On the workdays, it was so exciting to see family groups working together. Kids who are usually too young to participate were weeding and working with their parents and grandparents. It was also a unique opportunity for the people from our congregation to be able to go out to the worksites our SERVE teams have been working at these past few years and see what’s been done there and the difference our church can make for these organizations through SERVE.

We had such a great response to SERVE@Home these past two years that some of the church members have asked if we can do something similar next year when we have a full, traditional SERVE experience with students again. Our SERVE team and the congregation have really embraced and enjoyed SERVE@Home, and we can’t imagine having not made the switch despite the challenges it posed!

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Ministry in the Anxious Age

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 12:49:00 +0000

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by: Irene Kraegel, PsyD, TheMindfulChristian.com

It’s an anxious age. Between the rising flood of negativity, people spending decreasing amounts of time with one another, and institutions (such as churches) losing credibility, it’s getting harder for people to feel belonging anywhere. Loneliness looms large for many, and these challenges are especially impactful on young people.

Scripture tells us, “do not be anxious” (Philippians 4:6), so how can ministry leaders help anxious students and families during these times? Here are some places to start:

Expect stress – it’s normal! Our flight/flight/freeze response is a God-given alarm system to keep us safe. Normalizing this and reducing “stress about stress” keeps us from escalating anxiety, and we can trust that the God-given relaxation response will kick in (as it always does) to calm us down.
Create calm spaces as you facilitate interpersonal connection. Be aware of the power of music, lighting, and colors to calm our mood. Choose words that validate students’ fluctuating emotions (“it’s okay”) while highlighting God’s constant care for them (“God is here”). Support young people in setting limits around their consumption of media and in cultivating positive, in-person connections with one another.
Incorporate mentally healthy practices into your programming. When you provide opportunities for quiet meditation, gratitude journaling, receiving (and giving) compassion, physical movement, and other self-care practices within a Christian framework, you are teaching students to honor and care for themselves as God’s precious creation.

Perhaps most importantly, be an example. Remember how often Jesus left the crowds for silent prayer, verbalized gratitude to his Father, expressed compassion, and even met his physical needs? These are all effective, God-given ways to manage anxiety and other uncomfortable emotions. As you care for your own mind and body, you serve as an encouragement for others to do the same.

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Faith In Action

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 13:00:00 +0000

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By: Alex Monsma

My history with ThereforeGo Ministries can be traced to many formative moments in my faith as a student, but when I first led a group to SERVE in 2016, I was surprised by the lasting impact it made on me as a leader as well.

Student ministry leaders spend countless hours planning meetings, leading youth groups, spending time with students in coffee shops, and cheering them on at events. So often, this natural routine cultivates relationships with Jesus in our students. It’s time well invested and a big portion of how students experience and know Christ.

Then, there are experiences like SERVE. SERVE gives students the opportunity to step outside of what is routine and experience God in new and deeper ways. They step into situations they wouldn’t otherwise find themselves in, serving at an inner-city community center, entering the home of a single mother to help rebuild and paint, re-roofing a garage, or playing games with residents of an assisted living center. Each one of these places is an opportunity for students to put the pieces of faith they’ve established over the years into action.

At the end of each day, we unpack what we saw. We talk about how God was there and how he does abundantly more than we can ask for. Our hearts break together as we lament the brokenness of the world very near to us. And our faith grows as we look, together with hope, at Christ’s promise for restoration.

I’ve come to realize the importance of SERVE not only in the lives and spiritual development of my students but mine as well. My call, as a leader, to help students find a real relationship with Christ happens when I also serve and remember to put my faith into action.

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Creating a Mentoring Culture that is Lifelong and Life-Giving

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 12:58:00 +0000

The post Creating a Mentoring Culture that is Lifelong and Life-Giving appeared first on ThereforeGo Ministries.

By Lesli van Milligen

This fall, ThereforeGo Ministries along with the Faith Formation Ministries office of the Christian Reformed Church in North America have decided to partner together to respond to an issue that churches in Canada and the United States are facing: building a congregational culture that includes emerging adults. We have done some experimenting with both in-person and online gatherings of churches to explore the area of mentoring. Here is what we have learned so far.

A congregational emphasis on mentoring responds to current ministry shifts.

Renegotiating Faith, Growing Young and other studies speak to changes in youth ministry. Historically, youth ministry has utilized an approach where there is one adult connecting with every 5 students or a 1:5 ratio. Best practices in youth ministry have changed to a model that suggests each youth and young adult is surrounded by a web of 5 to 7 adults who speak into their life and support their faith formation in various ways. Creating a mentoring culture helps to support this kind of life on life interaction and encourages members to see themselves as significant parts of a young person’s faith web.

Secondly, there is a growing need to shift from age and stage-based model of ministry to an intergenerational model. Many congregations are finding an age-based ministry to be an increased challenge as the numbers of both youth and volunteers continue to decline. A mentoring approach is more inherently flexible and doesn’t rely on large numbers to be successful, it also allows for flexibility in meeting the individual needs of each mentee while inviting the entire congregation to share in mutual discipleship and faith formation.

So, why should my church consider joining a mentoring network?

Networks offer a supported learning environment where member churches learn from each other’s experiences. This is combined with a strong personalized coaching component that helps teams take risks they would not take on their own. We will be offering three opportunities for churches to join a network during the 21/22 ministry year and we pray that you would consider this as the next faithful step in your church’s ministry. More information about networks can be found at https://www.thereforego.com/mentoring-networks/

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The 3R’s Part 3: Volunteer Restructuring

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 12:33:05 +0000

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Full Transcript:

Amanda:

Hi. Thanks for joining us. I’m here with my friend, Brian, and we’re going to talk about volunteer restructuring.

What does it look like when seasons of youth ministry are changing and maybe your volunteers who were there are no longer, or you’ve got a new mission or vision, or you’re taking youth ministry in a different direction, what does that look like? I think in order to determine what dysfunction looks like, we have to determine what health looks like. So what does a good healthy youth ministry team look like, and how do we achieve that in youth ministry?

Brian:

It was interesting. We were just talking, some of us youth leaders, about how our youth team can often feel like our small group because we spend a lot of time together, we have similar interests in student ministry, those sorts of things, and so it can feel a lot like a healthy small group. In terms of how we care and connect with the students though, I think you’re often going to find a variety of volunteers. So you’ll have some folks that are the life of the party and the kids gravitate toward their energy. You’ll have other folks that are the ones that are going to make sure all the trains run on time during your events and that things aren’t forgotten when you head out for that weekend retreat.

Just in our own youth group, it’s funny, it’s well known that I am not a sports person, so I don’t even know who’s playing in the Super Bowl until we get to our youth group Super Bowl party, but I know I have other leaders who cover that and can connect with the kids and talk sports and do all of that. So just having a variety of people, ages as well. I’ve had some older volunteers I’ve recruited and they’ve said, “We love what you’re doing. We love the student ministry, but I just don’t know. Can you really use somebody my age?” And then they get in there and it’s amazing how the kids connect with them.

Amanda:

That’s right. Having a good, diverse group of people that have a variety of interests, that are a variety of ages, demographics, that’s a key to a great healthy youth ministry.

What happens when things change and that great group of people leaves? I do want to point out that change in youth ministry isn’t always a crisis. A lot of times you’ll have youth ministry volunteers who will step down because of an illness or because of a new job or things in their lives that have changed. It’s not always a crisis. When you are looking to restructure your youth group, you have three buckets that you categorize things into. Tell us a little bit more about those buckets.

Brian:

Yeah. The question I ask myself as I think about my teams is, is there anyone that I need to either move up or over or out? Those are the three things that I think about.

I might think about it, I have a person that perhaps is new to my team and they’ve jumped in with both feet. They’re doing a great job at the tasks that we’ve given them, but I’m seeing some potential there. I notice this person ask really thoughtful questions during small group or maybe goes out of their way to connect with kids outside of the program and mentor them, or maybe has really thoughtful things to say during a Bible study. So I just wonder, and I ask that person, “Would you be interested in doing the teaching section next Sunday? Is that something maybe you could try out?” And maybe you can disciple them in that direction where they’re able to do more of the teaching. Something maybe they didn’t think they were able to do when they joined the youth team, but we see a gift there and we can move them into a more substantial role.

Amanda:

All right, your second bucket.

Brian:

The second one is moving somebody over. So that could be a situation where they came on, let’s say to your senior high program, and they’re finding out it’s a big-time commitment and it was a little bit more than they anticipated. They had said yes to it at first. They saw the job description, it looked good, but now that they’re in it and feeling it and experiencing it, the time is just large. So maybe the middle school program is a better fit where you don’t have as many weekend trips or a spring break service trip isn’t there and it fits their schedule better. They’re great leaders, they’re great at connecting with students, but there could just be something where it makes sense for them to slide over to a different ministry that still is similar.

Amanda:

That’s good wisdom. As leaders, we’re there to lead and God has given us the wisdom to manage the pieces of our youth ministry.

Brian:

Another example of moving over, I had some middle school leaders once, who connected extremely well with a group of eighth-grade girls that we had. It was just this beautiful group. The students were from all different schools. So it was neat to see them coming together, and the sense of community here. There were some leaders that really connected them and led a small group with them. Just in that circumstance, we felt like it made sense to move those leaders from the middle school to the high school group with those students just to keep that connection going because it was such a unique thing. We wouldn’t do that all the time, but in this case, it made sense.

Amanda:

Sure, being aware of what’s happening in those ministries and those relationships that are being formed and built in the mentorship that’s happened. To not disconnect that is important.

Brian:

Yeah. It was another time it made sense to move people over to a different ministry.

Amanda:

And your third bucket.

Brian:

We shouldn’t end on this. This is the sad one or the negative one. I don’t know. It’s something we deal with in ministry. There are times where there’s a vibe that’s not good within a team. There are times where somebody is not living into expectations. There are really bad times where people break the rules that we have, and depending on the severity of that, they may be moved out quickly or over a season. This is just the reality of managing a volunteer team. If we have somebody who is adversely affecting the chemistry of our leadership team, that’s something we need to pay attention to, have some conversations, do some training with that person. But there may come a point where we think this isn’t fixable and we’re just going to ask them to step out for a season, maybe find a place where they can serve that’s not so people-focused, those sorts of things.

We talked at the beginning about a healthy team, and part of that is just having good chemistry together. It’s your small group. These are the people I would hang out with, even if we weren’t doing a ministry thing. So if that’s being affected by an individual, then we need to address that.

Amanda:

Sure. And the students will pick up on that. They notice those things. I want to just bring up a good point that you said is if we’re having some trouble with the volunteer leader, we talk to them and we pour some training into them. I think these conversations can be done in a way that’s clear, in a way that’s filled with grace, in a way that is very caring and loving towards people. It doesn’t have to be a fight. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. We’re pouring into people. I think a lot of times we don’t do people favors when we keep them in a spot where they’re not growing, where their gifts aren’t being used. And the more gracious thing is to say, “Hey, this isn’t working. Let’s find someplace that is better for you.” It all comes down to being empathetic and caring for the people that are around you.

Brian:

It does.

Amanda:

As leaders sometimes the conversations are hard, but often the conversations are really good. Those check-ins, those trainings, they can lead to really great stories and tremendous growth, and amazing perspective changes in people. It’s good for our students to see that.

Brian:

It is.

Amanda:

Thank you so much for sitting down and having a conversation with me. I really appreciate your time. Thanks for joining us.

Thank you for taking the time to invest in your leadership development and your volunteer team. During our time together, we discussed volunteer recruitment, inviting others to join you in youth ministry. We talked about volunteer retention and how to holistically appreciate the people that God has put with you. And in our last video, we talked about volunteer restructuring, when you need to reorganize your team. We gave you three helpful buckets, three categories to use in your ministry context. We hope that there’s some helpful advice that you have found or a nugget of truth that you can apply to your youth ministry context.

May the Lord continue to bless your churches, your communities, and your youth ministry. And whenever you feel overwhelmed, our prayer for you is that you would be comforted by the words of the psalmist. In Psalm 55:22 it says, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

We pray that this has been a time of growth and encouragement for you. If you have any questions or would like more information about ThereforeGo Ministries, please visit us at thereforego.com. Thanks for joining us. And may you continue to love and serve the Lord.

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The 3R’s Part 2: Volunteer Retention

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 12:54:28 +0000

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Full Transcript:

Amanda:

Hello. Thank you for joining us. I’m here with my friend, Michael, and we’re going to talk about volunteer retention. So what does it look like? You’re in youth ministry. You have got a team of people around you. What does it look like to keep those people involved and actively engaged in youth ministry and build something that lasts longer than a month or two? So Michael, just share a little bit about your thoughts on volunteer retention. How do you keep your volunteers around once you’ve got them?

Michael:

Growing up and being in youth group, I always noticed that I felt like youth pastors and youth leaders really made you feel like this was the only thing that God was ever going to ask you to do and this is the most critical moment of your life right now, whether or not you’re here serving or not. So if you had other things going on, it always felt like, wow, I’m really letting the Lord down or I’m really letting this ministry down. And I feel like that can be really harmful. I feel like what’s important is recognizing that people are there because they want to be there. It is on purpose.

Michael:

Some people show up because they have a passion to pour into kids. Some people show up because they simply just want to give back. Some people are in spaces where they are like, the Lord has called me to do ministry with this youth ministry, with this life. And that’s just where I want to be, whatever that looks like. And you have to really understand them, and where they’re at and what that looks like. And I think that the spirit of the Lord shines through that. I think that as we’re sensitive to the spirit and really see other people, we allow the spirit to move and do the things that it wants to do.

Amanda:

Yeah. And when you’re in step with the spirit, you’re going to stay where the spirit is. You’re just naturally going to be in that place. And we want people that are engaged. And engagement, it starts a little bit with expectations. So I have found that when the expectations are clear, people know what’s expected of them. They stick around. So tell me a little bit, let’s talk about volunteer expectations that you have. What sort of expectations do you place on a volunteer?

Michael:

I think that for us, what’s most important is, again, bringing it back to how do we get to know the people that are serving? So for us, whenever we start with new volunteers, we all sit down in a circle and we really ask people, who are you? What’s bringing you here? And as you build a culture to where people really, really recognize that you want them to be there, you can start to say things like, hey, we want there to be some form of consistency. What can you do? How can you be consistent? Or we say, hey, this is something that we believe in. This is something we’re passionate about. What does that look like? How does that line up with where you’re at? How are you bringing the Lord into that? And so, I think that starting there and figuring out where the expectation can be and not be, is the most important piece to that.

Amanda:

That’s a really great way to bring it in, to find out who they are and what brought them there makes it easier to delegate. Because you want your volunteers to be engaged and involved in some of the dreaming and the planning, and so the way you do it is you figure out, hey, what are your passions? What are your gifts? And then how can we plug you into what’s going on here in this youth ministry?

Michael:

I think that the moment that you make people feel locked in, you kind of decide for them in some capacity what their life in ministry looks like or what their moment in time looks like. And I think that whenever you really care about what brought them there and care about who they are, it creates a space where you can pour into the part of them that wants to be there, not in a manipulating way, but in a way of empowerment and encouragement. I think that when you give people options and say, hey, this is not the only space for the Lord is going to pour in and use you. I think that people feel comfortable to really be all in in the season that they’re in.

Amanda:

Absolutely. A lot of our volunteers have families, and full-time jobs, and other things that they’re engaged in. And so it’s not necessarily setting low expectations for your volunteers of, do whatever you want and show up when you can, but it’s just being realistic with their time and with the expectations that you put on them.

Michael:

And I’ll even say that, just to go a little bit further. So for us, a little bit about what our youth ministry looks like and what our volunteers look like. We have one couple that has been there forever. They have about six kids, no older than 13. Another individual is married, has a great husband. Very awesome person runs a nonprofit. And so we have another individual who is my wife, and she works for our pantry. And we have another individual who is about 70 years old and brings a lot to the table and used to be a teacher. My co-leader is a little bit older than me, does homeschooling right now in this season. And then another person who is in their mid-20s, just married, about to have a baby.

And so I would not feel comfortable saying, hey everybody, this is when you need to be here, this is what this looks like. But saying, what does it look like to say to the couple with all the kids, how often do you feel like you can be here? What do you feel like you can commit to? These are some of the things that we would really ask of you as you’re here, what does that look like? If they’re like, we can be here and playing games, but we can’t always show up. We might email you the game structure. And so they’re pouring in regularly in the space that they committed to, but we’re also allowing them to live their lives. And so that’s really kind of a more organic and immediate example.

Amanda:

There’s a lot of freedom in Christ. And Christianity isn’t just rules. We’re here, and we give and we share out of the excess that we have. So let’s talk a little bit, I think a big piece of volunteer retention is in appreciating your volunteers. And I’m going to start by saying, if you’re watching this video and volunteer appreciation is not in your budget, then find a way to put it into your budget. It’s so important and it’s so crucial for your volunteers to feel that encouragement and that acknowledgment. And whenever possible, to make that appreciation specific, make it personal. Michael, you have a great approach to volunteer appreciation. You don’t call it volunteer appreciation. Like everything that you do in youth ministry, it’s very holistic. So you would call it Amanda appreciation or Michael appreciation. Tell me a little bit more about your holistic approach to volunteer appreciation.

Michael:

First of all, I can’t see Paul, the Apostle, walking up to someone in the church and saying, hey, you’re a great church member. You did a good job. That feels weird. I couldn’t see Jesus walking up to someone and saying, hey, thank you, disciple. You are awesome. I think that he would literally name them, and speak to them and really get to know them as people. But rolling into some of the logistics, I really believe that, again, as people are seen, people know that they are cared for because as we seek the Lord and as we walk in who the Lord has called us to be, it calls us to have empathy. It calls us to recognize people as who they are. And doing those things allows us to better minister, to better care, and to better empower people.

And that’s great for those who don’t know the Lord and that’s great for those who do. When it comes to volunteers, I think it’s important to find little things. What do they like? I try to regularly say and use language, and remember characteristics of volunteers and speak those directly to them because I don’t want volunteer appreciation to happen whenever we have a volunteer appreciation event, but I want them to regularly be experiencing appreciation. Just like the Lord’s not like, hey, someone accepted Christ under your leadership. You’re awesome. It’s like, no, that 10 weeks where I was crying, and did not care and was having a rough time, the Lord was like, hey, thank you for being you. How can I grow with you? How can I love you in a deeper way? How can I serve you? How can we do this together?

Amanda:

Sure. Let’s talk about check-ins. Check-ins with volunteers. That’s a great way that you can get to know all the other things that they’re doing in their life, apart from youth ministry and apart from youth group. What do check-ins look like for you?

Michael:

I always have three things, three or two things that I absolutely want to know. That’s how are we doing and how are we supporting you? What can we do better? So that’s three. And so, when I go into a check-in, it’s not like, let’s rattle off all these things. It’s sitting down, having the conversation. Where are you at in life? I share where I’m at in life. We just talk and build rapport and build relationship. And from there, I like to just say, you’ve been really consistent. You’ve been someone who has been here. What do you feel like we could do better? Because stop right there. What you immediately have done is you have encouraged someone, you have recognized them and you have seen them. And you have also said, hey, you must have some sort of input. You have ownership in this. What do you feel like I can do better in my role? And so there are ways to literally do those things very well.

Amanda:

I love your holistic approach, and just always be pouring into them, and who they are and all that God has called them to be. So, thanks. Thanks so much. This has been great.

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The 3R’s Part 1: Volunteer Recruitment

ThereforeGo Ministries — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 00:14:41 +0000

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Full Transcript:

Amanda:

Hello and welcome. Today I’m here with my friend, Michelle, and we’re going to talk about volunteer recruitment. We don’t do ministry alone; we do it with others. And so, what does it look like to invite others into youth ministry alongside us? So Michelle, share with us a few things. Volunteer recruitment starts and ends with this idea that God puts people in place and whom he wants to be there; he’s going to raise up to be with us.

Michelle:

Being sensitive to the spirit of the Lord and whom he is encouraging and developing and wanting to be in these spaces is really important. It’s my job to draw that out of people when I see that they’re interested, when I have conversations with parents, with other people that go to the church, just keeping my eyes and ears open for those that are being called by the Lord. We need to not forget about the youth that are involved in the program as well. Having them recommend people or talk about people that would be good additions to the ministry is always an excellent thing as well. We know it’s not necessarily the gift of everyone to work with youth. So it’s also my job to create a hospitable, welcoming environment. When people say yes to volunteering with our youth ministry, it’s really important that they feel loved, and welcomed, and valued and that their piece of the contribution is important.

Really being sensitive to the spirit of the Lord, praying for the people that are already involved, praying for the future people that are going to be involved as well is really my number one responsibility when looking for new people. I mean, anyone can put an announcement in a bulletin, or anyone can get up in front at church and say, we need volunteers for all of these ministries. But we really want people that are specifically being called to work with youth in the very interesting season of life, which is middle and high school.

Amanda:

Absolutely. Absolutely. You brought up some really great points. First, prayer is so important, to constantly be in prayer for the leaders you have and for the leaders that are coming, that are yet to be. And another thing that you brought up was it’s easy to stand up and say, we need a volunteer for all of these things. It’s important as a church staff to be collaborative in who you’re bringing on board and to be sharing those resources. We’re not competing for that one person in the congregation. And we don’t want people to be serving everywhere. It’s more than just getting a warm body in the youth room. You want to be strategic and find the right people for the right fit, I think. What are some of the things that you look for when you’re recruiting a volunteer?

Michelle:

We’re looking for people with an open mind, a teachable spirit, a servant heart. Those that obviously enjoy being around youth and educating them, walking with them, talking about the more difficult things as well, that are comfortable in those conversations that are necessary if you’re going to be working in groups with youth. So definitely look for all of those things in people that really want to be involved in this particular ministry.

Amanda:

It’s a lot of fun, but it can be intimidating for some people. And so I have found that in order to get over some of that intimidation, where, what do I have to offer a teenager? It helps to, like you said, ask the students who they may want to be a part of the youth ministry. That’s a great entry point when you’re talking to adults to say, hey, our students have noticed you and they want to learn more about you, or they want you to join us on some of these fun activities that we do. So when we’re recruiting, we also want to be recruiting with a mindset with sustainability, longevity. Tell us some more about that. What does that look like for you?

Michelle:

This ministry, as all ministries, should not revolve around one person, should not fall to the ground if one person leaves or is called to do something else. So we’re looking for sustainability. I really have enjoyed learning from the purpose-driven series all about how systems need to be put in place and ideals need to be laid down so that you can pass this on to others. Not that they would do it exactly how you’ve done it, but that there’s a framework in place. So when I took over our youth ministry, there was no mission, vision, and purpose written down on paper. I mean, I know there were things in people’s minds and hearts that they were following.

But being able to write those things down collaboratively with my co-leader and some other people really has helped to just unify that piece of it, we’re all on the same page in that way. I am a big person for organization schedules anyway. I think that that’s really important. The Lord obviously deviates us from those things sometimes, but it’s nice to always have a framework in place to go back to. In that interest, I have worked with my co-leader to develop a three-year teaching curriculum, and we have the opportunity to put new pieces into the lessons, current events, or entertainment things, or anything that we can use as a-

Amanda:

Pulling that pop culture in is so critical to youth ministry and youth culture.

Michelle:

Oh my, yes, very critical. So that we have that core lesson in place, but we can always change it up with those different things and keep it fresh and new. But everybody is on the same page there. And with all of those topics, we develop those by a lot of prayer together, a lot of discussion. We each came with lists and had to take some of our things away and add to some things as the spirit of the Lord was moving us. But again, just having those frameworks in place that if I had to step away tomorrow, another person could slide into my position. They would do it their way with their flare and their specific gifting from the Lord, but there’s somewhere to start. And we’re blessed to have a team of nine adult leaders, and it’s just been really nice to take all those different personalities and giftings and be on the same page together.

Amanda:

Absolutely. It makes it easy for somebody to come in and join wherever you are in that three-year plan. And they can see where you’ve been and they can see where you’re going, which is a good perspective for a new recruit. In this three-year plan, what things have you found that create relationship? So when you get a new person that comes in, how do you help make them feel like they’re a part of the team?

Michelle:

Sure. So obviously sharing with them where we are and where we’re going. We have a structure where we try to alternate large group and small group sessions to do teaching on the bigger ideas involved. And then to sit with smaller groups, we find that a lot more sharing takes place there. That’s a great place for our new volunteers to really be able to get to know a cohort of students. I mean, you can’t walk into a 20, 30 member youth group and get to know everyone at the same time. So that structure allows our new volunteers to jump right in with certain groups of youth. And that’s really nice. We have a focus on service in our group, service to one another, service outward to our community at large. And those aren’t just quick things that we jump in and do.

They’re long-term relationships that we’ve made both within our congregation with specific people in ministries and outside of our congregation and the community as a whole that kind of give a variety of opportunities for the youth and for leaders to engage in. That’s another great place for new adult volunteers to get to know the youth better. When it’s in a more structured setting, like our regular meeting, that can be more difficult. But if you’re just hanging out doing a service project together, serving the community together, you get that opportunity to have those conversations that are very comfortable, very organic, very natural. So I really encourage new leaders to not be afraid; we’re fortunate because most of ours are not, but do not be afraid to delve into service, to delve into smaller groups with the kids, because that’s what’s going to really allow them to start forming relationships in the group.

Amanda:

Service is such a great way to build relationships. And we always are trying to be mindful of being intergenerational, particularly with gen Z. We have noticed that they really crave mentorship relationships. And when you’re doing a service project, when you’re sorting clothes, or when you’ve got something that’s keeping your hands busy, it makes people more comfortable, and they relax, and you begin to share things. And not always big things, but those little things. The little, daily, mundane, everyday activities can do so much to build strong relationships with students with each other, as well as with those leaders. Service is also a great way to give adults just a little peek into what youth ministry is like. It’s a one-day commitment. It’s a few hours. You get to know these students; you get to know the other leaders as well. I think it’s important for those leaders to be a good team.

Michelle:

Not only are they great relationship tools, but we want to foster a lifelong love of service. And that’s why we try to offer a variety of things and make them regular. And yeah, it’s a great tool for that.

Amanda:

This brings us back to where our conversation began, of volunteer recruitment is really all about relationships and partnerships and doing ministry together because we cannot do it alone, and we’re not called to do it alone. We need others to come alongside and to join in the joy, and the fun, and the work that’s youth ministry.

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12 Ways Youth Can Serve at Home

ThereforeGo Ministries — Thu, 13 May 2021 20:04:56 +0000

The post 12 Ways Youth Can Serve at Home appeared first on ThereforeGo Ministries.

In Galatians 5:13-14 we read “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

To love and serve our neighbors, this command is as crucial today as it has ever been. However, with the ongoing struggles of a global pandemic, our traditional service trips and many of our service projects have been put on hold.

Below, we are sharing some of our favorite ways to continue having a mission trip experience, while staying at home or in your community. These are great mission opportunities for individuals or your next youth group community service project.

Serve in Your Church

SERVE@Home in your local Church

1. Call or visit congregation members

Talk to your pastors or elders and get a list of congregation members who could use a little company. This is also a great way to encourage your students to get to know the older members of your congregation.

2. Write cards/notes to older individuals

Everyone likes to get mail! Write to the older members of your congregation or find a nursing home that you can bless with some handwritten notes!

3. Run a class or book club

Find something you or your students are interested in and start a small group about it! Maybe there is a book you are all interested in or a topic that you can focus a scripture study around.

4. Help with cleaning or gardening

Students at Ripon SERVE@Home working in a Community Garden

Churches are big spaces and it’s not uncommon to have a few spaces that don’t get cleaned very often. Cleaning and gardening are easy school student service project ideas.

Serve in Your Community

Students Serving at Edmonton Alberta BBQ

5. Help your neighbors with home projects

Take this opportunity to partner with your community and get to know your neighbors a little better, and offer to lend a hand while you’re at it.

6. Clean out your closet

There are a lot of organizations that would love donations of gently used goods.

7. Reconnect with friends near and far

Phone calls, letters, or even a simple text message can brighten up a day. Take this opportunity to reach out and reconnect. Maybe offer a listening ear to someone who you know is struggling.

8. Share something you love

Do you love hiking, biking, gardening, painting, photography, board games, or really any other hobby? Start a group to participate in these things together! You could even look around your congregation or community for people in mentorship networks who may do these things professionally. Ask if they would willing teach a class about the topic and be part of a social service program.

Serve in Your Home

SERVE@Home doing extra work around the house

9. Help with extra chores

Take the extra step to do a chore that isn’t usually your responsibility. This is a simple way that you can serve at home.

10. Help a sibling with their homework or spend some time doing something they like doing

A great way for students to see service on many levels encourages them to look for ways to serve their parents and siblings differently.

11. Collect your family stories

Ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles about the history of your family and document the stories in a fun way. This is a great way to learn about your personal history and connect with your family in a new way.

12. Pray

SERVE@Home in prayer with a group

We know that prayer is powerful and that praying for our churches, communities, and families can be an act of service.

Acts of Service are All Around Us

Service opportunities are all around us, we just need to be creative when looking for new ideas.

Interested in a more intentional service event for your church this summer? Check out the ThereforeGo Ministries SERVE@Home kits. Filled with service project ideas, t-shirts, curriculum, and pre-recorded encouraging messages, it’s everything you need to bring a service trip to your backyard. Each kit provides enough supplies for 10 students and 2 adult leaders. Learn more at thereforego.com/servehome.

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ThereforeGo Announces SERVE@Home For 2021

ThereforeGo Ministries — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 19:00:00 +0000

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ThereforeGo will now offer churches and youth ministry teams the opportunity to do missions at home with the SERVE@Home program. The ministry created the program due to travel restrictions and considerations, limiting youth mission trips, due to the pandemic. The Serve@Home kit includes guides to help Christian leaders in their mission programs. It includes access to online resources such as recordings and playlists.

ThereforeGo hopes that this will help equip local churches and student ministry teams. The plan is to bring about spiritual momentum in local communities. The SERVE@Home program will build local partnerships and nurture long-term relationships. The ministry also hopes that the program will enhance personal relationships. The program will foster better communication, regardless of generation.

Organizations may purchase the program through the website. The kit will also serve ministries based in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. Each kit will have enough supplies for two adults and ten students.

“The impact that a 16-year old like me [can have] can lead to change,” said one student. “When talking to people, I like to hear their stories, and when they share I feel like it builds a better community.”

Many of the participants in SERVE share testimonies of their closer connection to God and within the local community. It equips many of the youth today with the capability to reach out to others in need of the gospel.

The 2021 edition will feature a different theme and logos from the previous year. Each kit has t-shirts, string backpacks, a hosting manual, and spiritual life guides. It will also give access to an online resource where speakers will walk the group through each session.

SERVE@Home kits will begin shipping in April for those who pre-ordered. Orders that come after April 1st will ship within two weeks.

Youth Unlimited, headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, is a non-denominational, non-profit ministry organization with the focus of assisting the Church and its many local congregations with their ministry to our youth. Through events like SERVE mission trips and SERVE@Home, Youth Unlimited partners with youth leaders to provide faith-forming experiences to middle school, high school, and special needs students. Visit www.thereforego.com for more information.

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Better Mission Trip Podcast

Elizabeth Bosscher — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 18:11:33 +0000

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“Who knew when we were doing short-term mission trips, we were training to serve at home?” -Tory Ruark, Standards of Excellence

Amanda Roozeboom, SERVE Director, sat down with the Tory at Standards of Excellence (SOE) to talk about how we rethought missions, during the COVID-19 pandemic, through the creation of SERVE@Home.

Listen Here!

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SERVE 2021 Theme: The Unshakable Kingdom

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 16:00:52 +0000

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THEME: The Unshakable Kingdom: For the King and the Kingdom

THEME PASSAGE: Hebrews 12:25-29

^“25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? ²⁶At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”²⁷The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, ²⁹for our “God is a consuming fire.””

Jesus loved teaching about the Kingdom of God. There are 31 parables in the Gospels. 23 (nearly 75%) of them are about the Kingdom of God! When his disciples asked him how to pray, he taught them to pray for the kingdom of God to come. And after Jesus’ resurrection, before he ascended to heaven, he spent 40 days talking about the Kingdom of God.

This week at SERVE, we are going to dive into learning more about the Kingdom of God that was clearly so important to Jesus and gave fuel to his ministry here on Earth.

In the book of Hebrews, we read that the Kingdom of God is unshakable!

“There are very few things in the world which can accurately be described as unshakable, or unmovable. Today we can dynamite them, blast them into oblivion, or if they are immaterial, we apply pressure to get something or someone to change. There is no such thing as an immovable object meeting an irresistible force so when something is described as unshakable or unmovable, you had better pay attention.”[1]

In a world that can feel so shaky and unstable, we need to be reminded that the God we serve invites us into a Kingdom that is unshakable and secure. This week at SERVE we will learn more about the qualities and habits of those who are called to participate in The Unshakable Kingdom!

The Unshakable Kingdom we receive from God is not just something that affects our future. It affects our here and now as well. It’s not just something we experience when Jesus returns. It is a part of our everyday, mundane life. It’s not just something we participate in on Sunday mornings or at youth group. It shapes our work, our play, our being.

Theme content written by Ashley Patton

[1] https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/an-unshakable-kingdom/

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A Reflection on SERVE@Home

Ron deVries — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 17:05:34 +0000

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We have been living in a time when plans have been canceled or postponed at the speed of sound. One day we were sorting out the details about going away on SERVE and excitedly coming home from the Leadership Summit, then a week later, we were hunkering down for a 6-month lock-in. We didn’t foresee this.

It was/is hard, this new world. If there was a glimmer of hope for ministry during this time, it came in the form of SERVE@home as a hands-on practical way to, within a COVID reality, still be a model of creative Kingdom hospitality and compassion.

As a SERVE team at Covenant CRC in Edmonton, Alberta, it was important to remind our church community that in spite of the world seemingly shutting down, the needs of our surrounding communities were still real. 15 students and leaders experienced that first hand.

Each morning we gathered for devotions, listening for what Jesus was saying to each one of us through Matthew 5, the Beatitudes. Powerful messages absorbed through personal reflection to set the pace for the day.

Each reflection tied into what that day had in store for us. Between moving a young family from one home to another, preparing meals for those shut-in and who could not afford food that week, delivering these meals, hosting a COVID-safe BBQ, sorting clothes and toiletries for those in need and the list goes on. As Jesus once said after seeing the crowds of people in need, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”.

At the end of each day, we listened to each other. The stories of where we saw God and His amazing work in action.

SERVE@home was an answer to prayer for our church. A community that desperately needed community. Where grace and compassion revealed itself through God’s redemptive story that is as real today as it was when He promised to Abram, “and all nations will be blessed through you”

About the Author: Ron deVries lives in Edmonton, AB, and is the ministry ambassador to ThereforeGo as well as a Regional Catalyst for the office of Faith Formations of the CRCNA.

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COVID-19 Creates Opportunity For New SERVE@Home Outreach Program

Elizabeth Bosscher — Fri, 01 May 2020 20:15:33 +0000

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Every spring season, Youth Unlimited is preparing to mobilize thousands of teens and volunteers to participate in SERVE – weeklong mission trips across the United States and Canada. SERVE is a unique approach to mission experiences because it allows students to partner with churches in communities and spend a week each summer serving, worshiping, and sharing the love of Christ with the host church’s home community.

However, this summer is going to look quite different for SERVE. Due to the impact of COVID-19, Youth Unlimited has launched a new mission opportunity called SERVE@Home. Rather than sending students across the country to serve, SERVE@Home equips local churches and home congregations to serve in their home communities.

“This certainly isn’t what we thought SERVE 2020 would look like,” says Rick Zomer, Executive Director of Youth Unlimited. “But, that doesn’t mean we’re any less excited for our busy summer season. SERVE@Home is an incredible opportunity for congregations to minister within their own communities, and we believe it will introduce more churches to the work of Youth Unlimited and the impact of SERVE,” he adds.

Groups who participate in SERVE@Home will receive resources from Youth Unlimited to make the week more than just a community service project. “Churches who register will receive everything they typically would on a SERVE trip, including curriculum, t-shirts, and other helpful insights,” says Elizabeth Bosscher, Communications and Events Coordinator for Youth Unlimited. “In addition, we will provide each group with pre-recorded speakers’ sessions, Spotify playlists, tips to develop worksites in their communities, and more,” she adds.

COVID-19 is preventing students from traveling to SERVE sites, but it can’t change the heart and mission of Youth Unlimited. “SERVE@Home aligns perfectly with our mission at Youth Unlimited – to encourage, equip, and partner with local congregations across North America to reach this generation for Christ,” adds Zomer. “That is accomplished whether we travel 3000 miles from home or serve those in need in our own backyards.”

To learn more about SERVE@Home and how your church group can participate, visit thereforego.com/servehome.

Youth Unlimited, headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, is a non-denominational, non-profit ministry organization with the focus of assisting the Church and its many local congregations with their ministry to our youth. Through events like SERVE mission trips, Youth Unlimited partners with youth leaders to provide faith-forming experiences to middle school, high school, and special needs students. Visit www.thereforego.com for more information.

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Go Do Good – Do It

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 20:13:30 +0000

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by Angie Klooster

SERVE 2019 was one of the most influential weeks of my life. Seeing the broken state some people live in is one thing but having the opportunity to help them and change their way of life is entirely different. We made a difference, even if all we did was weed a few rows of a community garden or paint the walls of a non-profit organization. And making a difference made a difference in me.

I was cautious to go on this trip. It was very out of my comfort zone. Then, when I found out no one from my church was in my SERVE small group, I was even more discouraged. However, as soon as I met my small group and spent one day with them, I knew I was here for a reason. The people I worked with and got to know were some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met, and I quickly realized God sent me on SERVE to do good.

God sent me to a small church in Muskegon, Michigan both to help people and to grow, myself. I learned more about myself in those seven days than I have in my entire life. I learned to not take things for granted. I learned that God works miracles in the strangest of ways. I learned to get out of my comfort zone and talk to people. And I learned to make friends, even if it’s just for a week and I might never see them again.

With each service project – every time we handed out yogurt at the church or cleaned a lot – we made a difference, and I was so encouraged. It might not have been much, but it was something, and it was hopefully enough to encourage others to follow our footsteps, too.

One little nudge can make a change in someone’s life, like the way my life changed at Muskegon SERVE. If the people of Muskegon saw us planting a garden and growing food, it shows them that it’s possible. If the kids at Muskegon Heights High School saw that people were willing to help them, it shows them they can help people, too.

Muskegon SERVE was just one week, but the people I worked with have been doing this for years. They have dedicated their lives to helping their community and are very passionate about what they do. They work so hard with so little. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to see, and talk to, and help these people. It’s changed who I am, and I hope everyone gets a chance to have a similar experience. If you ever get the opportunity to go do good, do it. It will be beyond worth it.

[This is an excerpt from the Fall 2019 Magazine. To read more stories CLICK HERE]

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Forever One; SERVE 2020 Theme

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 13:08:50 +0000

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For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:5 (NIV)

The Bible is full of stories. These stories, or narratives, give us a glimpse into the nature and character of God, as well as God’s relationship to humanity, in a way that informs how we should live. They tell of people, places, and events from particular times and cultures and yet speak to each of us right where we are at today.

The stories in the Bible are not standalone accounts of people, places, and events though; the Bible is one cohesive grand narrative of the Triune God who created all things, loves all things despite brokenness and sin, came down in flesh to redeem all things, and is weaving a master plan to bring all things back to himself. All stories of all people, places, and events in the Bible are part of this grand narrative. At first read, biblical narratives may seem to tell the story of a prophet, or a country, or a miracle but really Bible stories are only a little bit about these things. They are mostly about God.

It has been almost two thousand years since the most recently penned stories in the Bible were recorded, and no written texts will be added. And yet, the grand narrative of God, the story God is unfolding through time and space, is far from complete for God is still at work in, among, and through God’s people.

In a world where we are so busy and things around us often seem so wrong, it can be easy to miss how our stories are woven into the grand narrative of God. Many days most of us are just trying to do the best we can to get work done and hold things together. We don’t give much thought to where we fit into the overarching story of how and where God is at work in the world because our lives are full and our minds are preoccupied. Together at SERVE mission trips for teens, we have a chance to take a step back and consider the bigger picture of the story of God.

Over the next week, we are going to live deeply into stories from the Old Testament. We are going to learn about interesting characters in the Bible and how God used them to bring about his salvation and the restoration of all creation. We will explore how this hope of restoration was made perfect in Jesus, how Christ was the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. We will witness how the early church faithfully lived into the good news of Jesus. Finally, we will ponder how God is still at work bringing each of us back into relationship with him through Christ, and inviting us to join in the work of the Holy Spirit as participants in the story God continues to write.

Find a 2020 summer mission trip location here!

Registration opens at Noon (EDT) on November 1st, 2019. For more details and to fill out Step One CLICK HERE!

The SERVE 2020 theme was written by Chad Pierce and Jen Rozema in partnership with Youth Unlimited.

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5 Reflection Questions to Ask After Your Mission Trip

Elizabeth Bosscher — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 21:51:06 +0000

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Coming home from a youth mission trip can be much like falling off a mountaintop and walking away very disoriented. You have experienced so much in such a short time that coming back to real-life can be a letdown.

One way to prevent disorientation is to spend some time in reflection and share your experience with others. Below are a few questions to ask yourself and your trip companions as you try to process your experience and integrate what you learned into daily life.

1. What are the top three things I will miss from my mission experience?

Mission trips often come with new friendships, a new love for the location you were in and a spiritual high. While we know that the trip can’t last forever, it is okay to think about what you will miss about being there. Recognizing things that will be missed is also a good way to think about what you may do differently at home.

2. What are the top three things I’m most thankful for at home?

Maybe you are really thankful for your family, your home church, the school you go to or that you have a stable place to eat and sleep each day. Spending some time to reflect on these things will help you have a greater appreciation for all that you have been blessed with!

3. What is one thing I want to remember from this experience?

We hope that we will remember it all but we also know that our memories can fade over time. It’s important to think of some of the highlights and make note so that you can hold onto this impactful experience for many years to come.

4. What do I feel like God was communicating to me during this time?

Do you feel like you learned a big lesson or felt a little nudge? Are you leaving with a renewed conviction to spend more time in the Bible or to get connected with a non-profit at home? Sometimes you don’t even realize what God was trying to tell you until you take a little time to process your experience.

5. Who will I share with when I get home so I can be held accountable for continuing this growth?

We are not meant to go through life alone. Talking about your experience and the things God communicated to you throughout the trip with someone you trust can be a great way to follow through on the promises you have made yourself.

Take the time to reflect on your mission trip

As you ask these questions really reflect on your experience. You may notice lessons that you learned without even being aware at the time. Maybe you want to write down some notes about the benefits of your experience and your answers to these questions so that you can look back on it in a few months.

After you have spent the time reflecting on your experience and preventing the disorientation, you will want to think through the conversations you will have with people at home. You’ll want to be ready to share one story about how the week impacted your life. When people at home ask, “What did you do?” they often really mean, “Whom did you serve, and how did the week impact your life?” Be ready!

Above all, don’t let all the transformation that you experienced during your mission experience fall away when the trip is over. Be intentional about bringing it home with you and always remembering the lessons God was teaching you.

Find Mission Trip Locations for Youth Groups

Are you planning a youth
mission trip for High school students?

Get a FREE copy of the Complete Guide to Planning a Youth Mission Trip. This complete guide will help make you plan your youth mission trip from beginning to end!
Get The Free eBook

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7 Ways to Empower and Encourage Youth Before a Youth Mission Trip

Elizabeth Bosscher — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 21:04:32 +0000

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Beyond the details of planning for a youth service trip is one of its most essential elements: building enthusiasm. A youth mission trip may be one of the most positive and memorable experiences a young adult encounters. We need the youthful gifts of passion and creativity to align the church in the mission of God.

Here are seven ways to empower and encourage your youth as you partner with them on your short-term mission trip:

1. Make a list of the people (or the person) they most admire and their qualities.

Once they have this list, urge them to strive to achieve the most essential qualities. The list of distinctive attributes stimulates interest and propels them toward goals they can accomplish. Keeping these qualities top of mind can make for a more meaningful mission trip experience.

2. Spend time in prayer.

One of the most uncomplicated methods to deepen your youth ministry is to increase your commitment to prayer. Students, youth leaders and adult volunteers alike can all benefit from extended times of worship before, during and after their trips.

3. Reduce fear of failure.

Encourage teens to step outside their comfort zones. The critical element of the youth service mission is to get to know the people they are helping. It’s okay to ask questions. Remind them they might make a mistake. Guide them to continue on in a new way rather than seeing it as defeat.

4. Share and reflect before sleep.

Take time at the end of every day to think deeply about the day. Share accomplishments, tell stories, ask questions and answer concerns. Give a brief update on the next day’s schedule to set expectations for the morning and build excitement.

5. Develop a student leadership team.

Recruit highly determined teenagers with raw skills and train them to use their gifts as leaders. This responsibility builds confidence and shows them their opinions and ideas matter.

6. Plan after-hours activities.

When the work is done, encourage your youth to collaborate and create. Encourage them to pair off or form groups to create a skit or dance, write a song, play a game or do something else creative to share with the rest of the group.

7. Formalize reflection and feedback.

Recommend everyone keep a short journal to reflect and record thoughts during the trip. Or instead, send your youth group home with some open-ended questions to reflect on. Meet a week after the youth mission trip to celebrate and formally share the trip’s outcomes, new knowledge acquired and insights. You could also create an online survey to gather more information about your group’s experience during the mission trip.

Mission trips can be life-changing. Whether you attend a SERVE mission trip experience or another kind of short term mission experience, giving your youth group some preemptive things to ponder steers them from spiritual apathy and self-absorption and into a deeper relationship with Christ. During the trip, and after, keep up the reminders to focus on God and keep their eyes open for what he’s doing in their hearts and lives.

See all SERVE Mission Trip Locations

Are you planning a youth
mission trip for High school students?

Get a FREE copy of the Complete Guide to Planning a Youth Mission Trip. This complete guide will help make you plan your youth mission trip from beginning to end!
Get The Free eBook

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9 Benefits of Youth Mission Trips

Elizabeth Bosscher — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 17:00:53 +0000

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Through our 100 years of ministry, we have learned a lot including the fact that our youth mission trips are a powerful way to remain active in church and grow in your faith. Through a faith-forming, short-term mission trip experience, you will serve God and learn about what it means to get involved in the community and be a good neighbor. The participants, community and the churches involved all benefit in ways that will continue to guide and shape their lives years later.

Here are nine benefits to expect after taking part in a short-term mission trip:

1. God will change you.

You’re not going to change the world in the short time you spend on your mission trip. There’s so much going on around you that it’s challenging to make a significant impact in a week. You are there not for adventure, but for obedience. You are going because you know that God has commanded all of us to serve the world and love our neighbors. That is the main point of this trip. Soak it up and pray God will change your heart in extraordinary ways.

2. You build relationships with people.

Finishing a project is only a small part of a successful youth mission trip. The rest is all about building deep and meaningful relationships with the people around you. The people you cross paths with deserve to be treated with care and respect no matter their circumstances, no matter their level of education, no matter the color of their skin, no matter their language and no matter their needs. Be willing to ask questions. Go simply to learn and communicate. Come back with stories and the names of all the new people you’ve met, not just a photo album of nameless people and mission trip selfies.

3. Your comfort zone will be challenged.

Many of us get stuck in the sameness of our spiritual lives. It can be useful to step out of your comfort zone and allow God to stretch you. You’ll experience physical, mental and spiritual change during your week as you learn about the new place and build relationships with other Christ-followers.

4. You are taught faith in ways you don’t expect.

Sometimes God uses a short-term mission trip to reveal your purpose and God-given strengths. Sometimes on mission trips, people discover they want to start non-profit organizations, get degrees in social work or serve as a full-time missionary. The experience is a time and place to allow God to work in and through your life. Use the trip as an anchor in your faith, and it will propel you forward, deepening your relationship with God.

5. Your compassion grows.

Pain, suffering and poverty are not just things you learn about in the classroom or read about in the news. Behind these things are real people with names and families. Learning compassion through service on your teen mission trip can be a powerful form of knowledge.

6. You practice patience and flexibility.

Rarely on a mission trip does everything go as planned. Be ready to forgo things you enjoy in your day-to-day life to serve others. Requests you may think are simple may end up taking a lot of work. Be patient and trust in God, even when things don’t happen in the way you’re used to.

7. You become more globally aware and better understand the world.

Expect to encounter the world in a way you never have before and may never again. Despite language or cultural differences, all humans are fundamentally the same. We all have a need to be known, cared for and to have lives steeped in meaning and purpose. A short-term mission trip can open your eyes to the reality of life and make you turn to God in humility.

8. You commit to servanthood.

It’s easy to believe youth mission trips are about you and what you will gain. This list focuses on many of those very benefits. But these benefits should be the byproduct and not the main focus. Use the trip as a time to take your eyes off of yourself and look for the needs of others. How does God want you to help other people meet their needs? Continue your commitment to servanthood by serving in your church and community at home.

9. The benefits don’t end when the trip is over.

After the experience is over and you’re brimming with passion and stories, it doesn’t have to end. Continue to focus on seeking justice in your own neighborhood. Keep trying new things. You don’t have to fly on an airplane to serve others. Take what you learn and find a way to apply it in your day-to-day life.

If you’re considering a mission trip, either with Youth Unlimited or another organization, remember they can create dramatic shifts in how you view the world. After all, God uses short-term mission trips to make a long-term impact on the lives of those who serve.

To learn more about how you can serve communities in the USA and Canada in missions, head on over to our SERVE Missions Trip page for a list of trips and testimonials.

See all SERVE Mission Trip Location

Looking for more benefits of a youth mission trip? Check out this great resource!

The Many Benefits of a Service Trip Infographic

Saturday

Registration, welcome, community-building games.
You will usually be introduced to your small group, which consists of six to eight students and one adult leader from different churches.

Sunday

Breakfast, personal devotions, commissioning service at the Host Church. (Interested in hosting a mission trip as a “Host Church”?)
Lunch, team building, orientation, and organized fun.
Dinner, session with a speaker, worship, and small group discussions.

Monday through Friday

6:30 AM – Wake up
7:00 AM – Breakfast/prepare lunches
8:00 AM – Devotions
8:45 AM – Leave for work sites
4:00 PM – Showers/free time/organized games
5:15 PM – Leaders’ meeting
6:00 PM – Dinner
7:30 PM – Evening session with a speaker and worship
9:00 PM – Small group discussion
10:00 PM – Snack and free time
11:00 PM – Lights out

Saturday

Pack up and head home to serve in your own community!

Other:

Recreation/Sightseeing: At some point during the week, a half day or full day is set aside for recreation (organized by the Host Team). Expect to visit a local attraction, such as beach, theme park, do some sightseeing, etc.
Detailed schedules are set by the local Host Team and may vary from what’s described here. Please be flexible, and follow the schedule set by the Host Team.
Middle School experiences may start on Saturday or Sunday, and typically wrap-up on Friday.

We get this question a lot: “How old do you have to be to go on mission trips with ThereforeGo?”

High School SERVE Mission Trips: Any student who has completed grade 8 through graduating seniors in the spring of 2021. *We are making a one year age exemption for class of 2020 graduates who were unable to attend SERVE 2020, due to COVID restrictions.

Middle School SERVE Mission Trips: Any student who has completed grades 6 through 8.

Adult Leaders: Adult leaders must be 21 years or older. See more information under the question “What are adult leader expectations (and how many are needed)?”

Do I have to be in a youth group or can I come by myself?
Our current SERVE model does not accommodate individual participants. For more information contact us.

Find a mission trip destination here »

Find SERVE mission trip locations here on our trip locations page.

When choosing a mission trip, we recommend taking the following factors into consideration.

Dates: It’s important to figure out what dates work for your church and the largest number of people in your youth group.
Location: Do you want to drive? Are you willing to fly? Transportation can be one of the most complex factors to a mission trip so it is important to factor in how far and by which method you are willing to travel.
Capacity: If you have a large group (more than 15 people) we recommend that you look for a SERVE site that has a capacity of 60 or more. We have found that SERVE sites are more successful if we can place 3 or more different churches at any one site.

Browse trip locations here »

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How to Plan a Mission Trip

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 17:00:00 +0000

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7 Things to Do When Planning a Mission Trip for Teens

If you’re planning a mission trip for a youth group, it can seem overwhelming. Based on our experience, here are things to consider when planning a mission trip for youth:

Check dates with parents early in the process.

Even before October 1 of the year before the summer mission trip, begin asking parents if they have a family vacation planned or know of camps/activities in the summer you should plan around. Don’t just ask the students to ask their parents. Go to the parents directly. This gives you a good contact with them and avoids miscommunication.

Consider distance and destination.

How far do you want to travel? Will a long road trip build your group unity for the rest of the year? Does it fit the budget? How does the host church/community fit into the progression or rhythm of your mission strategy? Are you looking to move your students outside their typical environment (rural, urban, suburban, ethnicity, etc.) or teach them how others in a very similar environment love their community? Check out this list of mission trip locations for teens in the US and Canada or this list of 5 different types of impactful teen mission trips.

Budget carefully.

If you do not have a budget worksheet for your mission trips, ask your church treasurer to help you create one or call a youth ministry veteran. This is essential to your planning and fundraising. Raising funds is an important work of missions. Here’s some fundraising ideas for youth mission trips.

Raise prayer support.

Every summer there are over 1,500 students and youth leaders who go on SERVE, and we estimate there are more than 5,000 adults who support them in prayer. You might even put your vision, the intended outcomes and a bit about your team and your Host Church in your church bulletin before and after your trip.

Plan your post-trip process in three parts:

Debrief, follow up and follow through. This will help students understand what they think and how they feel about the trip and also help them integrate what they learned during the trip into their everyday life. See the SERVE Post-Trip Plan in the Resource Box for this process.

The Resource Box is full of great helps!

Check into it before you even start promoting. There is a planning timeline, a parents’ letter, pastors’ letter and promotional items to help you cast the vision.

Find Mission Trip Locations for Youth Groups
Get Help Planning Your Youth Group’s Mission Trip

Most importantly, change the thought from “Where should we go?” to “Let’s make disciples!”

When thinking about mission trips for teens, don’t get caught in the short-sited thinking of just planning a trip. Start with your heart to disciple your students in missional living that lasts a lifetime. Add to that your desire to serve and submit to the host church or ministry, and consider the 7 standards of excellence.

Whether you’re looking to start a mission trip for teens or organize a service trip for them, as you ponder the mission trip being one aspect of discipleship, consider the following:

A progression:

How can your students plug into the existing community outreach of your church or help advance it?
What experiences will teach your students how to minister in their own back yard?
How can they see the strengths and needs of your own community?

Consider planning a mission trip this summer that will help expand their understanding of how God works through churches to reach a community.

Then, build toward that trip with some late winter and spring service projects in your own backyard.

Plan to go back to those service projects in August – October to follow up relationally, and perhaps continue through the rest of the school year.

For more help on planning a specific trip, contact us or feel free to call our office (1-616-241-5616).

A rhythm:

You might consider a very local mission trip for your students in middle school, then a regional one for grades 9 and 10, and a longer distance trip for your older students. Or, keep them all together and go local, regional and long distance progressively.

You do not have to leave the country to learn about another culture!

No matter where you live in the United States or Canada, you can find first/second generation immigrants (or possibly first nation people groups) to learn from and serve with. In fact, Youth Unlimited has some customizable mission trip locations in the US and Canada that include cross-cultural learning.

Find Mission Trip Locations for Youth Groups
Get Help Planning Your Youth Group’s Mission Trip

Your teaching:

Your mission trip and service projects are like fence posts. They won’t do much good without the rails of ongoing mentoring relationships (in missional living) and solid week-to-week Bible teaching.

Add into your curriculum Bible content on missions, missional living and stories of those who live life on mission. The Youth Unlimited Resource Box has suggested pre- and post-trip teaching sessions. Talk about, or even bring in and interview, the business leader who sees their career as missions,\ or the pregnancy center director or the prayer warrior for your missionaries, etc.

Are you planning a youth mission trip?

Get a FREE copy of the Complete Guide to Planning a Youth Mission Trip. This complete guide will help make you plan your youth mission trip from beginning to end!

Get the FREE eBook

For help on planning a specific trip, contact us or feel free to call our office (1-616-241-5616).

SlideShare Version

How to Plan a Mission Trip from Youth Unlimited

This post is an edited excerpt from the Youth Unlimited Magazine (Fall 2015).

We believe that whether mission trips help or not depends on the type of mission trip you have. Real lasting impact is never accomplished in a week. This is why we partner with local churches to provide our SERVE mission trips! All our sites are run by volunteers who live and work in these communities all year long.

We believe that SERVE mission trips provide a two-fold impact:

On the individual involved in SERVE. We hope that each student and adult:
- Become doers of the Word and not hearers only
- Become justice conscious, meeting needs while being introduced to the root causes and concerns
- Grow in their personal faith
- Continue serving others when they return to their home church and community
On the relationship between the church and the community. We hope that the week of SERVE helps them to:
- Identify community assets and needs
- Provide an infusion of energy to their mission, vision, and outreach efforts
- Help deepen personal relationships and partnerships within their local community. Our host sites are encouraged to partner with ministries that they have an existing relationship with and allow this group of teenagers to bring energy and excitement to the long-term partnership.

Keep It Safe: Make photocopies of your passport’s identification page and/or of your identification cards, and keep the copies separate from the original when you travel. For added security, leave a copy with a friend or relative at home.

Traveling with Minors: Any adult who is not a parent or guardian should have written permission to supervise the child from the parent or guardian, as well as the child’s identification, and carry it with them. A letter would also facilitate entry for any one parent traveling with their children. This permission letter should contain addresses and telephone numbers where the parent or guardian can be reached. (Example Consent to Travel Form – find more forms and resources here) It is strongly recommended that the letter is notarized.

There are numerous resources for your church to use in the planning and preparation for your trip. Visit our online Resource Box!

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The Sacrifice of Service

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 15:54:33 +0000

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by Andrew Rennie, Lynden SERVE Host Team Member

My second year on the Host Team of Lynden SERVE felt different from the first. The first year left me wishing I could have done more or been more involved. I was inspired by the work of the students, by witnessing their comradery and unity, and by watching our church come together and work purposefully to the glory of God. Still, it seemed to me that my part in this sacrifice of service was missing something.

Reflecting on the old sacrificial system, I realize pleasing sacrifices are rarely spontaneous. The spotless lamb doesn’t walk up to the alter on its own. The firewood must first be collected and seasoned before it’s burned, and the poetry of praise doesn’t just float in on the wind. Each sacrifice is created through availability and intentionality.

For me, the biggest stumbling blocks to serving were having the time to do it (the idolatry of availability) and only wanting to serve in ways I was comfortable with (the idolatry of success).

I know, deep down, that I must say “Here I am, Lord,” and then be willing to listen to his calling.

This year I decided to plan ahead and take the week of SERVE off work. By giving this sacrifice, it kept me available, freeing my mind from work worries and letting me focus on SERVE. I could cheerfully give my time flexibly, offering help wherever it was needed. Being willing to listen to his calling beautified the sacrifice.

As a Christian, I no longer rely on the old sacrificial system our Heavenly Father instituted for his people to enable and restore their relationship with himself. I know Christ accomplished it all on the cross. There is literally nothing I can add to his highest and most holy sacrifice, and yet, I am still called and compelled to live my life as a fragrant offering before his throne.

I want to bring a sacrifice of praise and I want to bring a sacrifice of service. I desire to love God more wholly and abide in him more deeply. Approaching SERVE as a love offering to the Lord this year made all of the difference.

“Here I am, Lord.”

[This is an excerpt from the Fall 2018 Magazine. To read more stories CLICK HERE]

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Letting Go and Loving

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 14:48:37 +0000

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Written by Megan Schouten

My church had gone on many SERVE trips over the years, one of which I was a student participant myself. I’d heard and been a part of so many great stories, but still, SERVE 2018 made me worry. This time, I would not just be a participant, but a leader.

I was worried that being a stranger to the students in my SERVE small group would prevent me from being able to relate to them. As a youth group leader in church, I had lead small groups before, but I already knew those students. I was also worried about the students we would be taking with our own youth group, several who had never participated in SERVE before. I questioned if I would be able to help them process their experiences and grow in their faith while doing so.

But despite all the worry and self-doubt, I knew from my own experience that SERVE is a powerful way for youth to encounter Christ. I didn’t want to miss out on what God had in store for our students at Gallatin Valley SERVE.

Once we arrived, God quickly began to show me all my worries had been in vain. Our theme for the year was Love God, Love the World. That was all I had to do. My sole purpose for the trip was to show the love of God to those around me and let him handle the rest. And he sure did!

Through God’s incredible grace and a fantastic speaker, the students and leaders were challenged to be loved by God, to love him in return and to be an example of that love to others. As always, God showed up and brought some incredible breakthroughs during SERVE.

I was so humbled to watch as the Holy Spirit would lead students to walk up to the front to receive prayer, pray for one another without being prompted and then encourage and engage with one another in small group discussions.

At the worksites, it was the same thing. The students really were the hands and feet of God, showing love to complete strangers, and offering them assistance and kindness without one word of complaint while expecting nothing in return.

I am so grateful to have had SERVE as a part of my story both as a participant and a leader. Both experiences have left me challenged, encouraged and completely amazed at the goodness of our loving God.

Witnessing so many young adults open themselves up to the love of God and seeing a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives has affected my own faith so, so deeply. If I could say one thing to any SERVE leader or volunteer, I would encourage them to let go and let God. Let go of any worries, concerns or doubts that would keep you from participating in this great ministry and let God do his thing; you’ll be amazed at what he does in and through the students, and even in you.

[This is an excerpt from the Fall 2018 Magazine. To read more stories CLICK HERE]

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What’s New In 2019?

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 19:17:19 +0000

The post What’s New In 2019? appeared first on ThereforeGo Ministries.

Registration for the SERVE 2019 teen mission trip season is about to open NOW OPEN and we wanted to let you know about some new things!

If you ever have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us.

New SERVE Youth Mission Trip Sites for 2019
- Along with many of our loyal returning sites, we are so excited to be adding a few new ones this year. Click on the links below to see their full site descriptions!
New Background Check Policy
- In year’s past, we have required that all Adult Leaders (21 and over), as well as host team members, have a background check on file with their church. This year, in order to have better accountability and peace of mind at our sites, we are requiring that a copy of each background check be sent directly to our office.
- We are also changing our definition of “current” to three years instead of five. (For the 2019 season the background check must have been completed after June 15, 2016)
- For more information and details on how to get a background check CLICK HERE.
The Cost of SERVE
- For many years, we have been able to keep the cost of SERVE steady at $360 USD. Because the cost of living continues to increase we have raised our price to $375 USD* for 2019 youth mission trips. This price increase will allow us to continue providing you with quality experiences as well as increase the amount our host teams receive in order to cover their costs for the week. *These reflect the cost of a high school SERVE site before April 1st. Please double-check the site description page of the site you are attending to confirm the price.
Revised 3 Step Registration Process
- Step One: Save Your Spots!
- Step Two: Complete Your Online Paperwork. This must be done by March 31, 2019, or there will be late fee charges.
- Step Three: Payment Due. Payment in full for all SERVE Sites is due on May 15, 2019.
- Learn more and complete step one HERE.
Sending Leader Training
- We are excited to be piloting a sending church leader training program for the 2019 season. These short videos will help your Adult Leaders prepare for the SERVE week, covering topics such as what it means to be a small group leader, leading with integrity and modeling a safe culture.
- More details about this program will be released later. Make sure to follow along with our monthly newsletter and social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for details.

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Middle School: A Key Age

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 14:20:42 +0000

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Interview with Scott Post

“I would say youth who have participated in SERVE go on to be more regularly involved in local service opportunities, both while they are in high school and beyond.”

In a cultural climate which tells us our youth are leaving the church and faith in God is declining, Scott believes middle school is a key age to engage students in faith formation.

During the year, Scott encourages his middle schoolers to go past just reading their Bibles and praying every day. “We’ve spent a lot of time in the context of our community intentionally building spiritual practices that help us live out the gospel.” SERVE, for his group, becomes an extension of that goal. “SERVE is a spiritual practice of trying on, for a short period of time, what it means to live out the gospel. Because they had a good feeling or a good experience serving people in these other contexts, they have an easier time thinking, oh, maybe it would be ok to spend my time and my life serving people here, right where I live.”

The students on these trips cannot always see for themselves the impact SERVE has. “[If this is their first time signing up], they are expecting this is going to be an enjoyable trip, most likely with their friends, where they are going to meet new people, learn about God, serve some people and probably have a lot of fun. In the process of reflection [after the trip], they start to see how the experience of SERVE is deeply connected to what they believe about God or what we believe about Jesus or what it means to live out the gospel story.”

There is no doubt in Scott’s mind that bringing both middle schoolers and high schoolers on SERVE is valuable and worth it. He encourages others to “trust the results” and says, “Our church has seen the fruit of [SERVE] play out in these kids’ lives and years down the road. Easily.”

Scott is the Youth Pastor at CrossPoint CRC in Brampton, ON

[This is an excerpt from the Fall 2018 Magazine. To read more stories CLICK HERE.]

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110 Youth Mission Trip Fundraising Ideas (FREE LIST)

Elizabeth Bosscher — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 05:00:16 +0000

The post 110 Youth Mission Trip Fundraising Ideas (FREE LIST) appeared first on ThereforeGo Ministries.

Looking for fundraising ideas for a short-term mission trip or church youth group?

Your church group is going on a mission trip. That’s exciting! But, it can sometimes be difficult for leaders to brainstorm ways for your group as a whole (or individuals going on the mission trip) to raise enough money to go.

We’d like to help you easily come up with some ideas.

Here’s a free list of 110 creative fundraising ideas for youth mission trips or other church group mission trips to get you started.

P.S. Want to print this list or read it as an eBook on your Kindle?
Download our entire list of mission trip fundraising ideas as a free PDF here »

1. Online Fundraising

Sign up on an online fundraising website. Numerous sites allow potential donors to conveniently contribute to your cause. Example: GoFundMe.com.

2. T-Shirt Sale

Design a t-shirt and host a sale for your friends, family and members of your church community.

3. Movie Night

Host a movie night at your church and encourage admission by donation.

4. Use Social Media & Email

Online social media (ex. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), blogs and email (yes, really!) are great ways to not only increase awareness of your efforts but also many of these outlets provide their own ways to raise funds or contribute to your cause.

5. Partner with a Restaurant

Many local restaurants offer fundraising opportunities, with a portion of the sales going to your cause.

6. Garage Sale

Ask friends, family members and members of your church community to donate items and host a garage sale (yard sale). You could host this in your church’s gym or fellowship area.

7. Hold a Competition

Sporting events are great ways to get the community and youth involved in an exciting way. Small prizes for the winners can foster the competitive spirit.

8. Car Wash

Get permission to host your car wash in a safe, moderately trafficked area. Buy supplies and make signs to promote the event.

9. Wall of Giving

Using index cards, fill a wall with numbered cards for people to select and donate the amount from the card.

10. Wrap Christmas Presents

During the Christmas season, some stores will allow you to set up a gift-wrapping table by donation.

Download Entire List for Free »

11. Loose Change Collection

Contact local businesses and ask permission to set up a change collection jar near the checkout area.

12. Host a Party

Themed parties are a fun way to attract large audiences. An entrance fee is all you would need to aid in your fundraising goals.

13. Silent Auction

Ask members of your church community or local business to donate items to be auctioned off. Each item has a sign-up sheet, where bidders walk up and place their bids on the sheets.

14. Support Letter

Writing a letter asking for support is a classic fundraising idea. Be sure to answer the 5 most important questions: who, what, when, where and why.

15. Partner with Other Local Organizations

Animal shelters, fire departments, your local YMCA and other local organizations are often good places to coordinate fundraising efforts with.

16. Coffee House

Host a coffee house in your church, or pair with a local coffee house to have part of the proceeds go to your fundraiser.

17. Valentines Dinner

Host a Valentine’s dinner open to members of the community and charge an admission fee.

18. Spaghetti Dinner

Who doesn’t love spaghetti? Hosting a spaghetti dinner is a great way to raise money and provide a meal for the community.

19. Recycle

Set up bags for collecting cans and bottles at your church, school or sporting events. Take the recycled items to a center and collect the refund.

20. Host a Charity Concert

Find a talented band or bands that are willing to play for free or cheap and host a charity concert. Charge an admission fee and sell concessions during the event.

P.S. Want to print this list or read it as an eBook on your Kindle?
Download our entire list of mission trip fundraising ideas as a free PDF here »

21. Hair Cut-a-Thon

If you know any hairdressers, hosting a cut-a-thon is a great way to raise funds. Ask him or her to donate a day to volunteering to cut hair for donations.

22. Pancake Breakfast

Host a pancake breakfast at your church for the community to come to, and have the funds contribute to your cause.

23. Service Board Day

Create a service board, where church members can post jobs they need done, with the price they are willing to pay. Other church members can then select and complete the jobs, with the proceeds going to your fundraiser.

24. Dodgeball Tournament

Host a dodgeball tournament with a small fee, and have your youth students invite their friends to it, for an enjoyable and exciting activity.

25. Talent Show

Encourage the members of your church to come forward with their various talents, and put on a show for the community to raise funds.

26. 5k Run

5k Runs and Fun Walks are great ways to raise money for your cause while also encouraging the church body and local community to stay active.

27. Chili Cookoff

Host a chili cookoff, with members of your congregation competing for the title of best chili chef! Make sure they cook extra, as the remaining chili can be sold off for more proceeds.

28. Mystery Dinner Theatre

Have your youth students put on a performance, while hosting a dinner for the guests. The dinner-and-a-show combination can even double as a great outreach to your community.

29. Christmas Tree Lighting

Have a tree-lighting event at Christmastime, with a by-donation entrance fee.

30. Craft Sale

Every community has their fair share of craftsmen! Have members of your church body put on a craft show, with the proceeds from the items sold going to your cause.

Free Download of All Ideas »

31. Trivia Night

Host a trivia night at your church, with snacks and refreshment s. It can be Bible trivia, general trivia or whatever category of trivia you prefer! A small entrance fee and charges for refreshments could make a very successful night.

32. Book Sale

Ask members of your congregation to donate books and then host a book sale, open to the community, at your church.

33. Karaoke Night

Host a karaoke night at your church and charge an admission fee or ask for a donation. This is a great event to pair with a raffle.

34. Envelope Fundraising

Set up a display of envelopes numbered 1 – 100. People choose an envelope and put that amount of money into the envelope

35. Lemonade Stand

Set up some lemonade stands in your local community for those hot summer days, with youth members rotating shifts. Encourage homemade lemonade for a more meaningful experience.

36. Carol Sing

Have your church choir, youth worship band or various church members organize a caroling group around Christmastime and carol through your local community. Ask for a small donation after each house you stop at. Or, host a Christmas carol sing-along at church.

37. Recipe Book Sale

Collect a list of recipes from friends, family members and your congregation. Compile the list into a recipe book and sell to members of your community.

38. Sub Sale

Hosting a sub sale is a great idea for around the Super Bowl! Take orders from members of your congregation and your group can make and deliver pre-ordered subs.

39. Rake Leaves

When fall comes around, offer to rake leaves for local homes, and contribute the proceeds to your fundraiser.

40. Work For It!

Have youth members look for part-time or full-time employment, with part of their wages going towards the outreach.

41. Thanksgiving Dinner

Host a Thanksgiving dinner open to members of the community and charge an admission fee.

P.S. Want to print this list or read it as an eBook on your Kindle?
Download our entire list of mission trip fundraising ideas as a free PDF here »

42. Mow Lawns

Offer to mow local properties in the spring and summer to raise funds.

43. Ice-Cream Social

Host an ice-cream social at your church, with a small entrance fee.

44. Gift Card Raffle

Host a raffle, with the prizes being gift cards to local establishments.

45. Parent’s Night Out

Parents can drop their kids off at the church for a night out. The mission’s team members plan activities and snacks for the kids. Participation in this night can either be donation based or an amount per child.

Free Download of All Ideas »

46. Online Shopping Fundraiser

Consider using an online shopping fundraiser. Certain sites will offer deals and bargains for online shoppers, with a percentage of sales going to your cause.

47. Dog Walking

Have youth members offer to walk dogs in your area, and contribute the proceeds to your cause. Similarly, when someone goes on vacation, offer to be a dog sitter.

48. Fun Fair

Host a fun fair, with food, drinks, stands and games! Advertise through your local community, and use it as a local outreach.

49. Pledge A Mile

Divide the cost of your missions trip by the number of miles to your destination, and have church and community members pledge to buy a length of the trip.

50. Sports Concession Stand

Ask to set up a concession stand at your local high school, college or professional sporting events, and contribute part of the proceeds to your cause.

51. Get The Full List Below

For more fundraising ideas, download our FREE complete list of 110 Fundraising Ideas for Youth Mission Trips below!

The fact is – your mission trip begins when you decide it does. If you are called to do good in the world, your fundraising should also at its core be centered in service.

Raising funds for a youth mission trip can be challenging, yet, keeping service in mind, there are many ways to meet your financial goals. You can..

Auction off items donated by church community families and/or local businesses.
Offer to host a Spaghetti Dinner night at your church – everyone likes homemade meal!
A service board would allow church members to post jobs they need done with the price they’re willing to pay. Youth group members can then select and complete the jobs, with the proceeds going to your fundraiser.

Get a free copy of the Complete Guide to Planning a Youth Mission Trip for a comprehensive approach to planning a great mission trip.

If you’re interested in giving, you can find ways to support missions trips nationwide here.

Each trip, either long or short-term mission trip is unique.

You will need to read through what mission trips are available, and what they aim to do to improve the communities in which they witness.

Find out the specifics on our list of mission trips here and see what calls out to you.

ThereforeGo (formerly “YouthUnlimited”) provides opportunities for youth group mission trips in the USA and Canada.

This means we provide both domestic and international youth mission trips.

Specific destinations (we call them “SERVE sites“) include everything from larger cities to smaller towns in rural areas.

Explore trip locations »

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Authentic Community

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 17:40:37 +0000

The post Authentic Community appeared first on ThereforeGo Ministries.

By Jacob VanDam

Before attending Gallatin Valley SERVE, I didn’t have a framework for what would take place at SERVE or how Christ’s would connect me with two influential communities. Once I arrived, strangers from across the country quickly became family. One of the main topics was community, which I initially thought was just simply “making friends”. But it wasn’t just that; it was having a spiritual bond with the whole community and everyone there.

A few weeks after SERVE, my family received the news that my dad has stage four colon cancer. This was a blow to the huge spiritual high I was on through the week in Montana. I continued devotions every night, hoping God had my dad in his hands, but every night it kept feeling like the things said at SERVE were just thoughts and ideas that were never actually going to happen, and that bothered me.

Soon after, I got a text from one of my best friends I met at SERVE. They were bringing everyone from Montana back here to Minnesota. This mini weekend retreat helped me realize the ways I could make a difference in my own community. You never know what it’s like until you actually witness it done in your own community.

These two SERVE trips have affected my life like no other. These experiences have helped me see the hope in my dad’s battle with cancer and other family tragedies I have witnessed. My dad going with me on these two trips, as weak as he has been with chemotherapy and other operations, helps me see how many easy obstacles I have turned into hardships in the past years.

My dad has battled cancer and fought with it for seven months now as I’m writing this. He’s conquered a twelve-hour surgery on his birthday and is an inspiration to any battle I go through in my life. What SERVE has done for me through this, is allowed me to see the authentic community right here in our small town. We have received so many cards and prayers, and it’s my goal to give others the same support I got.

I love talking to people and being there for anyone who needs me. I don’t ever want anyone to be alone for any battle they are going through in their life, and I learned this through SERVE. Without the two trips, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I wouldn’t have been able to take my dad’s diagnosis the way I did and translate it to the way I live my life right now.

About the Author:

Jacob was a student participant at Gallatin Valley SERVE 2017.

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Engaging Youth

Elizabeth Bosscher — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 19:38:58 +0000

The post Engaging Youth appeared first on ThereforeGo Ministries.

by Kevin VanderVeen

As a youth pastor, I find myself praying for young people in the church often. I pray young people will discover the depth of God’s love for them and know that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. I pray they will take joy in God as the greatest treasure of their life. I pray they will become increasingly aware of how God has uniquely gifted them to serve in his kingdom. I pray the young people in the church may experience a sense of urgency to use and develop their gifts for God’s glory.

At Covenant, we are blessed with young people of all ages, and we’re learning how to approach our ministry to young people in a way that is strategic and developmentally appropriate. As we wonder about what this looks like, we find ourselves asking questions like:

How do we engage young people meaningfully so they will grow and develop spiritually? And what congregational practices lead to spiritual maturity in our young people? In my experience, we are not alone in wrestling with questions like these. The fact is, ministering to young people is an area of concern for the church, and we are all trying to learn how to do this well.

Each ministry context is different, which means ministry will take a different shape in each of our church communities. I would like to suggest, though, that there are some things we can do, regardless of context, to strengthen our ministry to young people. Strengthening our programs or making programmatic changes is not one of those things. If we are going minister to young people in the church effectively, then we need to think bigger; we need to begin thinking about the culture within our church communities. Young people want to feel as though they are a part of the church, and they want to be embraced by the church as a valued part of the body of Christ. To me, that suggests that we, as churches, need to enfold young people into the life of the church.

What would that look like?

Fuller Youth Institute put together a list of common characteristics that are present in churches engaging young people effectively. Here are four of those characteristics:

Cultivating authentic community through peer and intergenerational relationships.

Relationship is key, but youth need both peer and intergenerational relationships. Many churches offer opportunities for peer relationships but struggle with intergenerational relationships. I wonder what it would look like for us to get together, intergenerationally, to share our faith stories. We encourage young people to reflect on their faith stories, but do we ever share our stories with them? I have been blessed by hearing stories from the older members in our community. We have all experienced God in different ways, and sharing those experiences helps build relationships.

Treating parents as active partners in discipleship.

Youth ministry is always youth and family ministry. As churches, we need to find meaningful ways to encourage and equip parents as they partner with us in discipleship. Many parents want to be a part of their children’s spiritual growth, but they’re not sure how, so they hand off the responsibility to church leaders. We need to find ways to give parents the tools they need to partner with us in discipleship.

Intentional engagement with wider culture with a redemptive focus.

Perhaps the greatest gift that we, as churches, can give to young people is the capacity to think critically and theologically about the world around them. Our approach must be twofold: first laying a theological foundation, and second, engaging with broader culture with a redemptive focus.

Corporate worship that is both engaging and intergenerational.

In our context, one of the most celebrated times is corporate worship, and young people love being involved. We have young people leading worship, reading scripture and running our technology. Our young people love having leadership in worship, and the Covenant community has been blessed by their leadership. When worship leading and planning is intergenerational, young people are drawn in and engaged.

As a pastor, I pray for the young people in the church today, but I also pray for the church. I pray God may lead and guide us forward as we seek to be faithful to his calling for us. I pray the church may foster intergenerational relationships, partner with parents, engage the world well and worship in inclusive and meaningful ways.

When the church engages young people meaningfully, church ministry thrives. We are on a journey of learning how to engage young people effectively, let us learn together.

Kevin is part of the Niagara, ON Host Team as well as the Pastor Of Community at Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, ON.

[This is an excerpt from the Fall 2017 Magazine. To read more stories CLICK HERE]

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The Name Of Love

Elizabeth Bosscher — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 19:31:24 +0000

The post The Name Of Love appeared first on ThereforeGo Ministries.

By Gil Clelland

Love has a name.

We were out on an educational walk in our city’s core learning about poverty. Six SERVE students and I were engaged in a good conversation, trying to understand how people can end up on the streets and what we can do to respond. And then we saw him.

He sat there alone. People walked by. Perhaps they did not notice him. Perhaps they did not want to notice him. Grey, weathered clothing blended into the grey, weathered sidewalk. An empty hat opened expectantly to offerings from passers-by. A cardboard sign – “Any help will do.”

I knelt down to speak to him. The youth gathered with me. He looked at us all, and his hauntingly empty eyes met mine. “New to the city?” I asked.

“Just passin’ through…off to Toronto…soon, I hope”

“My name is Gil. Good to meet you,” I said, and I offered my hand.

“Yeah…” No hand returned.

I withdrew my hand and sat down. The youth knelt in close. We talked for a bit. Small talk was tough. I tried. Dave, a 14-year-old youth from a small farming community tried to share a bit. This man did not respond much. Sometimes, trust is hard to build for someone who has seen so much. After a few minutes, we got up to leave. We excused ourselves and turned away.

“I’m Ken…” I turned back. His hand was out. I shook his hand, caught his eyes and a moment of connection occurred. Ken felt safe enough with us to share his name. He looked at each one of the young people. In order, he shook their hands. “Thanks for stopping to say hello.”

We walked on for some time after that in silence. We each knew that we had just experienced something sacred. Then I reflected about the homeless memorial in Toronto. Thousands of people are listed there. People who have died on the streets. By far, the most common name among those dead is John Doe. John Doe is the name the city gives to people when they don’t know their real name. In other words, many of those people named and listed as John Doe died alone. They didn’t even have their name. And that is the biggest problem with homelessness. People are home-less. They do not have all the things we think of when we think of home. Sometimes, not even their name.

Jesus commanded us to love our neighbours as ourselves. The question I ask is, “How can we love our neighbours if we don’t know their name?” It is only when we get to know people by their name, by their story, seeing them as truly human, that we can begin to love them.

At SERVE, we try to break those barriers. We try to get to know others by their name. At SERVE, we get to hear their stories. We share our stories. We sit for a while. It may be tough. Small talk may seem wooden and uninspired for a while, but we learn to keep trying.

Love begins with “hello.”

Gil is the speaker at London, ON SERVE as well as the pastor of Sanctuary London.

This is an excerpt from the Fall 2017 Magazine. To read more stories CLICK HERE.

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SERVE Shoes

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 15:42:47 +0000

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by Kyle De Boer, Gallatin Valley SERVE Host Team Coordinator

“The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same” (Luke 3:11).

For a high school student from the Gallatin Valley, a Tuesday at Grandma’s house turned into a life altering encounter with a servant of Christ.

Johnathon had just finished his sophomore year of high school. Since his brother and mom were working, he had to keep an eye on his little sister who broke her arm a few days earlier, so they ventured down the road to Grandma’s house.

As they arrived mid-morning, a group of students and adults with Gallatin Valley SERVE were hard at work, repainting and repairing Grandma’s house. Johnathon and his sister began to get to know this group of strangers from across the United States. Lunch time came quickly, so Johnathon brought his outside to join this group from SERVE.

Tyler, a senior from South Dakota, connected with Johnathon as they ate their sandwiches under the hot noonday sun. Tyler was curious about life in rural Montana. Johnathon had questions about SERVE. The conversations continued as they picked up the paint brushes for an afternoon of work. The singlewide home began to take on a new look after a coat of paint and repairs to the fascia.

Before departing, Tyler asked Johnathon, “Do you want to join us on a hike tomorrow for our day away?”

Johnathon was hesitant, unsure of how to respond. During the pause, Tyler noticed the ripped and tattered Converse shoes that Johnathon wore.

“Do you have any other shoes than those?”

“No, this is my only pair.”

Tyler walked over to the 12 passenger van, pulled out a pair of gray and black Nikes and handed them to Johnathon. “Try these on.” Surprisingly, they fit perfectly!

“You can have them,” Tyler said, “These are my extra pair and I have sandals along.”

The message of the gospel was communicated clearly to Johnathon when Tyler gave him a pair of shoes.

Nearly one year later, those gray and black Nikes have just been replaced, but that act of gospel generosity is clearly etched in Johnathon’s mind and informs how he lives today!

This is an excerpt from the Fall 2017 magazine. To read more stories click here: https://www.thereforego.com/magazine/

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Does SERVEant have a first name?

Elizabeth Bosscher — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 15:00:50 +0000

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When we brought the SERVEant back we talked a lot in the office about if we should give it a name or not. We thought that some people might ask so we should come up with a plan. We decided that we would take all of our 2017 student registrations and find the most common name of the year and that is what we would pick for our ant.

However, before we tell you what that name is we have something else to say. The spirit of the SERVEant is that there cannot be just one. Ants live in community and so do we. That being said we are only naming our office SERVEant. What you call yours is totally up to you. Below you will see a link to a printable SERVEant. We would love to see how you are serving at home throughout the year! Go ahead and print one off, give it a name of your own, and share pictures on social media with #SERVEant. Let’s see our ant community at work!

Are you ready for the big reveal?

Now that SERVE 2018 is on the horizon we cannot wait to see what Emily will accomplish next. Download and name your own SERVEant HERE!

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SERVE 2018 Theme | Love God, Love The World

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 18:00:07 +0000

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This summer at SERVE 2018, the Theme for our youth group mission trips will be Love God, Love The World. Below are our Key Passage and Key Thought behind this curriculum.

>> Key Passage:

Luke 4:18-19

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

>> Key Thought:

Jesus begins his ministry in Luke’s Gospel by going to the synagogue where he reads from the book of Isaiah. When he finishes, he calmly sits down, and tells those sitting there, “All of this is being fulfilled right in front of your very eyes.” For Luke, this passage from Isaiah is a snapshot of God’s mission to the world. In Jesus Christ, God has come to save us from our sin, to restore our relationship with him, but the good news is more than that.

The gospel is good news for those who suffer, it is good news for those living in poverty and racism, it is good news for people struggling with slavery and bondage in every form. In that synagogue, some 2,000 years ago, Jesus tells us that he has come to reveal God’s love for a world that desperately needs to be reminded of who we are and who we were created to be.

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells many parables that imaginatively tell us what it looks like when God is in charge. These are stories that show us what God is like, how much God loves us and how much God cares about our lives in this world. They also show us that Jesus asks all of us to become his disciples so we can participate in this mission by showing others a small sign of God’s love.

In each of the parables, we will read this week, we see how loving God always leads to loving our neighbor. Within the parable of the good Samaritan, we’ll see how loving God means “coming near” to those in need. In the parable of the prodigal son, we’ll encounter God’s reckless love that runs out to meet his children. We’ll hear about what it means to “eat” with sinners and tax collectors and how it is in loving our neighbor that Jesus most often appears. After all, this is what this week is all about—participating in God’s mission to the world by loving our neighbor. This week, we invite you to follow Jesus by coming near to those who need to hear the good news of God’s love and grace. Our hope is that Jesus will appear to you in ways you never expected!

See all the sites available in 2018 HERE.

This year’s theme was written by Jason Lief. Jason is a Theology Professor at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.

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Hurricane Relief: St. Thomas SERVE!

Elizabeth Bosscher — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 06:00:31 +0000

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As I’ve heard it said many times, God’s timing is always perfect. I found this true once again through an email from Nicole Jackson, the Youth and Retreat Center Coordinator at St. Thomas Reformed Church (STRC) in the US Virgin Islands. Their church has just completed building a retreat center and they are excited to begin hosting groups. Having received SERVE postcards in the past, she sent an email earlier this summer to explore the possibility of hosting a SERVE in St. Thomas,

Through several emails, Skype conversations, and prayer, we feel God has brought us together to partner through SERVE in 2018. Little did we know at the time of our initial conversations that two hurricanes would hit St. Thomas with such devastation. Below is a note from STRC following the hurricanes on September 25:

“St. Thomas Reformed Church has been coordinating on the ground relief efforts. Our church undercroft that had just been renovated flooded not once, but twice. Yet miraculously, all roofs remained intact and our sanctuary, offices and new retreat center remained usable and dry (relatively!). Our sanctuary is being used as a staging ground, storage area and distribution site for essential supplies that are extremely scarce on the island right now. We have partnered with the Salvation Army and My Brother’s Workshop (MBW) in a free feeding program. Originally, the goal of MBW was to serve at least 500 meals a day. One day last week, MBW staff and volunteers served 957! (You can check out more info about MBW by visiting their website at http://www.mybrothersworkshop.org/ or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MyBrothersWorkshop

On the Sunday immediately following Hurricane Irma, our church gathered to worship – no power, no sound system, no printed bulletin, but many, many grateful hearts and hands ready to serve. Still with limited gas, impassable roads, horrible traffic, limited cell service and an island-wide curfew it took days to locate and check on all of the church’s families. Miraculously the church has regained power but for most of the island’s residents, it will be 9-12 months before they have electricity and running water. Supermarkets can only be open during certain hours resulting in outrageous lines. Coupled with the tremendous blow to our tourism-based economy, many on the island literally cannot access supplies and resources needed to survive including water, food, infant needs and basic hygiene items.”

Even with all the devastation from two hurricanes, STRC is committed and excited to host SERVE this coming June. An experienced SERVE host church will be sending their youth group in June to assist STRC in hosting their first SERVE experience, hopefully setting them up well to host many more groups in the future! As I observe and listen to all that STRC is doing under such adverse conditions, I’m confident they will have much to teach and share with Youth Unlimited and those who head down to the island for SERVE, just as each of our other SERVE sites do!

If your youth group is looking for a way to care for and support the work of a local church ministering in the wake of the hurricanes, you can learn more and partner with STRC as seen below:

Ways to Donate (any monetary donations to St. Thomas Reformed Church are tax deductible):

Through STRC’s website (this will take you to a PayPal link. Add in Memo: Hurricane Relief) http://www.stthomasreformedchurch.org/giving-relief-efforts/online-giving/?view=mobile
Mail a check payable to St. Thomas Reformed Church – PO Box 301769, St. Thomas VI 00803. Please add in Memo: Hurricane Relief.

Also, STRC is humbled by the outpouring of support and offer of volunteer crews. If you have a desire to come to St. Thomas and work on this effort, please contact Nicole at youth@stthomasreformedchurch.org.

I know many of you may not be on Facebook, but I encourage you to visit their page periodically (it is a public page, so you don’t even need a Facebook account to view it). On the page, you can follow their transformational journey, fully replete with highs and lows and just as many miracles. Here is the link for that: https://www.facebook.com/stthomasreformedchurch/

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SERVE | The Highlight Of Every Summer

Elizabeth Bosscher — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:37:40 +0000

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by: Jenifer Buikema

For me, SERVE was the highlight of every summer. In my life I have been on four Youth Unlimited SERVE trips; Sioux Falls, Port Perry, Brighton, and Gallatin Valley. I have also helped host two trips at my home church in Holland, Michigan. I love to travel, so hopping in the 15-passenger van with my youth group and driving to Canada or across the country was always a great start to the week! Then, when you arrive, the host team is always super excited to welcome you and invite you into their community. Being welcomed that warmly really sets you up to have a great week.

The work days, day-away, worship, and small group times are completely transformative, and they go by way too quickly. Before you know it you are on your way back home. However, you never leave a SERVE trip empty handed. The incredible changes that my faith went through on every trip left me energized and my soul on fire for the Lord.

After a SERVE trip, all you want to do is continue serving your community back home. That joy of serving has had a huge impact on my life. Having just graduated from high school, I had to make some pretty big choices about college, the work force, and future plans in general. When considering colleges I tried to find a school that would foster my passion for ministry and mission work. That is what lead me to the Bridge Street House of Prayer.

The Next Season

This fall instead of attending a college or a university I will be living on the West Side of Grand Rapids. Through the Bridge Street House of Prayer, I will serve that community in any way I can. In the winter the other students and I will travel abroad for two months and step into a life of global missions. Being a missionary has been on my heart since a young age, and my experience with SERVE over the last four years has grown that passion into a reality. I am so thankful for all the small group leaders, worksite coordinators, kitchen staff, worship teams, pastors, and other SERVE participants that have worked together for my spiritual success. In the end, Jesus’s guidance and the encouragement of others were always what set my SERVE experiences apart as high points in my life.

To learn more about Bridge Street House of Prayer click here.

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The Year I Went To All The Canadian SERVE Sites

Ron deVries — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 15:06:49 +0000

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By: Ron deVries

The summer of 2017 will forever be etched in my hard drive (and human brain) as the year I thought it would be a cool idea to visit every Canadian SERVE site.

I knew it would be a lot of traveling and although some things prevented me (I am reminded of the two and half hour delay waiting somewhere in the seemingly far reaches of highway between 427 and 403) from spending more time with each of these incredible sites.

Here are a few highlights for me.

Watching our host teams in action made me swell up with Christian pride. I witnessed Kingdom people doing Kingdom work and truly reflecting Authentic Community.
Visiting various work sites and being inspired by the “Hands and Feet” of so many who GAVE UP a week of their summer to GIVE OF their hearts to God’s children. Amazing!
Worship leaders and speakers who ran with this year’s theme using a variety of voices and then collectively, shared a message of hope in all areas of this great land.
Finally, hearing stories of God’s sovereign nature and love for this world through students who will forever be changed by these faith forming experiences.

Thank you to all the host teams for a job well done.

God is good.

About Ron:

Ron is the Canadian SERVE Director. He lives in Alberta with his wife and enjoys sailing, motorcycling, hockey, and talking about youth ministry. To learn more about the Youth Unlimited staff click here.

About SERVE:

SERVE youth mission experiences are all-inclusive, five to seven-day trips for middle or high school age students. More than just a short trip, SERVE is a faith-forming experience where the communities, congregations, and students involved all experience lasting transformation. If you are interested in learning more about SERVE and signing up for SERVE 2018 click here.

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Stepping Up

ThereforeGo Ministries — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 17:28:01 +0000

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by Don Koops, Youth Unlimited Board Member

During my years of youth ministry, I helped take groups on 12 SERVE trips to the states of Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia, as well as three trips to Ontario, Canada. I’ve also coordinated seven weeks of SERVE at my own church.

The church I attend is a relatively small fellowship, so when we have hosted SERVE we have enlisted the services and assistance of churches in a broad range of denominations within a 25-mile radius. This has brought us all closer together for a united purpose and opened our eyes more fully to ministry opportunities around us.

My time spent on SERVE has enriched my life so much, as I have met a lot of great committed people, who have a passion for teenagers. In those times, I have seen the transformations of many students in one short week that have been life changing and I’ve grown in my own faith walk as well.

I have also had the privilege of experiencing so many varied cultures through SERVE. Even though I come from a rural background, I’ve noticed more similarities than differences in life experiences and people. It has been a real blessing for our youth group and myself to assist others in need through the different worksites we have encountered.

Over the years there are several SERVE experiences that stand out in my mind. My first SERVE experience was in Battle Creek, Michigan where my group, along with another work group, led by a Canadian leader, dismantled a large roof and rebuilt it for an elderly gentleman.

When we started to take off the roof in the reconstruction phase, we noticed that there were Rubbermaid pans everywhere to catch the rain water that still managed to filter into the home, which was badly in need of repair. It was more of a challenge than anyone of us had ever imagined taking on, as we needed to rebuild rafters, re-sheet the roof and shingle it all in the space of a week. The high humidity and temperatures of the season made it an even larger undertaking. Obviously, it was a bigger job than we could accomplish by ourselves, so prayer for God’s leading and wisdom was enlisted many times throughout the week.

As I have been made aware of time and again, the themes for the week of SERVE fit the circumstances, and God places just the right people in his timing and place within the group. So many times at SERVE I have encountered projects that appeared overwhelming, and each time our God has shown up to accomplish his plans and purposes.

The theme for our week in Battle Creek, was “Stepping Up”, and it definitely called for that mindset. Most importantly, we were able to complete the project just as late Friday afternoon arrived, which was no small miracle in itself.

This and many other moments from my SERVE experiences will forever be etched in my mind as reminders of what SERVE is all about! God’s plans and purpose always prevail.

As the newest member of the Youth Unlimited Board, I’m now looking forward to the opportunity to serve in the broader scope of the organization.

This is an excerpt from the Youth Unlimited Summer Magazine. To view the whole magazine, click here.

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Spread Shalom

ThereforeGo Ministries — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 17:13:15 +0000

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by Annika Bangma, Whitinsville SERVE Host Team Coordinator

In June of 2014, our town of Northbridge (of which Whitinsville is a village) had just voted down a hefty tax override that would give the local public school additional resources. Although there are many reasons why the override failed, a writer in the opinion column of our local newspaper argued, “The major obstacle we continually face is that an “organized” subgroup of voters does not feel the civic need to invest in things that enhance our public school system and town services. This subgroup of voters isn’t the only obstacle, but certainly the major one…. We understand that this subgroup has their own private school in town and does not rely on the public school system to educate their children. But we also know that it is our moral obligation to care for the concerns of others in a community.”

He goes on to suggest, “They also own many great businesses that we enjoy spending our hard earned dollars at. Let’s work diligently to bring this relationship to a win-win for everyone, so those of us who want the town to invest in our children and the public school system don’t have to become an “organized” subgroup of buyers and take our business elsewhere.”

Although many believe that the writer was looking for a scapegoat during a frustrating time in our town, it was not difficult to read between the lines of his insinuation. There is one private school in our town: the Whitinsville Christian School, founded by Pleasant Street Christian Reformed Church. Our church.

Essentially, our church was being accused of not caring for the concerns of others in the community, of not investing in things that enhance our public schools and town services and, in general, neglecting our civic duty. There was a clear misconception in our town about our church and our care for our community and town. We had an image problem on our hands.

Fast-forward to January of 2016. During our very first Host Team meeting, our leaders spent time talking and praying about what we hoped God would do through SERVE. Looking through the list of possible outcomes supplied by Youth Unlimited, we took particular notice of using SERVE to grow “personal relationships in the local community with gospel centeredness” and “Organizational/government relationships [thereby] expanding the congregation’s reach into the community.” Consequently, we made a very intentional decision to partner with as many town services and organizations as possible throughout our week of SERVE.

Our worksites would include the Police Department, the Fire Department, painting fire hydrants for the Northbridge Department of Public Works and the Northbridge Senior Center. We made the decision to use the showers at the Northbridge Public Middle School, instead of using the facilities at Whitinsville Christian, and worked to expand our relationship with the Superintendent of Northbridge Public Schools. In addition, we worked with the Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc/National Park Service to tackle one of the biggest jobs they have ever had volunteers take on.

After our week of SERVE was over, the front page of the local paper headlined: “Teens ‘SERVE’ a Week in the Blackstone Valley” – complete with a color photo, and two-part article about the “scores of students” that had been at work in town during SERVE, while being hosted by Pleasant Street. The town manager was quoted as saying “I can’t say enough about these kids. It’s been a real positive experience. All the department heads were positive about it. Oftentimes you hear the negatives; this puts hope back in what youth can do.” In addition, at least four other newspapers ran the photo of the signing of a three-foot-wide check, made out to the National Park Service’s Volunteers in the Parks Program as a symbol of the 3,168 hours of service that the Blackstone Valley received on behalf of SERVE, which the NPS considered to be worth a dollar value of $73,085.76.

Just as our Host Team was starting to regroup to start meeting regularly again to plan 2017, we received a phone call inviting us to an awards night in December, hosted by the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Inc/ NPS. At the awards, we were blown away to be designated the “Outstanding Special VIP [Volunteers in the Parks] Project Award” for 2016.

On the award certificate, Suzanne Buchanan, NPS Volunteer Coordinator, had scribed “They came to visit, not to stay, but their impact is felt here every day.” Those words, which were written to acknowledge the drastic results that the visiting students had achieved on the worksites, are more true than Suzanne Buchanan will ever fully understand.

The impact of SERVE is not just felt through the physical work the students and leaders accomplished on the various worksites. It is felt every day in the way our church is understood in our community. It has enabled us to continue to grow relationships with town department heads, the Police Chief and the public school system. It has helped us to learn, communicate effectively our motives and efforts, further recognize gaps in the way our town is run and help fill them. It has helped set a trajectory of spreading shalom within our local community, and gaining momentum in other year-round efforts that our church seeks to follow Christ into. It has been the definition of a “win,” and we feel we cannot thank the visiting churches, leaders and students enough for helping us transform our community, and the role we, Pleasant Street Christian Reformed Church, have in it.

And this was only the first year.

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Park Rangers

ThereforeGo Ministries — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 17:06:16 +0000

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The following is an excerpt from our Youth Unlimited Summer Magazine. To view the whole magazine, click here.

The opportunity to have been part of the “Park Rangers” group at my church has drastically changed the way I look at and interact with my church today.

Planning to host a SERVE trip with a congregation of our size didn’t seem possible, but I was amazed to see the abundance of support from the members of our church and community. People were signing up to lead games, cook meals, help out with job sites and be a part of the main Host Team. The Park Rangers group, in particular, became a very tight knit group as we spent the whole week on site together. We ate together, worked together, organized together and if we were ever seen without the others it was very rare!

Being at our church for a week straight was odd at first, but that mentality quickly changed as we made new relationships within our church community. As a group, we got to know many of our staff members better. For example, our cook on site, Donna, became like a member of our family after the week was over. People we never used to talk to at church were quickly becoming people we wanted to be around all the time.

Hosting SERVE was a huge undertaking, but the reward was well worth the effort put in. For the Park Rangers, our group walked away from a week of SERVE with a feeling of genuine community, and many new relationships formed within our own church walls.

-Park CRC Student

______________

As a volunteer youth leader and a member of our SERVE Host Team, it has been such a blessing to work with our Park Rangers and watch them develop into team members and grow as church volunteers. The experience has been incredibly positive in that the students were able to use their talents and energy for God. Relationships between the “Park Rangers” grew and friendships that were not there before blossomed.

As the week progressed and everyone became tired, I was able to see them dig their heels in even deeper to make sure the experience for those at our site was not just good, but great. Members from our church who volunteered throughout the week were able to see our Park Rangers in action, setting things up, tearing things down, playing games, cleaning bathrooms, hauling food, carting supplies, motivating students at worksites and enjoying serving others.

This has allowed many other relationships within our church to grow. I often see our youth talking with some of the people that volunteered in the kitchen or at the worksites. A sense of community has grown that spans all ages. I believe it is so very important that the youth feel valued as church members and I think Park Rangers helps them to be just that. By using their gifts to glorify God, they are a valued member of the Body of Christ.

-Park CRC Volunteer Youth Leader

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Seeing Jesus In the Brokenness

ThereforeGo Ministries — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 16:58:13 +0000

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by Laura, High River SERVE Participant, 2014

In the summer of 2014, a group of students from my church, Maranatha Christian Reformed Church in Edmonton, Alberta, embarked on a SERVE mission trip to High River, Alberta. High River had been hit with a disastrous ﬂood one summer earlier, and as a result, the entire city had to be evacuated for 10 days. Our mission on the SERVE trip was to assist the town in cleaning up any damage that had come from the ﬂooding… and there was a lot of it!

We painted battered fences, rebuilt decks and houses, landscaped, built gardens, etc., but we did so much more than just the physical labour. We also listened. We listened to numerous accounts of disaster and strife, and we listened as locals cried when they recounted the emotional aspect of the ﬂood.

One of the most amazing parts of the trip though, was when we were honoured with the opportunity to listen to the miraculous things that Jesus had done during the ﬂood. Amidst houses being torn to pieces, and lives being turned upside down, it was beautiful to see that people were so aware of what God was showing them and what he was accomplishing in the storm.

A particular story that stuck out to me was told by the pastor of a local church. The church had been hit just as hard as every other building, so when Pastor Paul was allowed back into it, he expected to see everything in the basement in disarray. As predicted, everything in the room had been knocked down, forced into different places or broken, but the table that was holding the Bible was solidly standing where it belonged.

For me, this was an incredible and direct message from God. When you feel knocked down, like you’re in the wrong place, or when things in life seem broken, God is never failing. He doesn’t leave us when our lives overﬂow with sin or when we keep falling down. When I heard the story, and was reminded of this aspect of God, it made me feel so secure in my relationship with him, like I was seeing Jesus in a very direct way.

I look forward to hearing, experiencing and sharing many more miracles as I daily strive to live for Christ, and I’m so thankful that one of the places I could do that was on my SERVE trip to High River.

This is an excerpt from the Youth Unlimited Summer Magazine. To view the whole magazine, click here.

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Meeting Jesus

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 13:25:25 +0000

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The following is a testimony of a youth leader who experienced SERVE in Toronto last summer.

This was the first SERVE experience this group of youth group kids ever had and it was such an amazing experience! We brought a bunch of country kids to the big city, and while none of them are planning on moving any time soon, they embraced the experience and learned so much from it!

I loved the many ways that we learned about homelessness and that homelessness is not just a result of laziness.

The best part was our nightly worship. I’ve been on a handful of trips like this, and the worship can be pretty awkward, which it was the first couple of nights, but then it just all clicked and I truly believe we met with Jesus every night during those times of worship.

Just recently one of my youth group girls was talking about the letter she wrote herself and how it made her cry when she received it in the mail. I asked her what she had written to herself. She said that she’s always believed she was a Christian, but Toronto SERVE was the first time she encountered Jesus.

Thank you to Toronto SERVE for providing opportunities and experiences for us all to met with Jesus that week!

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Forever Changed

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 22 May 2017 13:19:15 +0000

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The following is a testimony of a student who experienced SERVE in Gallatin Valley, Montana in 2016, which forever changed her life.

Gallatin Valley SERVE 2016 showed me what it’s like to be a true Christian. Through my experience at SERVE, I was able to deepen my relationship with Christ by giving Him complete control of my life during the message that took place at the day at the lake.

My life is now forever changed. Christ is taking me places I could never go on my own. SERVE helped me realize God’s calling for my life. I am now planning on attending a Christian college in pursuit of a degree in youth ministry. I am also going on a six week mission trip to Southeast Asia this summer.

Thank you so much for forever changing my life! God bless!

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Coffee and Life

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 12 May 2017 17:27:22 +0000

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It’s the Month of May, Sip, Sip, Hooray!
Have you ordered your SERVE 2017 Authentic Community blend coffee yet? Share some community with others when you SERVE this specialty blend from our friends at Good Neighbour Coffee. A portion of all proceeds will give students the opportunity to experience Authentic Community at a SERVE mission trip in a way that will change their lives forever, encouraging them to impact this world for Christ. C lick here to order your 1 lb bag today!

Read below to learn more about Good Neighbour Coffee and the amazing things they have been doing there!

We had no idea that the farmers who, today, grow the coffee beans that we now roast were the very people who were our Honduran friends 9 years ago.

In 2008, my wife and our four children lived in Catacamas, Honduras for four months. Having served as a youth pastor for 20 years in North America, I was granted a sabbatical. We decided to live in a Spanish speaking country for no other reason than to live and learn! I have led more than my share of mission trips and spoke on several SERVE trips, but now I wanted to simply go with my family and nestle deep within another culture.

When we returned from the sabbatical, roasting coffee was something we did as an experiment with neighbours and friends. Eventually, our family began sinking money into some better roasting equipment at about the same time my friends in Honduras began exporting coffee beans with the help of a group who we met while in Honduras called, “The Carpenteros and Friends.”

Meanwhile, my pastoral role in the church included some heavy experimentation in a mission that helped people love their neighbours called Neighbourhood Life. Three years later, I resigned from the institutional setting to begin a full time missionary position which seeks to transform lives and communities in Christ, focusing on our immediate neighbourhoods. This approach takes seriously a theology of place in which we are called to “bloom where we are planted”. At the heart of this model is the call to love our neighbours, with the certainty that God desires to draw our neighbours to himself and longs to see their lives transformed and the assurance that Christ “dwells among us.” I am now in my fourth year.

As the mission increased, so did the coffee roasting. People began asking where they could buy bags of Good Neighbour Coffee, and the number of visitors who stopped by the roasting shop also began to increase. Since I was well acquainted with fundraising for SERVE and various other parts of youth ministry, I approached the increasing sales as the ongoing fundraiser for Neighbourhood Life.

In fact, I also began harvesting stories from the authentic community developed in the various neighbourhoods in which I worked. Those stories were powerful and found their way onto the backs of the coffee bags. This was starting to get interesting. The direct trade coffee not only impacted the farmers in Honduras (currently we impact 55 farmers), and various families who work alongside them (around 250 families), but it impacted neighbourhoods where we live! Crazy, eh?

Well, with the benefit of our direct trade relationship, three of our friends/farmers flew from Honduras to Alberta and ended up at our Good Neighbour roasting shop’s open house this past October. They toured the small roasting facility that also stores the organic beans they so carefully harvested. They were the featured guests, who, through a translator, spoke over a half hour on the blessings the partnership had on their communities. As if that wasn’t enough, some of the other guests (neighbours and store owners) began to ask questions. The owners of a large grocery outlet heard enough and walked away while telling me to bring a case of all the products I roast, so he could sell this to our community.

Today, we have recognized the support of Rio Olancho coffee in Honduras and our Neighbourhood Life mission as the catalyst for creating authentic community. Call it a win, win, win situation! Not only have we increased our purchase of beans, but we are about to open our first, “Good Neighbour CoffeeHouse.”

To learn more about Good Neighbour Coffee, visit goodneighbourcoffee.ca or rickabma.com.

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Satisfaction in Giving

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 08 May 2017 13:16:14 +0000

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Several years ago at Alamosa SERVE in Colorado, my work group was given the assignment of building a wheel chair ramp for a retired Air Force Veteran on limited resources who was caring for a disabled friend in his home. The project involved taking out steps and part of a front porch, and figuring out a way to adapt the ramp into the existing structure. On my first SERVE, back in 2001 in Michigan, I was assigned the same task, and I recalled the time it took and how overwhelming that assignment seemed.

Through lots of prayer and some outside assistance it was completed back then. This time, thanks to the learning experience and others like it on prior SERVE’s, plus being blessed with some very talented youth in my group, we were able to finish the basic structure in just one day. The rest of the week was spent putting on the finishing touches, applying a fresh coat of paint where needed, and constructing a staircase on the back side of the home.

In our experience, we saw that although Fred, the retired vet, didn’t have much in terms of possessions, he was willing to open up his home to help a friend in need. When we were given $200 to look for someone that week who we could bless the money with, our group chose to give it to Fred, because he had shown the sacrificial love for someone else just as our Lord did while on this earth.

Even though we didn’t meet that friend, since he was receiving treatment in Denver hundreds of miles away, we were able to experience his joy through the smiles of pride and tears of joy that flowed from Fred’s face when the project was completed. I will never forget the sense of satisfaction we all felt in giving back our time and talents for someone who had also served his country. I don’t remember much about the first wheel chair ramp installed in Michigan, but I know even though it’s been years since then, I had the same feeling and blessing, which is what SERVE is all about.

-Don Koops, Youth Unlimited Board Member

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Don’t be Afraid of the Big Ideas

Elizabeth Bosscher — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 18:23:18 +0000

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Do you ever feel too small for your big ideas? God loves to use people who don’t seem important enough to do his most important work. Consider these examples from the Bible:

Elijah- He spent some serious time in prayer and it changed the weather for THREE YEARS! You know the weather, that thing everyone acknowledges is totally out of our control… Elijah affected it through the power of prayer and he was just a guy like us.

“¹⁷Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” James 5:17-18

Moses- This guy got asked to do big things by God and had some serious doubts about his own ability.

“¹⁰But Moses said to the Lord, ‘Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.’”- Exodus 4:10.

But when he put his faith and trust in the Lord’s power working through him, he was able to lead the Israelites out of Egypt through the Red Sea which he separated to make a dry path. Wow, that is a big dream that God used “un-eloquent” Moses for.

Gideon- Gideon was from a small clan that was being ruled and terrorized by a bigger clan, the Midianites. He was scared and felt hopeless when an angel appeared to him and told him that if he went and stood up against the enemy the Lord would make sure he won! Crazy.

“¹⁵And he said to him, ‘Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.’ ¹⁶And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.’” Judges 6:11-16

SERVE is a big dream sometimes. I mean, we are talking about taking close to 2,000 students and youth leaders and having them travel away from their home, sometimes even to a different country, and housing them in churches and schools so they can put in hard work all week on service projects that are often far from glamorous. What could go wrong? Well, a lot. A lot can go wrong and there have been plenty of problems throughout the years; but with God’s help and his power working through us, SERVE can be more impactful and life changing than we could ever imagine.

So, are you ready to dream big with us?

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The Expanse of SERVE

Ron deVries — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 19:27:54 +0000

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It is amazing how a word conjures up images and memories for us. SERVE seems to do that. For churches who know this ministry, when they hear the name SERVE, they bring up stories of God showing up in the places and challenging the participants to be stretched for the Kingdom in powerful ways. Many students carry these faith forming experiences with them for a life time, often as a highlight moment.

I hear stories like this often – students who are now young adults, parents who came along as leaders, pastors who shared in an experience with their younger members, all carry with them these nuggets of Kingdom stories.

God uses SERVE experiences to reach beyond the sending church and the hosting community. It touches the broader community through fundraisers, through shared experiences, through the essence of bearing one another’s load. These are powerful life building moments and we at Youth Unlimited are privileged to walk alongside these communities, sharing with you in those moments of what and where God is working in this world.

This really does feel like Authentic Community.

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Mission Trip Self-Care

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 19:50:58 +0000

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I have a confession; I am terrible at self-care. I have a suspicion that I’m not the only one. Too often female youth leaders are the worst offenders when it comes to neglecting rest. We care for our families and then turn around and care for the leaders and students in our churches and communities. There is always so much to do and too few hours in the day. And yet, God in his wisdom, requires us to rest, to Sabbath every week.

It’s often during our busiest times that we need to rest the most. And while every week is busy, the busiest week of the year, in my experience, is always the week of the Youth Group summer mission trip!

So, how does a person sneak in a little self-care during a week that demands so much and allows for zero alone time? I discovered a little trick, by accident at first, but it has now become a self-care mission trip habit!

Before leaving on the mission trip I make a quick visit to a store that sells my favorite soaps (LUSH), shampoos, conditioners and lotions (AVEDA). You know, the stuff you normally don’t buy because it requires a little more time and money. I only purchase the small travel size bars and bottles and immediately pack them into a suitcase. Since the only 5 minutes of alone time any adult gets on a mission trip are the 5 minutes spent in the shower, I turn those precious few minutes into a spa visit!

Come mid-afternoon, when it’s finally time to hit the showers, I eagerly pull out the special occasion spa products, take five minutes and deeply breathe in the natural aromas of calming lavender, invigorating mint and cleansing citrus! It’s just enough time to clear my mind and rejuvenate my soul… because usually the next task is dinner – and dinner with 75 teenagers is no joke!

Special shower products may seem like a trivial detail in the scope of the entire week, but I have found that this small act of self-care allows me to be more fully present during all the other minutes of each day. By filling up my own cup, I have something available to pour out and give to others.

Before you leave on your next youth group mission trip, think about ways that you can sneak a little self-care into the week and be intentional about making it happen. I am confident you will notice a difference, and so will everyone else!

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Marion SERVEant

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 19:22:30 +0000

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We’ve been talking a lot about ants around the Youth Unlimited offices. They are amazing creatures, but there is one specific ant story that I love to share.

It was a summer evening, and I was participating in a Youth Unlimited mission trip in Marion, Indiana. Everyone was at a local water park enjoying a little downtime when I noticed a colony of ants in crisis. A puddle of water formed in the exact spot where a line of ants was traveling. In the middle of this ant catastrophe, I noticed one little ant kept swimming out to the middle of the puddle. It would push an ant to the water’s edge and then go back into the middle to save another….and another.

As we at Youth Unlimited prepare for another summer of SERVE mission trips, we have been digging into our theme of “Authentic Community”. The Bible has a lot to say about community and how we ought to treat each other. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” During a SERVE trip we are often eager to “carry another’s burden”, but are we eager to dive into the puddles of life and help carry someone else’s burden when we’re not at SERVE?

The Youth Unlimited staff is already praying that God would prepare churches, communities and YOU to bring life and hope to those around you during SERVE. But don’t wait until this summer to be Jesus to your friends and neighbors –look for ways you can be a SERVEant all year long!

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What Kind Of “SERVE”-Ant are you?

Elizabeth Bosscher — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 14:04:28 +0000

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When you go on a SERVE trip, it’s pretty obvious that you have to work as a team in order to get anything done. One example in nature of God’s design for teamwork is that of ants. Ants have to work as a team to get anything done, and when the team works together, well, they all get to succeed! But in a team, not everyone can take on the same role, even ants have different jobs. What kind of “SERVE”-Ant are you?

Fire Ant- Fire Ants are passionate about their service. They are often so excited and determined that their passion can rub off on their team members. Fire ants are hard to miss and hard to ignore. If you are a fire ant, remember to use your passion to gently encourage those around you. We love your excitement and energy; every site needs a few Fire Ants.

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Carpenter Ant- Carpenter Ants are the really hard workers of the group. They may stay in the background but they know how to get work done. They love to work with their hands and aren’t afraid to get a little dirty. If you are a Carpenter Ant, keep up the good work and try to use your skills to help others work with excellence as well. We love your determination; those service projects would not get done as well without you.

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.

Queen Ant- Every ant nest has a queen. These ants are the leaders of the group. They keep everyone together and make sure everyone is ok. The Queen Ant may have a lot of power over the group but they also have the most responsibility. If you are a Queen Ant, strive to lead your group by example with humility and hard work. We love your leadership and caring attitude; the week would be a mess without you.

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

God has created us all with unique skills and abilities. How will you use your uniqueness this summer to help your team at SERVE?

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Life Together – A Book Review

Mandi Grasmeyer — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 16:03:00 +0000

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“The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.”

As a freshman in college, I was assigned the reading of Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Like most 18 year-olds, Bonhoeffer’s writing was far beyond the grasp of both my attention and my comprehension.

Years later, now, while working on the SERVE 2017 theme materials, I fell more and more in love with the very concept we’re trying to reiterate, Authentic Community. Seeking other resources that speak into Authentic Community, I naturally landed back at Bonhoeffer’s Life Together, The Classic Exploration of Christian Community. Older and hopefully wiser at this point in my life, I gobbled the book up like a good meal and started using quotes from it, asking questions about it and encouraging others to read it.

While Bonhoeffer faced trials that appear to be much different than those we face today (living during the Nazi regime and, ultimately, becoming a martyr) many of his thoughts, musings and observations collected in Life Together are still eminent today.

“In the community of the called you bear your cross, you struggle, you pray.”

The book ventures through four different aspects of Christian community; the day with others, the day alone, ministry and confession & communion. Each aspect is broken down into timeless pieces of advice that lead us back to our call to live in community and how we are to execute doing so. When reading, my constant thought was yes, this is what I want to be a part of. I want to be a part of a community who’s faith is so deeply rooted in Christ that it is all that matters.

“The more genuine and the deeper our community becomes, the more will everything else between us recede, the more clearly and purely will Jesus Christ and his work become the one and only thing that is vital between us.”

We so often get caught up in the media, soaking up every truth and falsity that comes our way without remembering our place in this world as Christians. Bonhoeffer’s book is a reminder that we’re a people who are called. We’re a part of a bigger story than what’s on the news, a part of the story of Christ on earth. Being a part of that story calls us to live, respond and interact in certain ways, and Bonhoeffer repeatedly points out that the Scriptures are very clear about what those ways are.

“We are the reverent listeners and participants in God’s action in the sacred story, the history of the Christ on earth.”

Because of its connectedness to the theme of SERVE 2017, the Youth Unlimited staff took the time to read through Life Together as well and to discuss together its many implications for SERVE and the experience students have during that week of their summer.

We’re so grateful to be able to give students the opportunity to experience Christian community at SERVE – the opportunity to begin each day in God’s Word, to worship together, to work for the Kingdom, to share meals together and to genuinely do Life Together. We’re grateful to be able to open the space for students to enter into koinonia, and we can’t wait to see the impact of SERVE 2017!

So would I recommend the book? I’d give the book 5 stars out of 5, so I would definitely recommend you read it, and then I’d say to be sure to follow along on our Facebook and Instagram pages this summer as our students study, grow in and learn Authentic Community. It’s going to be a special summer!

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I’ve Never Been on SERVE

Mandi Grasmeyer — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 20:10:08 +0000

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I’ve never been on SERVE, yet I work at ThereforeGo Ministries (formerly known as Youth Unlimited). Sometimes that seems weird, and sometimes it makes complete sense.

When I was in college, near the end of my freshman year, I had an intriguing epiphany. After a year with a “just okay” Resident Assistant, I knew I could be a Resident Assistant with greater intentionality, and maybe have a greater impact on my fellow students in that position than my RA had on us. In that moment, I realized when people choose to follow in someone’s footsteps, to pursue a passion that may not have always been their own, it’s usually either because the person who set out before them did a horrible job or they did such a great job that people just have to be a part of what they’re doing.

Though I became a Resident Assistant in light of a situation where I wanted to do a better job for people, I had the opposite situation when I became a high school coach.

In high school, I had a coach who invested in the girls on her team like we were important, worthy and precious. A true practitioner of exhortation, she pushed us, she encouraged us to be more than we were, she journeyed with us and she taught us valuable lessons we could one day take with us as our lives moved on. In hindsight, I saw the great impact my coach had on my life, and when given the opportunity to take over for her as a coach myself one day, I gratefully took the position with hopes that I could one day journey with even one high school girl the way she journeyed with me and my teammates.

So why do I work for Youth Unlimited when I’ve never experienced SERVE? I’m here because I’ve vicariously experienced SERVE in the stories I’ve heard. I’ve seen the impact. I’ve read the quotes. While my faith-forming experiences as a teen didn’t involve jumping in the youth group van and heading across the country to serve another community, I know from my vicarious experience at Youth Unlimited that God does amazing things at SERVE. I know that lives are forever changed for Christ at SERVE. And I know that I just have to be a part of what’s happening here.

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Why SERVE?

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 18:47:31 +0000

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I participated in SERVE as a worksite supervisor for the three years my church hosted SERVE, and I can tell you that there are many good reasons to participate in SERVE.

First, it’s an excellent opportunity to engage with the next generation, the youth who will be called upon to sustain the Christian faith in the years ahead and pass it on to the generation after them.

Second, Youth Unlimited is very effective at partnering with churches and sharing their much needed experience so churches new to SERVE are able to host SERVE well right out of the starting blocks.

Third, I had recently completed a spiritual formation course where I discovered I had missed the mark in living a missionally obedient life. SERVE gave me an opportunity to get started.

Forth, once I experienced SERVE the first year and witnessed the impact on the youth, the adult volunteers and myself alike, I was ready to continue the following years. SERVE builds camaraderie among the youth and volunteers. It provides a sense of accomplishment for the projects completed. It emphasizes building relationships with people in the community by sharing God’s love in ways that meet their needs in very practical ways. It gives everyone opportunities to serve in the ways God has gifted them, thereby creating a beautiful orchestration of God’s body at work in unity together.

And most of all, it deepens our spiritual relationship with the Lord. Finally, when community residents come to the community dinner on the last night of SERVE and share their testimonies about the impact SERVE had on them, it caps off a great week by bringing glory to God, which is what we ultimately seek to do.

-SERVE Host Team Member

Would your church be interested in hosting SERVE? Click here for more information. You might also visit our SERVE Locations page to view other locations.

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Concentrated Impact

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 15:54:14 +0000

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by Brian Bierenga

Take a minute and recall your last youth leaders’ meeting. Perhaps someone suggested, “We should really help our students develop a heart for serving others.” Your group agreed and assigned people to investigate service options, check calendars with kids and parents, gather supplies and arrange transportation. Once that was done, your leadership team worked hard to publicize and promote a one-day event, tout it at several youth meetings and recruit as many students as possible. After the event, your team agrees that several service days over the summer would be better, but that when it is so much work to schedule one, planning several will never be an option.

Or perhaps, at your last youth leaders’ meeting, someone said, “We really just need to build community within our group. We have some great worship, service and discipleship elements for our students, but they just aren’t gelling as a community.” So your group proceeds to brainstorm about creative ways to bring the group together, mix them up, break down barriers, have fun and build trust. And since this sort of thing takes time, your team agrees to program a youth group event every other week for the next month, which means all of you will have to work together to organize, promote and run each of these events. Lots of fun, but also lots of work.

Or let’s say that your group is thriving and your students love serving others and just being with each other. At your meeting, a fellow leader says, “I love the events we do, and things are going great, but wouldn’t it be cool to really go deeper? Wouldn’t it be powerful if we had a special Koinonia service, or even celebrated the Lord’s Supper as a group?”

Suddenly, your whole team is inspired as they envision that experience: your whole team except for your youth director. She says, “I love the vision for this, but honestly, we only meet for one hour. I’m not sure how we can move kids from opening games, silly-string fights and high-energy music into a place of vulnerability and quiet reflection with God and one another in such a short time. I’d love to see this work, but I’m just not sure our regular format lends itself to such a deep worship experience.”

So many great ideas, but so many logistical hurdles to work through. Certainly, there must be an easier way!

What if there was a way to cover several huge ministry goals at once?

Take a minute to reconsider the idea of a service-learning trip for your group. A successful mission trip for teens can accomplish several big goals in a short but intensive amount of time. With good planning and God’s blessing, a one-week service-learning trip can produce more life change and impact in a student than an entire year of Sunday night meetings.

Imagine your students being immersed in the discipline of service as they work alongside others for several days in a row. Imagine the conversations and community created from doing life together for a week – and yes, even from the 16-hour van ride. Imagine how God’s Spirit can move through several nights in a row of worship, teaching and small group discussion. Imagine how God could use a whole week to work in the heart of a far-from-God-student and change their life trajectory.

These are things that happen at SERVE, five to seven-day high school mission trips that sends middle or high school age students out to care for and restore their world in an environment where they’ll encounter the concepts of justice and missional living. More than just a short trip, SERVE is a faith-forming experience where the communities, congregations and students involved all experience lasting transformation.

If the idea of a service-learning trip hasn’t been suggested recently at a youth leaders meeting, maybe you want to bring it up at your next one.

For more information, visit our SERVE Site Locations page.

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SERVE – Sweeter By the Year

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 13:45:23 +0000

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You should know that each host team for SERVE works nearly year-round to prepare for the week-long SERVE experience. So when the students and their leaders begin to walk through the doors on those warm Saturday afternoons, there is no feeling quite like the joy we have to welcome them!

Prairie SERVE out here in Sioux City/Sergeant Bluff, Iowa just wrapped up its third year. Each SERVE experience is unique and memorable, to be sure, but as a host team member, I can honestly say Prairie SERVE gets sweeter by the year.

The temperatures were high this year, but the joy of the Lord as our strength was quite evidently that which sustained us. The 42 students that came to Prairie SERVE left their hand, foot and heart-prints all over our worksites, making eternal impacts on the lives of refugees, the down-and-out and the native people that inhabit our Midwest region.

As we learned by Jesus’ example of making change and being changed, chains were broken through worship, intercession, encounters with brokenness and forming new relationships. Our amazing students and leaders loved harder than ever before, and it was truly a taste of the Kingdom on earth in a way I can only imagine caused Heaven to break out into celebration.

Through leading a Vacation Bible School, painting neglected houses, encountering those who come from a completely different lifestyle than us and learning the vast and rich history of our region, all of the participants of Prairie SERVE left with a taste of the Kingdom on their lips and a song of praise to the Lord in their hearts.

Leading and facilitating areas of Prairie SERVE has been a transformational experience for me as I build relationships within the community and fall in love with God’s children in Sioux City, Iowa. I want to extend the invitation to you and your youth group to join us next July as we discover new surprises from the Lord in unexpected and broken places. We hope to see you there!

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SERVE and My Life Story

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 13:43:37 +0000

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The following is an article from our Spring 2016 magazine. To view the whole magazine, click here.

SERVE and My Life Story

by Thomas Kielstra

Discovering what my faith was as a teenager was not exactly easy. Feeling the various pushes from different Christian institutions to focus on different aspects of faith was challenging, but making my faith mine was very important to me.

In 2011 at the age of 14, I went to Muskegon SERVE in Muskegon, Michigan with a church that wasn’t mine. At the week of SERVE, I saw that the Reformed Church put a much larger emphasis on a personal relationship with God and personal relationships with others than I previously experienced. As a result, I began to analyse faith—specifically my faith—in a different way. I began investing in my own church’s youth group, and started to make connections within my church.

I went on to go to Woodstock SERVE in Woodstock, Ontario in 2012 and then back to Muskegon SERVE in 2013 with my own church in addition to four mission trips to Detroit, Michigan and one to Nicaragua with my high school.

In Grade 12, I wanted to do something more to help out with the SERVE. Having made a personal connection with Brian Kingshott, the youth director at Calvin Christian Reformed Church, which hosts Muskegon SERVE, I contacted him and asked if he would consider taking on an intern. I offered to help out with whatever needed to be done behind the scenes. He responded quickly saying that he would be interested, and he started connecting with Youth Unlimited to come up with a process to make this possible.

So in July of 2014, I went to Muskegon as an intern. I helped out with icebreaker games and activities and I was responsible for doing games before dinner and worship, but my favourite part about the internship was the personal connections I made with the participants and youth leaders. This is when I discovered how valuable friendship is to my personal faith journey. This is when my relationship with God truly became a friendship—not just something I believed.

I then went off to university, where I fell in love with my studies, and my faith took a back seat. By February, I still had not found a church that I called my own and my relationship with God became distant. This is when Brian reached out to me about coming back for another year, to help out with SERVE again. I hesitantly agreed.

Then, during my summer semester, I was invited to Royal City Evangelical Missionary Church’s youth group. Their focus is on relationship—Relationships with the youth and relationships with God.

As I attended Royal City, my relationship with God built over the summer as my relationships with my friends at Royal City grew. When I went back to Muskegon, again as an intern, in the summer of 2015, my relationship with God was much stronger than it had ever been. Now I am a Junior Youth Leader at Royal City. I have learned more about how to show the love of God and what my faith really is.

All in all, SERVE has taught me two things: first, I have a passion for serving others and second, having honest relationships with others and showing others that I will always be there for them is one of the best ways I am able to show God’s love to others.

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Hamilton Victory Gardens and SERVE

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 12:50:06 +0000

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The following is an article from our Spring 2016 magazine. To view the whole magazine, click here.

Hamilton Victory Gardens and SERVE

by John Bijl

Youth Ministries Coordinator

Meadowlands Fellowship Church

Hamilton, ON

2015’s SERVE theme was The Other 51, but Hamilton SERVE has been stressing that principle for the last six years. Hamilton SERVE is not just a one-week work project. It is a culmination of 51 other weeks of working together, and Host Team members of Hamilton SERVE have created a symbiotic relationship with the two organizations they serve that lasts throughout the year.

One of the organizations is Hamilton Victory Gardens. It acquires vacant land from municipal governments, churches, schools and old age homes and builds vegetable gardens. All the gardens are built by using raised beds. The raised beds are built right on top of the existing land, so no work needs to be done to the land before they get started.

Getting volunteers to plant or weed or harvest is not a problem, but the physical building of the beds is extremely hard and difficult work to do. Through our partnership with Hamilton Victory Gardens, they have done year long planning to have most of their beds built by the groups that come to Hamilton SERVE. They preplan to have all the necessary materials ready for the week. They also spend a lot of time planning where gardens should go, all while keeping Hamilton SERVE in mind.

The week after Hamilton SERVE was done building beds, the Fruitland special needs SERVE came in and planted the gardens we built.

The produce that is harvested from the beds we build supplies multiple food banks with fresh produce—fresh produce that they would normally not receive. One of those organizations, The Living Rock, in turn uses the produce to teach street youth a trade such as being a chef or working in restaurant kitchens, which use their product to feed other street youth.

Our relationship with Hamilton Victory Gardens is not just one week, and the work we do affects the work of many other organizations in the Hamilton community.

Our relationships with the two organizations we serve have become so much more than a week of SERVE. This became truly evident to us at the end of SERVE in 2015. We were debriefing and discussing how tired we were when the biblical principle of the Sabbath was brought up by one of our host team members. We had just completed our 6^th year of hosting Hamilton Serve and the idea of taking a one-year sabbatical was a very enticing idea, but the more we thought about it, the more we came to the conclusion that we can not take a sabbatical. We have two organizations that count on us. They plan for us. They need us, and it feels good to be needed.

Hamilton SERVE will continue as long as the Lord wants it to, but as long as we continue to work during the other 51 weeks with the Good Shepherd Centre and Hamilton Victory Gardens, no sabbaticals will be taken. Creating these meaningful and reciprocal relationships has helped make Hamilton SERVE very successful, and it has also enabled two amazing organizations to do the work that God has called them to do. We encourage all Host Teams to not just find places to work for one week, but to create meaningful and lasting relationships with organizations in your community. When you have those relationships, you will truly see and feel the full power of SERVE. In Hamilton, SERVE is not just one week, it is 52 weeks of being God’s hands and feet. May God bless you in your Kingdom work in your community.

To connect with Hamilton SERVE, click here to view their Facebook page.

To connect with Fruitland Special Needs SERVE, click here to view their Facebook page.

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A Thread in the Tapestry

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 12:36:49 +0000

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The following is an excerpt from our Spring 2016 magazine. To view the whole magazine, click here.

A Thread in the Tapestry

by Kyle De Boer

Joining forces for the third straight year, three Montana congregations are collaborating to host Gallatin Valley SERVE. We are an eclectic bunch with diverse gifts. Farmers and ranchers work side-by-side with educators and entrepreneurs. The unique community of volunteers for GV SERVE is the locale in which youth and adults offer their gifts for something greater than themselves. SERVE volunteers and participants are the needed characters in a much larger, gospel-centered story of love and transformation.

Youth are an integral part of Gallatin Valley SERVE. Consider a large tapestry—one larger than the size of a tall Dutch man! This aesthetically pleasing piece of art conveys a message as you soak in its magnitude. Step a little closer, and you begin to notice the detail of this magnificent work. Step even closer yet, and you notice how small strands of thread comprise this masterpiece. Students are some important strands of the thread that comprise GV SERVE.

Before GV SERVE came into existence, three “youth”, functioning as adult leaders, led a group on SERVE to Sioux Falls, SD. Ranging from 22 to 25 years old at the time, these three individuals returned to the Gallatin Valley with a conviction to host SERVE. Support for SERVE quickly expanded to include: area councils, high school students and many adults. Preparations were underway.

Since the inception, youth keep the pulse of GV SERVE beating, possibly even racing! On our day away, students want to summit a mountain. Their effort to conquer the high elevation is motivation for our adults to keep up! Students can step out of their comfort zone in order to engage the opportunities that are part of Montana. Conversation around the supper table can get quite loud in the Fellowship Hall as stories of relationships and service are swapped. Singing, clapping and dancing are expressed in evening worship, in both a church sanctuary and an alpine shoreline. Students from different churches in Montana join with peers from across North America to enter into a story that is much greater than themselves. All the while, adult volunteers and leaders have the privilege of learning from and growing with these important strands of thread.

I have the privilege of seeing both youth and adults integrate their gifts with Christ’s work in Montana. GV SERVE keeps the eyes of our Host Churches open to our community. With wide eyes, our congregations are able to engage the Gallatin Valley in continued and new ways because of the SERVE participants. However, the Gallatin Valley is only a small part of the large tapestry that God is weaving.

Youth are empowered at SERVE to live a transformed life of love and service at home. After seeing a new community and joining in Kingdom service during SERVE, adults and students have an opportunity to enter God’s redemptive story in their church, community and family. Some SERVE participants return home to provide support for a local non-profit. Some seek reconciliation with a parent or friend. Others allow the grace of Christ to shape their view of self.

Gallatin Valley SERVE has taught us that whether we are on SERVE or at home, we can continue to offer ourselves as thread, purposed and placed by the master weaver, Jesus Christ.

To connect with Gallatin Valley SERVE, click here to visit their Facebook page.

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Next Generation Leaders

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 19:23:57 +0000

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The following is a millennials response to a recent Growing Leaders post in regards to Serve.

As a millennial myself, I find myself immediately connecting with the “new school” way of thinking but I’m not sure how “new” this way of thinking/leading is. In fact, if I were to categorize Jesus into one of these categories, I’d say he would fit best under the new school. Jesus may not have a wireless connection or a verified social media account, but he doesn’t need one to pursue a relationship with us, empower us, fill our hearts and spirit with passion and lead us to the cross.

Serve is a very important time for students, and for some this may be their only opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and allow God into their hearts. Our host team and host church provide the venue and volunteers to fulfill Gods mission for that week and the number one thing I ask of my team is for them to allow God to work through them as he pursues a relationship with these students, their leaders and the community.

From my perspective, the key to a successful Serve is the atmosphere established by the host team and supporting volunteers. From the moment the students enter the Serve church, they need to be surrounded by a host team and student leaders that have a relationship with God and a strong passion for sharing his love and the gospel with others. Our interaction and activities with the students need to be empowering, thought provoking and encouraging. The guidelines in Tim Elmore’s article, Six Rules Next Generation Leaders Follow provide a great outline…

Trust – an atmosphere that allows the students to feel open and trusting ranks high on the list. From my experience, when these students trust their surroundings, they are willing to step out of their comfort zones and present whatever is on their heart to God. It is also important that they know they can trust God.

Why? – provide an environment that allows our students to ask whatever is on their mind. In most cases, students have an endless amount of questions and we want to encourage them to ask! This is a great opportunity for them to have a deeper understanding.

Relationships/Discipline follows passion – a relationship with God will put the passion in their hearts and discipline will follow. This also follows the guideline, relationship before results. In addition, it’s important for these students to develop relationships within the Christian community for guidance and support

Encourage – leading and encouraging the students will give them a sense of confidence and self-worth. It will empower them. In result, they will lead others to God when they return home.

There may also be a way for the students, with guidance from Serve, to utilize social media to spread the gospel and their love for God.

To summarize, I feel the “new school” leadership qualities is a great way to connect and inspire the students attending Serve. I think this would be a great brainstorming topic and the outline provided in the article would be a good starting point.

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Make Change. Be Changed.

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 13:26:59 +0000

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Not only is the theme itself vital to Serve, but we believe the design that presents the theme is also important. Below is information from the designer; we hope it helps give even more insight into Serve 2016!

Make change. – The painted style plays off of the idea that this is not an easy or “neat & clean” time for vacation, but a week of making a difference through hard work and getting messy while serving others for Jesus.

Be changed. – We’re all unfinished works-in-progress with fewer 90-degree angles or polished edges than we’d sometimes like to admit, and seldom do we return home from a youth mission trip the same person we were before leaving. The process of life change is often not simple, and can leave us feeling very unsettled, with a jumble of emotions running through our hearts & minds. Trusting in Jesus, however, we can be certain that what appears like a mess at first can – and will – ultimately be used for his glory and our transformation to become more like him.

The drawn/painted feel lends itself to the fact that this is an experience that can only truly be encountered first-hand. Looking at an Instagram post will never replicate being there in person for those spontaneous moments that inevitably become some of the most memorable ones, too. A unique aspect of summer mission trips, like Serve, is that the “Make change. Be changed.” process is often at work simultaneously. Hence the more circular shape to the text. The act of making a difference outwardly produces an inward shift as students place others’ needs before their own. Students focused solely on the service aspect come away having encountered Christ in much deeper ways than they ever expected, and those going particularly for the spiritual experience find themselves contributing in very tangible ways through skills and talents they may have never known they possessed.

Not only does the water symbolize the ebbs and flows of life and the constant change that we encounter, but the photo itself is of the actual Sea of Galilee, where we read accounts in the book of Mark of Jesus traveling frequently, but more specifically issuing the calls to Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew to “Make change.” and “Be changed.” through following him. The varied colors, layers and textures are there to signify the varied backgrounds and stories we are all living out as we are either marked by or making our mark through this journey.

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That’s Gonna Leave a Mark

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 16:49:42 +0000

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The following is an excerpt from our Winter, 2016 Magazine. To view the whole magazine, click here.

An Introduction to the 2016 Serve Theme Adapted from the 2016 Spiritual Life Guide

I can remember my friends saying that over and over in my life. Sometimes it was with wide eyes, searching to see how I was going to cope with tremendous pain; like the time I was 9 and tried to jump my bike over some barrels – epic wipeout. Or the time I was running hurdles in high school, miss stepped and face planted into the track. Other times they could hardly get the words out, because they were laughing hysterically; like the time I embarrassed myself in front of the new girl.

Once I overheard my dad whisper that phrase to my mom after I was recognized for an achievement. He knew that it’s not just the negative things that leave a mark. Affirmation, positive circumstances and good relationships also connect deeply within us and leave a mark of confidence and strength.

Just walking through everyday life we encounter people and circumstances that leave a mark on us. Some are hurt like a bruise. Some are good and show up in a smile. Some are as obvious as a new tattoo and some are hidden deep and unshared.

Through the book of Mark we see Jesus Christ walking through everyday life with people. He helps them identify hurtful marks this world has left on them through circumstances, misplaced values, wrong philosophies, bad decisions, negative relationships, etc. Through love and grace he gives understanding, forgiveness and wisdom. If they follow him, those marks are healed and even, as mind boggling as this is, can be redeemed for strength and used to build wisdom and confidence in others.

Jesus also identifies strengths and abilities, uniqueness and character traits that reflect God’s image. From a little boy with a lunch to the old neglected woman, he is quick to identify positive traits (marks) and whisper that God the Father approves.

Through a study on the book of Mark, we hope that students will allow Jesus to walk with them through their lives, redeeming the difficult times and leading them into making a positive mark on others, their community and this world.

A key prayer we pray is that they will have friends who walk with Christ and with them, through difficult times, wide eyed, helping them work through the pain. And friends who also see their incredible God-given potential and can whisper that their Heavenly Father approves.

The purpose of the 2016 curriculum is to enable students to encounter the person of Jesus Christ in very real ways during their time at Serve. Held in tandem with their ministry of service, relationships with peers and mentoring from small group leaders, this curriculum will allow students of all places in the walk of faith to meet more fully a Savior who humbly came to serve so that his love would be poured out for us.

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TV and Kingdom Work

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 16:23:49 +0000

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by Barry Ruiter, Youth Unlimited Account/Business Manager

The following is an excerpt from our Winter 2016 Magazine. To view the whole magazine, click here.

I admit to often watching television shows that feature buyers looking for a fixer upper home to renovate, programs that chop, cut and rebuild cars, or even the show where a specialty builder constructs treehouses for clients. I generally like shows that renovate and restore. In watching these types of shows, I’m reminded of my role and yours in the Kingdom, and specifically how it relates to Youth Unlimited.

For Youth Unlimited, I have a very much “behind the scenes” role. I pay bills, make deposits and generally put the dot on the “i” and the cross on the “t”. I am quite removed from the ministry work that happens when Youth Unlimited holds or arranges their events and yet, I am an important cog, as are you, in the Kingdom work that flows from this building.

Let me take you back to the TV theme to explore that thought. On a show called The Guild, cars are routinely rescued from slow erosion at the hands of rust and moth. In a twist, a recent episode revolved around an antique toy car, about the size of a shoebox. Besides the intrigue of assigning this “miniature” work to mechanics used to working on full size cars, there was the challenge of finding or creating parts. One such part was a small brass internal gear that was stripped and unusable. The mechanic scratched his head several times and remarked that he wasn’t a “watchmaker”, but in the end, he hand filed a brass rod down into a working gear. The payoff came when the owner of the car received a restored car that looked good and was functioning exactly as it intended.

I help Youth Unlimited function as intended by virtue of being a little, but important, internal gear. If you are reading this, then you should also know that you play some role in helping the functionality as well. Imagine if the miniature car were presented to the owner, but was missing one wheel. What if it was repainted, but the rear window had a big crack or was missing.

As I think of how I support the work of a Serve project, I think too of how it requires teens willing to put hand to shovel. I think of how it requires volunteers and host churches and I think of how it requires finances. There are many cogs, parts and pieces that make up a functional ministry, one that lives up to the owner’s specs. The staff at Youth Unlimited, you and I are a “Guild” of a different sort. We are craftsman charged with completing the King’s ultimate restoration project. I’m praying that we function exactly as intended.

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Now I Know

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 14:06:51 +0000

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by Tim Ryan
Director of Junior High Ministries
West Shore Evangelical Free Church

The following is an excerpt from our Winter 2016 Magazine. To view the whole magazine, click here.

I was blessed with the opportunity to take a group of senior high student mentors and special needs students to the Fruitland Special Needs Serve in July. As a youth pastor, I’ve had many opportunities to take students on mission trips, but I’ve never experienced anything quite like a Special Needs Serve!

First, we experienced the embrace of the entire church family. I was personally blown away by the commitment to the success of the week by a large portion of the church body. They had thought of every little detail and were so sensitive to the needs of the visiting team members throughout the week. As I talked with one of the host church volunteers, I discovered that he and his wife had taken the entire week off from work so they and their two girls could serve our team through transportation, meal preparation, small group lessons and more!

As the week progressed, it became apparent that many others in that small church had made tremendous sacrifices to make it all happen. Everyone on our team felt cared for—as if we were visiting family for the entire week! This was evident when Adam, one of my students, was referring to the hosts as brother, sister, mom and dad!

The host team also did a phenomenal job finding worksites that were very meaningful; yet adaptable to special needs team members. It was a joy to watch special needs students and their student peer mentors working side-by-side helping ministries do the work of Jesus’ hands and feet. In some cases, that meant sorting and prepping eyeglasses and hygiene supplies for shipment around the world. In other cases, it meant preparing fresh produce and packaged foods for distribution in the community. In every case, we were blessed to learn more about the agencies we worked with and the impact they make for God’s Kingdom.

On our last night, our site leader asked the peer mentors to finish the statement, “I used to think ______, but now I know _______” (regarding students with special needs). The answers that my students gave to that one question alone spoke volumes to just how deeply God used the week of Serve to stretch and grow their faith. One student related how previously she thought that students with special needs couldn’t really fully understand God or worship him in a deep or meaningful way. Now, as a result of her special needs Serve experience, she knows that students with special needs are blessed by God to connect with him directly without many of the self-conscious barriers that she came to recognize in her own relationship with God.

Toward the end of the long van ride home, I asked the students about next year. Every single one expressed a desire to do it again if they have the opportunity!

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The Call for Help

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 19:42:29 +0000

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For me, it’s still typically unexpected, the call for help. I don’t know why I am not quite used to it yet. After I’ve met a need or given assistance, when I am riding the high of the Holy Spirit convicting me of righteousness, I wonder why I don’t intentionally listen for it more.

Why wouldn’t I walk through my daily life, moment by moment, looking for ways to help others, watching for opportunities, and anticipating the moment when they ask?

I know my life is not my own. I was bought with a price and it’s no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me. (I Corinthians 6; Galatians 2) For years I’ve been reminded that Christ took on the form of a servant and I should as well (Philippians 2).

At any given moment I know my agenda and schedule must flex in submission to the Holy Spirit and his desire to work through me to care for others, but I consistently need to shrug off the human nature and the culture of my current planet in order to exhibit Christ in me. He would and he wants to answer the call for help through me.

I have to remind myself that my real homeland is where he rules and reigns and at any given moment Christ may have a different agenda or schedule than I do.

Along with my personal pursuit in this area, we have a corporate or Kingdom call for help. Maybe your youth group can be a part of flexing their summer schedule in order to care for others in:

Roselawn, Indiana – (6/25-7/2). This Host Church has an astounding community outreach. When I was there last summer, I met so many new followers of Christ. Adults who said, “You would not have wanted to know me three years ago, but by God’s grace I am new…”.
Ripon, California – (7/9-7/16). A couple congregations have multiplied their strengths and coordinate a vibrant connection to the streets through a church planter and a city mission, among other work sites.
Austin, Texas – This Host Church is willing to take groups just about any time for Spring Break or for a summer trip. The congregation is a community of entrepreneurs, musicians, homeless persons, business people, etc. all coming together for God’s grace and hope and taking it into the streets and community.

The Host Churches in these communities are calling for your help. Would you take a group of students to assist them in reaching their community for Christ?

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Adam Settle Serves

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 15:58:31 +0000

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Adam Settle was born with a rare metabolic disease, Cobalamine-C dysfunction, that prevents him from effectively metabolizing protein, which may result in damage to neurological systems including eyesight and brain function.

Despite his underlying medical struggles, Adam approaches life with a can-do attitude, believing there is little he cannot accomplish. His spirit has touched the hearts of many in the community. He is considered by some to be a mascot for the Northern York High School, encouraging the players and students as a coach, physical trainer and security guard. As a freshman, he was featured as a guest player for the varsity football, basketball and volleyball teams.

Despite being legally blind, Adam loves to participate in ball sports, ride his bike and paint. Adam has developed a small following of patrons. Of his many abstract paintings, the most sought after are: Sandy – the Hurricane, Meadow with Flowers, Stained Glass, Sunset and Roosters.

Jerry Meadows of Youth Unlimited, spoke with Adam about his experience this past year at Serve, and the following conversation was recorded:

Why did you want to go on this Serve?

I’ve never been on a mission trip with a church team and everyone else in my family has. I have 7 brothers and sisters and they’ve been to Honduras, Cambodia, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, the UAE, etc. My family is on a mission for Christ and I wanted to go.

I have traveled a lot and even went to Cambodia on a family trip a few years ago but this was different. I got to go with my church and my peers.

What was your favorite worksite on Serve?

Two of them were pretty good. At one, we sorted eyeglasses, and eyeglasses mean a lot to me since I am legally blind. Those glasses were going to people who couldn’t buy them or people in another country that couldn’t get them. At another work site, we sorted donated food.

Honestly, for some of the days I did not feel good at all. I was very hot and that made me tired. The Host Church and team took really good care of me and made sure I rested enough and kept encouraging me to do what I could but not push myself.

What do you do in your free time?

Well, I never have free time (laughing). I’m always doing art. I’m doing full time art – full time business and full time school. I like to keep busy.

Do you enjoy any sports?

Football, basketball, volleyball, soccer – all of them. Some of them I play, but I help the trainer and encourage the players.

What kind of art or business do you do?

I had gotten several commissions to do art for individuals and some for companies or churches. A couple that I know from church are actually flying me to Florida to do a beach painting for them.

I started a business called, Adam Art.

Any last thoughts on Serve?

It was a great feeling to experience it with my friends and make new friends.

I had so much fun at Serve.

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Life Changing Serve

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 16:46:10 +0000

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Three high school students from Ferry Memorial Reformed Church in Montague, MI attended Huron Serve in July of 2015.

Sure, they enjoyed getting to know some new Canadian friends and trying poutine for the first time, but they also allowed Serve to change their life in larger ways. Many of the work projects at Huron Serve were in small rural communities. As one student, Seth, experienced working with people in rural poverty, he said, “Serve opened my eyes to see lots of people in need in areas you wouldn’t think there would be a need – in a small town”. A freshman, Cecilia, adds, “I didn’t realize so many people were in need”.

Huron Serve encouraged students and leaders to look at the world through someone else’s eyes and to build relationships with those they came to work alongside. The youth leader, Mike, appreciated this aspect of Serve. “I thought I was helping others before (in other service projects), but it was more about making me feel good about myself, not thinking about how they feel”. Seth agreed that treating someone with dignity and getting to know them is important, and he says, “It is more than giving someone on the street a bottled water, it is sitting down and drinking water with a person.”

A senior (now a college Freshman), Lauren’s, experience with Serve was one reason she changed her major from English to Social Work. She has always had a big heart for people on the margins, but her experiences at Serve working with homeless and people living on the edge of poverty helped her realize what she really wanted to do.

As a leader, I am enthusiastic about my Serve experience. I took three quiet, introverted students with prayerful confidence that they would be enfolded by their small group teams and find a place to belong and to serve. I appreciate that the the Serve experiences I have been on emphasized a relationship with God at the core of all we do – including serving others. We are encouraged to treat all people with dignity and respect. The feeling wasn’t that the volunteers come with answers or even with “help”, but that we work together; in fact, getting to know someone and hearing their story may be the “help” that we both need most.

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Reserve Your Spot!

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 20:27:44 +0000

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Sunday was the first day to reserve your spots at one of the 28 Serve Sites across Canada and the United States. Space is reserved on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to check out the sites we have available!

At Serve 2016, students will join with God and a local congregation in the renewal of all things as they make a change in this world for Christ and are changed by him.

Full descriptions, FAQs, digital resources and more can be found at youthunlimited.org. You can also download the 2016 theme summary, Make Change, Be Changed, at youthunlimited.org/downloads!

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Why Use ThereforeGo?

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 15:49:25 +0000

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The following is an excerpt from the ThereforeGo Fall Magazine. To read more, click here.

Life Changing – the single most important thing that can happen in a student’s life is that they form a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ and commit to living for him.

In a world so full of noise and distractions, ThereforeGo’s SERVE mission experiences are incredibly effective at creating the space for students to encounter Jesus. We have testimony after testimony from students saying their SERVE experience was the moment in time when they first came to understand Jesus’ love, grace and desire for a personal relationship.

Because these experiences can be such an integral point in a student’s life, ThereforeGo is committed to having the following values as essential components of every one of our experiences: worship, reading scripture, introducing students to our broken world that needs Jesus, serving in the name of Jesus, fostering healthy adult/student relationships and encouraging students to live their life for Jesus.

In order to make this happen, ThereforeGo works with a team – the SERVE mission experience is not created in some office and then packaged and sent to 30 different host sites across Canada and the United States. Each SERVE site is created and led by a planning team of volunteers who live, worship, work and raise their families in the community you will be serving.

Prepared & Organized – Each planning team is trained and equipped by the ThereforeGo staff, and each February, all of the teams come together to be trained, share best practices, network and worship together. During this weekend, there is also a lot of celebration for what God has done over the past year and a lively discussion about the coming year! Many of our planning teams have been hosting SERVE for years. From the lessons learned over 25 years of offering Serve and the sharing of best practices by all the planning teams, every site is well prepared and organized. From the speakers, worship teams, community life, food and meaningful worksites, we will provide a great experience for you and your students!

Intentional – Each SERVE site also uses and teaches from the same theme and devotional material. The 2016 material was written by the next generation of church leaders, students from Calvin Theological Seminary. To ensure it connected with students, they tested it by teaching it to a church youth group and then adjusted it according to how it connected with them. The material focuses on Mark’s Gospel, allowing students to see how Jesus Christ, walking through everyday life, identified in people and communities both the hurtful bruises this world has left on them and the incredible image of God in them and how they can do the same in their lives.

Customizable – If you feel your group could better benefit from the SERVE experience in a different way (i.e. for larger groups, those looking to build their own group dynamic, those planning a multi-generational trip or any others in a unique situation), customizing SERVE gives you the chance to set dates, modify the schedule, lead your own worship sessions, etc. while ThereforeGo supplies the key values found in all of our faith-forming experiences.

What does a SERVE day look like?

7:00 AM – Breakfast/Prepare Lunches | 8:00 AM – Devotions | 8:45 AM – Leave for Worksites

4:00 PM – Showers/Free Time | 6:00 PM – Dinner | 7:30 PM – Evening Session

9:00 PM – Small Group Discussion | 10:00 PM – Snack and Free Time | 11:00 PM – Lights Out

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A Look Back at Brighton Serve 2015

ThereforeGo Ministries — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 18:04:43 +0000

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The following is a reflection on Brighton Serve 2015 by Linda Jeronimus:

“As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Receive now the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21b

Our church responded “Here I am (we are) Lord.”

From prayer shawl makers, prayer partners, kitchen help, worksite volunteers, creative Gems, encouraging words, those who donated food and items needed to make our church home to 40 youth and leaders, to the sound and overhead booth experts, the clean up crews, the tech savvy, drivers, financial help, to the host team planners, what an amazing church response! Brighton Fellowship showed what Serve is all about! Our church family embraced the teams that came in and encouraged them to go out as we are called.

We sure did not do this alone. We thank Ajax Serve for letting us job shadow last summer. In February, a group of us attended Youth Unlimited’s Summit in Grand Rapids where ideas and encouragement were shared by all. (Thanks also to Alesha and Jerry for keeping us on track, you helped make our first year as a host team a very positive experience! Please know that you are an important part of our team!)

And now, we had a great week! Gord Park was our speaker for the week and our worship band was FMReset. Together they shared their gifts through words, thoughts and ideas, testimonies and music – inspiring!

During the days we worked at different homes in Brighton and Colborne through an organization called Community Care. Much of the work in Brighton was painting, yard work, some renovation work and light construction. We also had a chance to offer a free car wash with the Fire Department donating all the supplies needed. On Friday, we had a Food Bank Drive at No-Frills with many shoppers picking up groceries to fill up the van. The Food Bank sent us a thank you note for the large supply of food and money donated. Great job to the youth and leaders for helping feed the hungry!

One of our jobs was in the Frankford area, getting an old building ready to set up for a Community Partners for Success program. The building was nothing special to look at on Monday but by Friday there were fresh painted walls and a finished mural at the front entrance!

Another one of our jobs was the New Life Girls Home, a home for young women struggling with issues. A Serve team worked one day and were invited to come back and be treated to lunch the next!

We learned to be flexible. We had a really neat opportunity to be part of a community track event. We showered everyday at the local high school and for the first time the community was hosting a twilight track event with a steeplechase run. Some of our youth and leaders wanted to participate so…..everything got shifted 20 minutes and we all put on our Serve t-shirts and cheered our youth and leaders. It reminded me of running the race set before us with a “cloud of witnesses”!

Lives were changed and the Lord breathed his Spirit into all who were here. Youth and leaders shared how the Lord changed their hearts and made them stretch in ways they could not imagine.

Below are just a couple excerpts of some of the notes we received:

From Heather – “What a wonderful service you have initiated to show God’s love in the community. I have been blessed by the wonderful people who have worked diligently to fix up my home. I am more grateful to them and all the people at your church who have contributed to this wonderful service to God and the communities you have helped.” Heather gave all the youth at her place little gifts, it felt like Christmas! She has no money and still gave gifts and a donation to us for next year.

From Alice – “To everyone, I had a wonderful time with all the young people also the leader Eric, it was a wonderful day. I got all my windows nice and clean.” (Alice has come to church every Sunday since.) One of the youth sent a beautiful letter to her prayer partner, an elderly lady and one of the youth also sent a beautiful letter to Alice. Both these women are sharing the letters with others to read!

We also received a thank you from John, a youth leader from Flint, Michigan who has no support from his church. Two of his youth committed their hearts to the Lord during Serve and John was overwhelmed. He told me I had to tell our church that he was truly encouraged by the love and support of our congregation and said, “This church is Spirit filled – it is so obvious.” He told us he was going back encouraged to continue to work with the youth and share the good news of Jesus!

I can go on and on, we were so blessed and we thank the Lord that others were blessed through us.

God has an amazing way of using our plans to change hearts. It was all in his plan from the beginning. We were overwhelmed.

Thanks to the Lord for all He has done!

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After Serve – The Other 51

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 15:44:54 +0000

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What do people experience after Serve?

A lot of people who go on Serve find that they are:
1. More thankful for what they have and want to be more generous with it. After meeting people with great needs and seeing God as the Provider we need to practice giving thanks in all circumstances and giving all we have back to him.
2. Quicker to pray about just about everything. Be ready for the Holy Spirit to prompt you and be obedient. You might have had a very close connection to God on Serve – keep it by praying without ceasing.
3. Emotional about worship and changed lives. Fan the flame beyond your emotions to a place of deep transformation and conviction. Make worshipping and caring for others what your life is all about.
4. Ready to serve in his/her own backyard. Sometimes volunteering close to home doesn’t seem as exciting but it is where we can truly be in community and see God work consistently. Grow to a place of maturity where serving others becomes exciting because that’s what God is doing and not just because that’s what your friend is doing or there is a trip involved.
5. In a spiritual battle. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you got home and messed up somehow. Set your attention and your affection back on God (Colossians 3:1,2) and be sure to stay close to your youth group or a couple friends from church for the rest of the year.

To those who were at Serve this past summer, continue to Serve the other 51 weeks!

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The Promise of Serve Projects

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 17:36:53 +0000

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The following is a piece by Jason Leif, originally written for The Twelve.

At the institution where I teach I’ve come to be known as the “guy who hates serve projects.” This comes from my ineffective attempts to carefully critique all of the money and time that go into these projects, as well as the terrible theology that is often used to justify them. As much as I would try to tell people that I don’t hate them and that I believe they can be important transformative experiences—the label has stuck. I stand by my critique, and I’m not the only one who feels this way. Over the past ten years or so there have been a number of people who have articulated the problems with these projects much better than I can.

This morning, however, I’m getting ready to lead my second serve project in as many years. Tomorrow young people from Canada and the U.S. will gather in a small church in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa for a week of worship, fellowship, and work. We call it Prairie Serve. The idea came to me a few years ago when I was having a conversation with someone about the issues facing rural America. Look at a map of the most economically impoverished parts of the United States and you’ll see they are not in urban areas; they are in rural areas. Arizona, New Mexico, and South Dakota are all lit up on these maps…the one I was looking at was a dark blue. These are the places Native Americans inhabit—the reservations as they are called. This week a group of young people will be working with Pastor Lowell from the Winnebago Reformed Church painting houses, doing yard work, demolishing dilapidated structures, and meeting new people. But that’s not why we go.

The reason I started this serve project is because I want young people to encounter the diversity that lives right in their own back yard. As a planning team we try to make sure that we deal with the messiah complex right away. We’re not “saving” anyone by painting houses or mowing a lawn; in fact I’m not sure the work we do matters all that much in the end. But we are meeting our neighbor; we are putting ourselves in a place where we encounter the other…where we encounter difference. My hope for this project is not that these young people will think they are bringing God to the Native people or the Lao people, but that the Native people and the Lao people will open up an encounter of God for us—that we will come to see how God is at work in ways we could never imagine.

So that’s why I’m helping to lead a serve project this week. Sure there will be time for silliness, time for play and time for eating good food, but this will all take place within the context of a time of being opened up to encounter our neighbor in ways that crack open our own religious and cultural worldview. In teaching VBS to Lao kids, in attending the annual Winnebago Pow Wow, and in painting a house for a young family in need, these young people will be opening themselves up to encounter the God who in Jesus Christ has promised to come to us in ways we never expect. That’s my hope for this week, and that’s why I love serve projects.

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What’s Up With the Triangle of Dots?

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 15:16:36 +0000

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By now, I hope you have had the chance to have gotten a peak at the graphic for this years Serve theme. If I did my job correctly, you have maybe asked yourself: What does this mean? … What is with all the dots in an upside down triangle? And, like a good song, I am going to tell you why I created it like this, but I hope you come to place a bit of your own self into it and that it grows to also have its unique meaning to you.

I am so excited about this year’s Serve theme! Long before we picked the verses for 2015, I was wrestling with them, turning them over and over in my heart and mind. What I came away with and what I think is a central part in this year’s theme is that I have a Holy responsibility. Jesus himself left me with some divine duties and put the Holy Spirit inside of me to carry them out. Wow! I don’t know if that makes you excited or scared -maybe it should make us both? I am excited!

Back to the graphic – After pondering the weight of these beautiful verses, I could not escape the overall shape that the design ends up making. I immediately envisioned this shape representing the responsibility coming down from God himself to us like our heavenly instructions that we receive in these verses. But at the same time, I wanted subtleness to the shape with the idea implied yet not “in your face”. Therefore, the 52 dots make up the downward triangle or arrow and leave room for negative space, allowing the design breathe.

52 – Yes, there are 52 dots. There are 52 weeks in a year. The whole idea this year, like in the verses, is that it’s not just about the Serve week, it’s not just about our salvation, it’s not just about the “God High”, it’s not just about ____________________ (fill in the blank). Jesus called us to go and make disciples and to live out the principals of justice and service every day of our life, and he breathed the Holy Spirit in us to do so! Are you excited yet?

So yes, the inescapable dots come into play here. The red one can be seen either as the Serve week, the Holy Spirit leading the charge or the day we received this calling from the book of John. From there, I hope the eye is drawn to, and the relationship is seen, between that dot and the fact that the word “OTHER” is in red as well. The whole point of this summer is just that; carrying this idea, this Serve week or this calling into the “OTHER” (or to all others). The other dots, then, are simple; they are the rest of the week, the rest of the month, the rest of the year, the rest of our life. The other dots are the other 51 weeks every year that we are to bring the Gospel into. It’s not an easy task or a calling to take lightly and maybe this is why they ended up being spread up, like there is a hill we have to climb, a step we have to take; are you ready?

The seven dots on top represent a week. I thought it important, in light of the Holy weight of this, to represent something tangible. We can do this a week at a time. We can take the principals of Serve into a week at a time. We can lean into this holy discipline. God can use us to change the world.

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No Longer a Mission Trip – Just Life – The Other 51

ThereforeGo Ministries — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 15:29:11 +0000

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The following is an excerpt from the student’s devotions in our 2015 theme material at Live It and Serve this summer.

It was Friday of my mission week. That week was the first week I had ever sat with a homeless man. I took my tray and sat with him at that soup kitchen. That moment changed my life. That was Monday night. For the rest of the week, I jumped right in. During the day, we served at a drop-in for children who did not know if there was a place for them to sleep at night. There were children as young as five years old living outside at night. My heart was broken. God had ripped my heart in half with the injustice that thrived in North America. Daily, I became better friends with these children. They had so much life in them. One young boy could almost dunk a basketball and he was much shorter than my six-foot frame. We re-told Bible stories, sang worship songs, and ate meals together. I loved the life I was living that week, but it was now Friday. We were going to leave the next day.

At lunch, that Friday, our church family for the weekend hosted an outdoor picnic for the people in the neighbourhood. Picnic tables were set up in the church parking lot as the sun blazed down. Beverages in coolers full of ice and ham sandwiches were brought out from the kitchen. As with the rest of the week, we sat with our friends on the street. We did not serve them. That sets up a power play. If you serve someone, you are telling him/her you are higher up and have power. If you sit with someone, you are declaring that you are his/her friend. In sitting together, you can serve one another. The impoverished can serve the rich and the rich can serve the poor. We are one. I sat with three people I recognized from the week. We shared a few laughs about pro football teams. We talked about the church.

“They really love this community – do meals like this quite regularly…and they even sit with us!”

“Not every church does that,” another chimed in.

We finished up the meal, chatted a bit longer, and they got up to leave. Handshakes and hugs followed.

“I’ll be praying for you brother as you go home.” Thomas said as he walked away.

Pastor Steve was standing and watching. He and I had had a few talks during the week about why they do what they do. After my three friends left, I walked over to him.

“You see those three much?” I enquired.

“Two of them yes. Thomas disappears every now and then…” Steve started.

“Disappears?”

“He gets too close to us. It reminds him of too much of his past and he just disappears. Drugs sometimes. Another city sometimes. He’s back right now, and I think he likes you.”

I smiled and started to drift into reflection. I wanted this life so badly. I wanted to know Thomas, each of those five year olds, my friend with whom I studied Romans in the soup kitchen. God had broken my heart and wasn’t putting it back together. I wanted this life. Steve could sense something in my silence.

“So,” He caught my eyes. “How are you gonna bring this home?” Steve went on to say none of this mission week really mattered if it was just a week. If it just stayed a nice memory, it would remain like a fun holiday at best. But, if I took some of it home, to live out, maybe this would allow God to change me forever.

I did take it home. Within five months, I had to quit my job – I no longer fit. My heart wasn’t in it anymore. I began working on the streets. It is something I do to this day. I am a pastor of a small church in the downtown area of a North American city. My friends are people who live under bridges, in tents, and in houses with four car garages. I have learned a little about love along the way, a little about poverty and a lot about Jesus.

I liked the mission experience so much that I made it my life. My prayer is one day we will no longer call it a mission trip. We will just call it life.

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We All Need to Love – The Other 51

ThereforeGo Ministries — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 15:17:03 +0000

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The following is an excerpt from the student’s devotions in our 2015 theme material at Live It and Serve this summer.

Diane grew up in what others would consider a Christian home. Diane’s family; two older brothers, mom, dad and Diane, went to church every Sunday – twice, but some things were well hidden in that home. Diane was bullied since she was a young girl by one of her brothers. Her parents found out and made sure it was kept quiet. They just walked through the motions of life. Diane struggled in school socially. She had only a handful of friends and trusted no one. Called “shy” by her teachers, they never really noticed that Diane was withdrawing more each year. Just before her high school years came to a close, her brother sought forgiveness for his actions. He had come to realize the pain he caused his sister and family. He blamed it on being a kid, being stupid at the time, but more than that, he realized how deeply he needed it set right. Diane wasn’t ready to let go that easily.

After high school, Diane went to a small Christian college that specialized in teaching people to do overseas missions. Overseas was the dream for Diane – Africa, South America, somewhere warm and far away. She could escape her small town, serve the Jesus she had come to love in spite of all her pain, and follow the call she had heard on a week long mission project called Serve. That week of Serve changed her. For the first time ever, she had met people who lived in really poor conditions, and Diane did not just feel comfortable there, she felt called there. She decided she would find those people overseas. All she needed was a little bit of money first.

Diane, under the guidance of a friend, took a job working with impoverished folks in a large city in North America. Each day, she would walk with her co-workers among the most impoverished in her country. People survived by diving into dumpsters for food, begging on street corners and living in cardboard boxes under bridges. She came to know these people not as impoverished but as her friends. Each person she met had a story – a deep dark past, and none of her newly found friends could hide their pain. It was as obvious as their weather worn jackets. They couldn’t hide it if they tried. They had to be honest. In there, somewhere, Diane found the courage to be honest too. She began to share about her past, her brother, and her pain. It was refreshing and renewing. Among the lowest of the low, Diane met Jesus. In the homeless men and women, Diane was finally free to share, to be loved in spite of her past and to sense a healing that could not come after years of trying.

Her brother never expected a visit. She didn’t call first, but Diane hopped on the train and hoped he would be home. It wasn’t easy, but they talked. They opened up, and in the midst of tears, they found a way through forgiveness.

It’s not perfect yet. Diane still has some struggles with her past. It creeps in and echoes in ways that still hurt. To this day, however, Diane works on the streets in that same city. She never did go overseas. Missions are everywhere. Missions is life. She hangs out with the poor all the time. She buys lunch for some people and lets some of her friends buy her coffee. They have deep wonderful conversations, and together they find home. Christ is there with her. She meets him every day on the streets.

We don’t all need to go on the streets. Some of us are not called there, but we all need to love. We all need to live this Kingdom out every day. It is our mission. It is our life.

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His Daughters and Sons – The Other 51

ThereforeGo Ministries — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 15:01:06 +0000

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The following is an excerpt from the student’s devotions in our 2015 theme material at Live It and Serve this summer.

A few years ago, I was wandering through a mall in the city in which I work. I had finished a meeting with one of my friends from the street and was off to another meeting. This way through the mall was a short cut between streets. I was reflecting on the meeting I had just finished when I saw her at the other end of the hallway. To this day, I can’t describe her. I just know that I looked at her and shuddered, feeling like she was disgusting and unpleasant. I don’t even remember why. I didn’t know her. I knew nothing about her. Just her appearance disgusted me. Being a person who wants to follow God, I also knew my first reaction was wrong. I stopped walking, closed my eyes and whispered a quick prayer to God. “Help me see this woman the way you see this woman.” When I opened my eyes, for the briefest of seconds, in place of the woman, I saw my oldest son, and then I saw this woman again. God had answered my prayer. It was as if God had said this:

“You want to see how I see this woman? Look at her the way you look at your son. I love her that much and more! She is my daughter, not an object of disgust. She is my daughter and I love her very much. Treat her that way.”

Humbled, I sat and broke down. I no longer saw the woman. She was gone, but I have changed in my approach to others. I try (and this is hard sometimes) to see people as God sees them. They are his children. He loves them all very much. He wants the very best for each one, and my calling is to come so close to my God in worship, that I begin to see with God’s eyes, hurt with God’s heart and listen with God’s love.

I wonder if the disciples had a similar experience when the woman with 12 years of bleeding reached out to touch Jesus. The story is recounted in Mark 5:25-34. This woman would have felt quite disgusting. Her bleeding made her ceremonially unclean. In other words, she was not allowed to touch another person. If she had children, she could not hold them. If she had a husband, she could not kiss him. If she had parents, she could not receive a hug from them. Imagine that for a second. In desperation, that woman reached out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. She felt the bleeding stop. Jesus called her out of the crowd to share God’s love with her. “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” He called her daughter.

That’s what worship does. We become like the one we worship and respond like they do. We see with their eyes. We hurt with their heart. We love with their love.

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From Amazing to Ordinary

ThereforeGo Ministries — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 20:39:53 +0000

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Many of our students and those of us in the youth ministry field spent time this summer on a service trip. These weeks are almost always amazing. After experiencing a week of living, serving, eating and worshiping together in Christian community, in true unity with God and others, we often discover that we want to live that way every day. When we get home, panic sets in, and we begin asking ourselves, “What now?” If you are asking that question, here are three things you can do…

Remember What God Has Done

When Moses would have encounters with God, he would come down from the mountain and his face would literally shine with the Glory of God. (Exodus 34:29-35). When we return from trips, camps, retreats, etc., our faces shine too, but eventually the shine fades. Here’s the challenge; don’t forget about what God has done. Don’t settle back into your old life before the shine. In the Old Testament there are many examples of people building an altar, not for worship, but to preserve a memory. These altars were usually just a pile of uncarved rocks, but they served as a reminder that God had been present in their lives, working for their good. (Exodus 17:15, Joshua 4, 1 Samuel 7:12). While random piles of rocks aren’t so practical today, you too can set out a reminder of what God has done in your life. Hang a picture on your wall, post a key scripture verse on your mirror or in your locker or keep a journal of gratitude or daily god-sightings.

Continue Building Relationships

Often what makes our service weeks so amazing is that all our focus is on maintaining a right relationship with God and a right relationships with others. After you return home from your mountain-top experience with God, continue to turn off your cell phone, fast from Social Media, read scripture and pray. Continue to talk to your friends and neighbors not just about sports, music and movies, but about the ways God is showing up in your life, teaching, shaping and encouraging you. Continue to step out of your comfort zone and say hello to a stranger! Continue the hard work of taking risks when you are home again.

Find Satisfaction in the Ordinary

We often look for God in the big moments of our lives, but God is involved in every moment of our lives, especially our ordinary moments. Scripture is filled with stories of people who daily focused on a personal commitment to God. Noah built an ark 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. (That’s one and a half football fields long and four stories high). That’s not a weekend project. That took faithfulness and obedience. Jeremiah, the prophet, ministered under five kings faithfully speaking warnings to the people of Judah for 40 years. Daniel and Esther, quietly and humbly served in king’s courts for years before their faithful commitment to God thrusted them into the spotlight.

Your students and you will quickly learn that living for God at home is messy. It’s hard and transformation doesn’t happen overnight. But remember, God is faithful: what he has done in the past, he can do in the present. God can make even your ordinary weeks amazing!

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My 51 – Menno, South Dakota Community

ThereforeGo Ministries — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 13:22:19 +0000

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Three years ago I came to the small town of Menno, South Dakota to serve as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church (NALC/LCMC). It was the first time I had ever heard of this “thing” called Serve. Our town has a population of 608 and five (yes, count them: FIVE) churches. Our churches are Immanuel Lutheran Church (LCMS), Peace Christian Reformed Church, Salem Reformed Church (CCCC), Zion Reformed Church (RCUS) and Grace Lutheran Church, where I currently serve.

For a number of years now, youth from all five of these churches have attended Serve in various locations, from Platte, South Dakota to Newark, New Jersey to Houston, Texas and everywhere in between. I had the privilege of attending as a leader in 2013. Our group went to Houston, Texas, and one of the messages I heard there was that the youth were to take what they had learned from their experience with Serve and to put into action locally. In other words, Serve is not just one week in a place away from home. Serve is also about the other 51 weeks throughout the year.

Some of our other adult leaders who have been active with Serve took that call seriously, and with many brilliant minds TUG was born. TUG stands for Teens United in God. This August will be our third year of TUG. We begin on Friday evening and throughout all day Saturday. The kids do not get to sleep in on Saturday morning. They come early. We eat together. And then we go into our community of 608 people and we work. Last year we helped with cleaning up a rural cemetery and repainting the picnic shelter located there. Another group repainted the dugout shelters at our local softball field. Another group repainted a very large building located on our main street in town. And another group did clean-up and painting at our local park. The kids of Menno, South Dakota and surrounding towns were so diligent in their work, they finished early, so another group repainted a garage (albeit small) in an hour and a half!!

When the kids are finished with a long day of working, it does not stop there. We get together and we worship and sing. We are reminded of why we are doing what we are doing in the first place. God has called us to live out our lives pleasing to him, and because of the gracious gift he has given to us in Jesus Christ, serving our community is the least we can do.

In addition to the kids volunteering, we need many adults to help out. We had entire families helping us that day. This year, we have had people asking what projects the kids are doing for TUG. We now have other groups in town giving donations for TUG.

The local people are looking forward to seeing all the kids and adults out working in the community.

As a pastor of a small town, I cannot even begin to say how proud I am of this community. It is a community filled with faith in Jesus Christ. Yes, we do have residents who do not attend church, who do not believe that God is almighty and loves them so much he would give the greatest sacrifice of all. And it is because of that, that my hope and my prayer is that these kids and their families can be witnesses to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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A New Attitude in Missions

ThereforeGo Ministries — Wed, 27 May 2015 13:02:37 +0000

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I love mission trips and service projects! In forty years of youth ministry, I have been on close to 100 of them. What’s not to love? We get to obey God’s command to minister to the “least of these.” We travel and experience different cultures as we meet new people, make new friends, and strengthen the unity of the youth group. We come home excited, blessed, and ready to live fully for Christ. It’s all good, right? Well…maybe not.

Experts are discovering that one barrier to effective ministry is that sometimes our good intentions and well-meaning help can actually harm those we are trying to serve when we do it without sensitivity and understanding. Another barrier is the rise of narcissism in youth culture. Students have told me they will go on a mission trip if it is out of the county, someplace warm, or if there is a fun “day away” activity. How can we break these barriers and open up our hearts and minds so the Spirit can work through us to bless others and glorify God?

Perhaps we can begin by asking and wrestling with some questions such as:

Does the ministry we do strengthen or weaken those we are serving?
Is this service going to enhance or erode the recipient’s work ethic?
Will this cause the recipient to become more independent or more dependent?

We need to be sure that the ministry we offer does not in any way diminish the recipients, rob them of dignity, or devalue their unique individuality. We don’t intend to do that, but without understanding and sensitivity, it can happen.

Here are some questions and suggestions to help you and your students wrestle with these issues as you prepare yourself to be servants of the one true King:

Why am I doing this? Is it to get away for a nice trip with friends or is there a willingness to deny oneself, give sacrificially, and put the needs of others first?
What is my attitude? Do I see myself as some kind of redeemer come to rescue from injustice or am I aware I am a fellow pilgrim on this journey of life willing to walk with a brother or sister while we lean on and learn from each other?
Who am I ministering to? Am I willing to set aside all preconceived ideas, judgmental attitudes, and biases to see those I meet as image bearer of God, redeemed sinners, brothers and sisters in Christ? Am I humble enough to learn what they have to teach me? Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Every man I meet is my superior in some way.”
How am I ministering? Am I willing to work hard work to understand what it means to live with injustice, bigotry, or marginalization? Am I willing to try to walk in their shoes, to be sensitive to their unique situation?

For a better understanding on how to develop a new attitude that will enable you to serve effectively, I recommend two books to use with your group before the mission trip: “Toxic Charity” by Robert D. Lupton and “When Helping Hurts” by Brian Fikkert.

To view the original post, click here.

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Coming Home from Mission Trips – Now What?

ThereforeGo Ministries — Wed, 20 May 2015 12:27:16 +0000

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In last week’s blog entry, Jerry Meadows wrote about prepping students for missions and questioned how they might integrate a missions experience into their daily lives once suitcases were unpacked. It is the hope of most youth leaders that students come away from a mission trip having grown a deeper understanding of their faith, a deeper sense of self and others, and a greater understanding of God’s call on their lives to be agents of justice in the world around them. Yes, some incredible outcomes are hoped for here.

We cannot, of course, assume students will easily transfer their experiences to everyday living and so leaders need to be intentional about the entire mission trip experience. This includes proper pre-trip preparation (not just fund raisers); on site reflections and debriefing about what happened and what was learned, and evaluating what that means for each person as they go home. The 7 Standards of Excellence for Short Term Missions (they have been referred to in previous posts in this series), indicate there should be “thorough, thoughtful, and appropriate follow through for goer-guests,” and so dedicated time needs to be spent on debriefing – not just sharing photos over a pizza dinner. Lastly, and probably most important, is the transfer of things learned on the trip. In their book, Deep Justice in a Broken World – helping your kids serve others and right the wrongs around Them, authors Chap Clark and Kara Powell have a chapter on how to “help students move from doing Kingdom things, to being Kingdom people.” Important then to working with a group of students is to help them understand that this is not about the trip being over, but a journey that continues.

So how do leaders help that process of building Kingdom people?

Here is a list of ideas and suggestions that may be helpful:

Assign each student in your group a mentor (or ask the student to choose someone) who will walk the mission trip journey with them and help them process each component of their experience and ask questions that will bring clarity and meaning to what they encounter. Although not necessary, it would be great if the mentor has previous mission trip experiences.
Follow up with students a number of times after a trip to continue processing how they are doing post trip. Do they have more questions? How have they seen God impact their lives now that they’re back home? What ideas do they have to impact their youth group, church or community?
Upon return home, provide other activities that place students in environments that will expose them to issues in their own community, stretch their skills and perceptions, and maximize what they learned on their trip.
Continue to educate your Youth Group on how best to serve. Consider an annual theme for your ministry program that will create deeper awareness of issues related to poverty, justice, and missions. The Chalmers Center has some great video clips that will trigger some excellent discussion.

Finally, over the last few years, a group of denominational staff have met together on a regular basis to evaluate their mission programs in light of the 7 Standards of Excellence and bringing all their resources, policies and procedures in line so that mission trips are facilitated with excellence that benefit the senders, goers and host receivers. Along with that work, the group is supporting the development of a curriculum designed with the Standards of Excellence in mind. It is calledCurriculum for Life and considers all participants and their involvement through the process. It is this group’s hope that this material will be available towards the end of 2015. Stay tuned for its launch!

To view the original post, click here.

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Prepping Students for Missions

ThereforeGo Ministries — Mon, 11 May 2015 12:18:51 +0000

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When asked about my favorite mission trip, I always say the next one. As a Youth and Family Pastor, I took my school students to places across North America, Mexico, and even to Vietnam. Later, while at CURE International, I became close friends with nationals in 11 countries (including Afghanistan, the UAE, and several African and Latin American countries) learning from them what helped and hurt their long-term ministries in short term missions.

Since I oversee Serve, people naturally think I help churches plan student mission trips. Close, but not quite. At Youth Unlimited, we are helping churches engage students in missional living, not just for one week. I’d like to be known as the guy who helps church youth groups become more missional the other 51 weeks of the year and through their life journey.

Here are 3 things I keep in mind when preparing students for mission trips:

It’s a wave, not a mountain top experience. While the mountain top analogy has worked for years, it’s time to retire it. There is now a rhythm to our mission trips and we can look over the course of 12 months and see waves of God’s work in a student’s life. Hopefully there are some big ones like a mission trip, camp, retreat, convention, etc. Some waves maybe smaller but make up the ocean of consistent Christian growth: youth group meetings, church attendance, classes, personal mentoring, etc. We can even look at the 6 years of middle and high school and plan for the bigger waves periodically. The mission trip experience is simply another wave of God’s work to make the most of. And this is so important: that experience is simply a wave in the life of the people they are ministering to. God is working there all through the year as well.
The MISTM Grid (found in the book Maximum Impact Short-Term Mission by Roger Peterson, Gordon Aeschliman, and R. Wayne Sneed). MISTM gives an at-a-glance tool for planning. It highlights that the “Goers” are only one of 3 sets of participants. The “Hosts” (those that receive the team) and the “Senders” are also experiencing waves of Gods work through this trip. And while we are all very concerned with preparing our group of “Goers”, we must also be as concerned about the post trip follow through of the “Hosts” and the “Senders”. For another great source, check out the 7 Standards of Excellence at www.soe.org.
Speaking of post trip, what about the outcomes? What do you want the students (Goers) to experience and learn? What do you hope they integrate into their daily life long after the suitcase is unpacked? What do you want your Host to experience and learn? What about the community of people you are serving? If the outcomes aren’t obvious to the participants, how do you know if you are accomplishing what God wants? Download the attached set of Serve Outcomes as an example. Email me, or comment below, and I will send you 6 Outcomes I believe God accomplishes in students on nearly every mission trip. Also take a look at the ebook, Rebuilders of Almost Anything (the link will be coming shortly).

If you’re having success in this area, I’d invite you to tell your story! We have a number of church leaders from across Canada and the US who are engaging students missionally throughout the entire year.

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How to Prepare Spiritually for a Mission Trip

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 05 May 2015 18:19:14 +0000

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First things first: How do you prepare for a mission trip?

I’m not talking about the logistics – the fundraising plans, coordinating the ubiquitous big white youth vans – I’m talking about how you, in the midst of all that, prepare your heart, your spirit, for the work God will be doing in your own life through this experience. And not only how to prepare your own heart and spirit, but also the hearts of your students as the mission trip looms closer.

Now there’s lots of articles out there on the interwebs telling you the best way to prepare spiritually for mission trips. But many can be boiled down to: Read your Bible. Prepare to share the gospel with unbelievers. And get your students a prayer partner who will pack chocolates and uplifting notes for them during the trip.

But let’s go a little bit deeper, shall we?

Question your motives.

Yep. You heard me correctly. Question your motives. Why are you going on a mission trip? Not why you should go on a mission trip or why others are going on a mission trip. Nope. Why are you?

Is it just another item on the List of Things Every Good Christian Should Do? Want to go play White Savior with the poor people? Be the hero? For students specifically: Do you simply want to travel and a mission trip is easily approved by the parental units? Or, more positively: Do you want to learn about other cultures? To learn something about yourself?

Examine your heart. Your reasons. Your motivations. We are complex creatures with complex motives. Examining your own reasons for signing up for a mission trip – whether you’re a leader or a student – is essential for preparing your own heart for the trip and opening yourself to what God may have planned for you through the experience.

2. Pray intentionally for the people and places you will visit.

I’m not talking about general prayers like “We pray tonight for Nicaragua” without having any idea what’s going on in Nicaragua, let alone the specific region and cities you will actually be visiting.

Whether you’re going somewhere outside of North America, like Nicaragua, or you’re going to a different neighborhood in your own hometown, get to know the prayers and needs of the people living there.

If you’re going local, take your students (or go yourself), on a prayer walk around the neighborhood you’ll be serving. Connect with long-time residents and hear their stories. Don’t stay strangers until the day you strap on work boots and color-coordinated team shirts.

If you’re going global, read the BBC World section or the New York Times International coverage for your country’s region. Find and follow recommended Twitter accounts from folks in country. Learn and listen to the national conversation. If you live near a place like Toronto, seek out immigrant communities in your own backyard – attend a Haitian church service, taste mole and pico de gallo at a local Mexican restaurant.

Get to know the people and places you will visit on a mission trip so that your prayers for them may come from knowledge and compassion, not ignorance and disinterest. Intentional prayer cultivates empathy, curiosity, and awareness which are essential attitudes to pack alongside those coordinated team shirts.

3. Ask for a word.

Instead of opening your Bible and searching for a meaningful verse on your own, seek out a wise person in your life – a pastor, a mentor, an insightful friend – and ask them for a word.

Ask them to pray about and discern a Scripture passage to assign to you. Then receive that word. Read it. Mediate on it. Live with it. Carry it with you. Even when you have no idea why this supposedly “wise” person would give you such a dull passage! Or so you think….until you’re packing your bag or listening to someone’s story and the Spirit brings the words of that passage to mind and you hear the voice of God for you in that moment.

In all this, remember that God is at work in this world and we have the privilege and invitation to witness to that work when we’re on a mission trip. May your eyes be opened and your hearts moved by the Spirit as you glimpse the mission of our God.

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Rev. Amanda Bakale is the youth and young adult engagement coordinator at World Renew. Based in Kitchener, Ontario, this former West Michigan girl loves her bi-national identity, her Canadian husband, and cheering for the Toronto Blue Jays in the midst of all her Detroit Tigers-lovin’ friends and family.

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Preparing Ourselves for Short Term Missions

Ron deVries — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:33:42 +0000

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Over the past year, various people from youth ministry backgrounds have offered their collective voices to the content of this Youth Ministry Network blog. We hope you have found it to be helpful and encouraging.

For April we will continue the conversation but have invited some new voices to the page.

The spring and summer months are often filled with teens and their leaders heading off to “far away” or “just down the street” places where youth and leaders alike are stretched physically and spiritually as they embark on journeys typically called “Short Term” mission trips.

Many challenges often accompany these trips so the idea was to invite writers in to share about how we as ministry leaders can prepare ourselves, and our youth, for such experiences. Preparation for mission trips is not just about fundraising and packing one’s bags before departing. It’s much more than that and you will read some insights into this over the weeks to come.

Within the denomination there is a collaborative energy taking place between organizations like Youth Unlimited, ServiceLink, World Renew and others, to embrace something called “The Seven Standards of Excellence for Short Term Missions” (SOE), which is a tool to help churches and organizations develop best practices as they seek to serve Jesus by serving others. During this month you will read about these seven standards, along with other observations and concepts.

So let me introduce you to those who will lead us in our Youth Ministry blog for April and the first week of May:

Rev. Amanda Bakale (World Renew): Amanda is a Youth and Young Adult Engager (she is also connected with YALT and is a regular tweeter).
Jerry Meadows (Youth Unlimited): Jerry is “The SERVE guy” and is very well connected with all things “short-term mission” related.
Carol Sybenga (ServiceLink Program Manager): Carol is a former youth ministry director and works for ServiceLink, which is the bi-national volunteer services program of the Christian Reformed Church.
Jolene deHeer (www.jolenedeheer.com): Jolene is a Youth Unlimited speaker and author.

During their time with us over the next number of weeks, these wonderfully gifted contributors will share about various practical, theoretical and spiritual practices that can help us be prepared for our short-term mission trips.

Please join us for our look at “missions” preparation.

Click here to view original post.

Ron deVries works for Classis Alberta North as the Youth Ministry Consultant and have done so since 2007. He also serves as a Faith Formation Coach for the Denomination. Monique, his wonderfully supportive wife, and he have been married since 1985. They have 2 incredible children, Amanda and Shawn. Amanda married Matt and Shawn married Roxanne, so now they have and share 4 incredible children. They are also grandparents to the cutest puppy you will ever meet, Doozer.

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My 51 – Austin Serve

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:15:36 +0000

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We, here at Austin Serve, were excited when we saw “The Other 51” theme for 2015 because it’s sort of what we’ve been doing here ever since we started in 2011. One of our stated goals for our site is to be a launching pad for young people to go back to their home contexts and home church as havoc-wreakers for the Kingdom. We recognize that one of our roles in our family of churches is to be a bit of a research and development (R&D) outpost on the front lines of Kingdom mission and so we not only want to invite young people into that experience but to give them ammunition to take that back to where they came from.

One of the things we tried this year during our Spring Break Serve (which was the first Serve of the 2015 season), was to use the tools afforded to us by Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD). ABCD was a concept developed in the early 90’s and used extensively in mission environments which try to help empower people rather than just do things for them. ABCD recognizes the image of God in all people and helps everyone play a role in community development rather than having the “haves” do the work and the “have nots” learn to be dependent. As facilitators of short-term missions, I think this should be especially important to us because they always run the risk of becoming “hit-and-run” scenarios.

So, in addition to giving them context for all of our worksites, we spent one of our evening sessions doing some community asset mapping. The process is super simple and it helps groups think through the connection between what they’re doing on your site and what they’ll do when they get home.

Materials Needed: Lots of Post-It notes, markers, three boards to post things on.

Step One: Ask kids to gather with their own churches, rather than their small groups. If it’s a good-sized church, split it into groups of 6 or so.

Step Two: Have the group brainstorm assets of the area five miles around where they live and five miles around where the church is located. Suggest some based on what people come up with – things like vehicles, farming knowledge, etc. are often not seen as assets at first. Write each asset on a Post-It and have them stick them to the board on the left (of the three). Challenge each student to come up with at least 3.

Step Three: Have the group brainstorm needs of the same five-mile areas or city centers, if necessary and write their ideas Post-It notes, sticking them to the board on the right side (of the three). You may have to get the ball rolling with some suggestions. (This activity is often harder for people who come from rural or more affluent communities where needs are not as forefront).

Step Four: Read as many of the Post-It’s out loud. There’s bound to be some humorous ones. Then ask the kids to use their groups to throw out some tangible projects that could use the resources of the community to meet the needs in the community. Be as creative as possible. Our Host Team also formed a group and just took an outsider’s crack at combining the two lists – which worked really well.

This process not only gets people thinking about assets and needs in their community but it also begs the question: why isn’t your church already doing these things? Use that as a springboard to talk about some real things that a youth group or church could tackle in the next 6 months. Talk about what role serving the community has in their youth group back home or their church back home.

Some good stuff is bound to bubble up!

If you’ve got more questions, please feel free to contact Mark at mark@sunriseaustin.org or @markhilbelink on Twitter.

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My 51 – Alamosa CRC

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 17:50:17 +0000

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In our town of Alamosa, Colorado, we are set in the San Luis Valley, surrounded by purple, majestic mountains and green fields where the farmers raise alfalfa, barley, oats and potatoes. Along with the landscape, there is a community where people look out, take care of and serve each other.

Our church, Alamosa Christian Reformed Church, also noticed that there was a huge population of residents that needed an extra hand. The San Luis Valley is the home of two of the poorest counties in the nation, so with willing hands and hearts, Christian Community Service Projects (CCSP) was formed.

The mission for CCSP is to address the physical and spiritual needs of people in the San Luis Valley Community in the name of Christ by helping them to rebuild and improve their lives. We do this by hosting groups that go into our community to do home improvements for residents who do not have the resources to help themselves. As manager, I’m able to see every aspect of the operations and guide the process relationally. My favorite part is calling the residents to let them know a group is being coming to meet their need. My second favorite part is seeing the look of satisfaction on the volunteers’ faces when they make a difference through their selfless hearts and attitudes. Galatians 5:13b comes to mind – “serve one another in love”!

My husband, Keith, is also making a difference in the lives of others in Haiti, Honduras and Peru. His talents in woodworking and innovation with limited resources are a real gift to those looking to use what little they have efficiently and effectively. While Keith goes to teach skills he has also learned so many life and spiritual lessons. The best part of serving in other parts of the world is realizing that even thousands of miles away from home we all serve the one, true and Almighty God.

Our church enjoys hosting Serve with Youth Unlimited every other year and we wish it could happen every week, all year around. That’s why we’ve tried to integrate service principles into the life of our church and families.

Whenever we talk about what inspires us to serve and to host Serve for our community, we have to mention Keith’s sister, Christine Tolsma, Christine was tragically killed in 2008 when she was just 17 years old. This terrible loss was only eclipsed by the blessed assurance of seeing her again one day in Heaven. Her faith was strengthened by attending Youth Unlimited’s Serve which definitely created milestones in her walk with the Lord. At those experiences she made lasting relationships with other students, friends from her own community and with Jesus Christ. She also made lasting commitments that caused her to serve the Lord the other 51 weeks of the year, so we are inspired through the legacy she left to serve the other 51 as well.

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Your Story and God’s Glory

ThereforeGo Ministries — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 14:39:18 +0000

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Catching a glimpse of what God is doing across North America would be instantly overwhelming. It could be like what Moses experienced on the mountaintop (Exodus 33) when he asked to see God’s glory. In that passage, God agreed to show himself to a man, to a friend, but not in fullness.

Youth Unlimited has the incredible privilege of seeing a glimpse of God’s work each summer. All summer, we see, hear and experience the goodness of God displayed in the power of the Gospel through congregations and youth groups that are advancing the Gospel into their community and around the world.

Join us at Serve or Live It and you might catch a glimpse of:

The widow whose loneliness dissipates with the help of 12 students who didn’t just come to paint her garage but to help meet her social and emotional needs. She is cared for by a local church all year and this is tangible expression of that care.
The man living on the streets who has a “home” in a congregation. Even though he lives under a bridge – he belongs. He worships weekly, depends on others for daily care and, most fulfilling, he is depended on by those in the congregation for the care he can give to them.
The diverse congregation in a diverse setting effortlessly expressing body-like coordination and unity while beautifully highlighting the uniqueness of each ethnicity and each individual member.
The mono-ethnic youth group in a mono-ethnic region that prays for and longs for relationships with a diverse congregation. While this group is culturally sensitive and accepting of others, their community just does not have diversity in ethnicity. They really do reach out beyond their four walls and their congregation really does reflect the spectrum of ethnic diversity of their region (none or very little), so to make relationships and learn, they invest time and money to travel.
The girl who admits her eating disorder for the first time and, now that her secret is out, is willing to make a plan to deal with the roots of it.
The single mom who is moving her children out of the shelter and into her first home with the help of the church and the work force of students who came to a Serve week or participated in the Service Track of Live It.
The grade 12 student who realizes her college choice and career path can be used for Kingdom purposes.
“That Guy” in the youth group who never entered into worship before and finds his expression during a week focused on Christ.
The boy who struggles with self-esteem and self-condemnation, who, by God’s grace, grasps freedom.
The adult leader that is deeply moved.
The pastor overjoyed because the youth group inspires the adult congregation.

Join us at Serve or Live It, and we are very sure you will catch a glimpse of The Church mobilized and the glory of God.

You will see how your story and the story of your youth group is woven into the fabric of the North American Church and what God is doing down the street, across the continent and around the world the other 51 weeks of the year.

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Food for Thought

ThereforeGo Ministries — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 14:32:03 +0000

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Having just finished a humongous fudge-like brownie one night around 10:00pm, I was inspired to write about youth conventions, high school mission trips, camps, retreats and the like.

Earlier that day, I had a well-balanced meal complete with a side salad, broccoli and a great main course full of protein in the shape of a pulled pork sandwich. Therefore, my decision on the brownie was based on a desire to feed my sweet tooth. The brownie was so rich, I was enticed to have coffee with it (did I mention it was 10:00pm?) and then couldn’t sleep, thus, the analogy and this article.

When you plan to take your youth group on a faith-forming trip, what form of spiritual nourishment does it take?

The fudge-like brownie? This type of nourishment is full of empty calories that give a rush for a short time then leave students feeling down and spiritually sluggish after the superficial energy wears off. Does your faith-forming mission trip create spiritual cavities, holes of disillusionment, that need to be repaired later?

The garnish? No one eats that leaf placed on the plate for decoration. On a dare, I have watched a many 13 year olds eat it and wince with regret. When a youth group trip is placed on the calendar because it’s a tradition or an expectation, it can be a great looking symbol but lack substance, leaving a bitter taste. Make sure it is on the calendar because of God’s leading or don’t put it on at all.

The main course? I might pity this situation more than the others mentioned so far because so many eggs are in this basket (sorry to introduce breakfast into the analogy – now I’m hungry again). The youth leaders with this mentality believe the short experience stands on its own. Their group goes, grows and comes back, but the experience isn’t tied into anything before or after. The summer youth trip was viewed as a complete spiritual meal like a TV Dinner – just pop the students into the microwave discipleship of a van ride, confined space and compressed relationships then return them to everyday life.

A compliment or supplement? Here’s where I think the experience (or event) belongs. You serve up main courses all through the year – at youth group meetings, bible studies, Sunday services, Profession of Faith classes, etc. Through mentoring relationships and service opportunities, in their own community, students have well-rounded, regular “meals”. They even get the dessert or fast food now and then as you live life in community as Christ-followers. Then, the faith-forming event is a supplement or a compliment to their spiritual intake. It’s meant to give them a boost so you make the most of the momentum, integrating what they learned from new ideals and experiences into every day life.

They can take this supplement four to five times per year through mission trips like Serve, attending a convention like Live It and then your own fall retreat or camps as well.

The ideal is that your students would enjoy full spiritual meals with you every week of the year.

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Boondock Serve

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 13:11:07 +0000

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Missional experiences to urban areas have been popular for years. Why is that? What attracts suburban student ministries to reach into the city for a week? Is it because they’ve noticed the strength of urban churches and desire to learn from their creativity, uniqueness and diversity? I hope that’s it and not the thought that the urban church lacks resources or has needs so much greater than “ours”. That would seem condescending and insulting.

From the city of Austin, Texas to the Distillery District of Toronto, urban churches have hosted Serve. We have some great cities and incredible urban leaders in our community of Host Churches, but the Host Churches that sign up for Serve are far from cookie cutter. Each is unique as the day is long.

Suburbia Serve Sites are well represented in Houston, Peterborough, West Des Moines, Ripon, California, etc. There’s an abundance of places to go where economic status varies greatly while the spiritual needs remain constant.

It’s truly not about the place as much as the heart, and the heart of the matter is where the compassion of Jesus Christ converges with his image in an individual no matter what their needs or strengths may be. No matter where in the world we seek to serve it is about finding ourselves in Christ and seeing others in his image; even if that is in the sticks.

Rural Serves are gaining momentum and attention. It might be because we are realizing that rural poverty outweighs urban poverty in both Canada and the U.S. The challenges are clearly different but many of the principles are the same.

To fully embrace a rural “mission trip” we have to overcome some stereotypes. There are words used for “the sticks” that used to be tainted by insult but now carry respect. The redneck nation has grown. Trucker hats are in again and a farmer tan can be worn with pride.

So what do you call the Serve opportunities in western Minnesota, the Prairie of Iowa, Platte, South Dakota, Stephenville, Texas, Heartland, Kansas, etc.? Boondock Serve? You could. Or you could call them innovative, visionary and heart-felt. You could call them God-honoring.

Check Wikipedia and you’ll see: Boondock is American slang used to refer to the countryside or any implicitly isolated rural/wilderness area, regardless of topography or vegetation. Similar slang or colloquial words are “the sticks”, “the chodes”, “the backblocks”, or “Woop Woop” in Australia and New Zealand.

A lot of us who live in rural areas have used, Podunk, Yokel and Middle of Nowhere. A new one for me is Waikikamukau out of New Zealand (pronounced much like “Walk-about-a-moo-cow).

It doesn’t matter what you call it, as long as you respect it. God is using his Church in rural areas to reach the masses. Churches are advancing and enhancing their community outreach and home missions by hosting Serve. The Gospel is being shared week after week as they gain better understanding for the strengths of their community and meet needs. We have at least five rural Serve Sites that are praying that the Lord of the harvest would send them laborers. Why not join church leaders in the boondocks and share the heart of Christ with them and for them in their community.

Maybe your group could be an answer to their prayer. If you’re from the burbs or a city, you’ll get a dose of fresh country air, some rural hospitality and a great view of the Kingdom.

Thank God, I’m a country boy.

Jerry grew up in the farmlands of the Midwest, helping on dairy and hog farms. The town he lived in during middle and high school had a population of 112. The town he lives in now is just passed “the sticks” and recently turned the blinking caution light at the town square into a full-fledged traffic light.

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2015 Theme Summary – The Other 51

ThereforeGo Ministries — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:49:19 +0000

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Happy (almost) New Year! At Youth Unlimited, 2015 is all about “The Other 51”, our theme for Live It and Serve this year. We are so excited for the many students whose lives will be changed through these faith-forming experiences and their interaction with The Other 51. To learn more about what these students will be learning and participating in, read below!

Key Passage:

John 20:21b, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Receive now the Holy Spirit.” (NRSV)

Live It and Serve are just one week of the year, and after that one week, students head back home. Then what?

Students don’t just go for that one week, though. They also go for the other 51. The other 51 weeks in the year matter too, and they know it. Serving God is not about going away for a weeklong “mission tourism” experience. It’s not just about hanging out, meeting new people, and seeing God in a different city. It’s about taking that experience, that one week, and making it their lives! It’s about participating in the Kingdom of God for one week in an intense way so that they can begin to (or continue to) see God’s amazing reign in the other 51 weeks of the year. It’s about seeing God in all aspects of what they do – all the time – The Other 51!

So, get ready for 2015! The one-week youth mission experiences at Serve and Live It are going to change students! Our purpose for this one week is to prepare them for the other 51. We are going to ask, “What would the world look like with a good God revealed in Jesus Christ in charge of it?” That’s God’s plan: to show his reign, his Kingdom, revealed in Jesus to all humanity, and God wants to use students to do it! In these one week experiences, students are going to hear about the size of God’s plan, which is so much bigger than they could imagine. They are going to hear about the people involved in God’s plan, being so many more than they probably thought. They’ll receive some “tools” for working in the Kingdom, and they are going to experience a taste of God’s Kingdom already alive on earth as it is in Heaven – so that they may desire to taste that Kingdom again and again – for the other 51 weeks.

So these one-week you mission experiences are just the beginning. The students who participate are continuing a journey, but not just for that one week. Jesus never asked for one week. He never asked for a little bit of their lives. He asked for it all. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Receive now the Holy Spirit.” Are you ready for 2015?

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Brighton’s Serve Journey

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 20:56:54 +0000

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Brighton’s Serve Journey begins 10 years ago when our youth went on a Serve youth mission trip in 2005 – It’s amazing how the Lord works! He has been preparing us for the last 10 years to now come to this point of hosting Serve in Brighton.

Each year, we send a team of youth to participate in communities all across North America for one week. We have helped people struggling with finances, disabilities and life issues, people from different faiths or different walks of life and we have cared for God’s creation – people, all creatures and His world. We have been the hands and feet of Jesus and it has turned our lives around!

Two years ago during Serve in Orillia, our Pastor received a call to another church. Before we even came home from Serve, thoughts of hosting strongly came to mind. Our youth have always been saying that we should host in Brighton. Knowing the huge commitment involved, it was never an idea that stuck – until now. So, we came back from our mountain top experience and shared the idea with many in our Brighton congregation. Our church family responded with a very excited yes. We knew it would require a great community effort, especially when we would be without a senior pastor.

Brighton Fellowship is a church of ‘doers’. They are the greatest support to our youth group. Months earlier we did a mini visioning for our church and a real passion was to serve the Brighton community, but how does that look? Hosting a Serve project was a great way to help the church do just that.

The journey continued. Council gave their blessing and stands with us for the three year commitment. We made a sign-up board and the response has been amazing. Our church prays for Serve every week and reminds us all how we can make a difference as a church family. We job shadowed the Ajax Serve site this past summer and again were truly blessed. We have contacted potential job sites – the youth drop in centre in Brighton, the New Life Girls Home in Consecon, Community Care, Presquile Provincial Park, the local schools, the two senior homes in Brighton, the low income housing development, etc. Members of our church already help out individually but we look forward to sharing the love of Christ as a church for the Serve week and the ‘other 51 weeks’.

Last week we invited the congregation to join us for the Serve 101 teaching session and 38 people showed up, which is amazing after the short notice they received! After the teaching session, a church member came up to us and said his company would like to donate for the next three years! God is good! We are still without a senior pastor, but our church family has stepped up to the plate. We know the Lord goes before us, beside us, above us, below us and behind us. He truly is with us! We are an excited group and we look forward to hosting Serve…

Let the journey continue!

For more on the outcomes of Serve, click here to download a one-page summary.

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Community at Community CRC

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 18:55:01 +0000

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Fulfilling the Great Commission is the desire of most churches. After all, what church would say they didn’t want to reach out to the lost?

However, fulfilling the Great Commission is easier said than done. How does a church become part of the community rather than just reaching into the community? For a church to be recognized as a positive and valuable influence, even by those who do not attend, speaks volumes to the church’s efforts to be part of its community.

Community CRC has always had outreach as part of its DNA. Established as a mission chapel over 50 years ago in Roselawn, Indiana, it has always sought to connect with the community. Now, Community CRC is a growing church and is still asking the question, ” What can we do for our community?” or, “What will this decision do to help reach the lost and hurting?”

Hosting a Serve week is a natural extension of an already full slate of outreach events during “the other 51” weeks of the year. In the summer, a free Christian rock concert is held in the parking lot of the local food store. In October, a Fall Festival Trunk or Treat attracts 800. January is time for a Wild Game Dinner that draws over 500 and in the spring, there’s a Celebrate Marriage event with a comedian and a prime rib dinner. Other community outreach methods include Kids Hope, VBS, Food Pantry, Thanksgiving baskets, Stephen Ministry, music concerts for all types of music lovers, scores of phone calls and follow-up contacts. Our growing list of community outreach methods makes Sunday morning worship filled with a mix of seekers, new believers, people rooted deep in their faith, people with addictions, people recovering from addictions, very poor worshippers and very wealthy worshippers.

For more information on The Other 51 and Serve 2015, click here.

Big events are important for attracting people to our church, but what happens on Sunday morning is really important. Community CRC has been known for welcoming everyone and anyone when they walk through the doors. A casual and blended worship style helps people feel at home. Our Connections Coordinator makes sure a welcome bag is presented and contact information is gathered.

The Roselawn, Indiana community is not well off. Many families deal with broken homes and addictions. Hurting people matter to our Lord and they matter to Community Church. Help us connect with families that need an expression of love through home improvement projects and other services.

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How Many Students Does it Take

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 23:32:52 +0000

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I’m often asked how many students participate in Serve each summer. Here’s the short but powerful answer:

First, recognize that students and adults participate in Serve and the three major points of impact include:

The Host Church- The Host Church prays about how to creatively share the Gospel with their community and mobilize their congregation into the community. This isn’t just a one-week outreach or even three months of planning. Community outreach and home missions is written into the DNA of the Host Church, so the student workforce during this one week helps to enhance and advance what the congregation does throughout the year.

The Community – Persons in every community across North America are praying that God would meet their needs. Some of those needs are tangible, work-related projects that have a significant bearing on that person’s financial, social and emotional well being. Those people and organizations see the Church in action. They see teenagers as doers of the Word and not hearers only. Plus, the people receiving the work share their life story and perspective so their strengths are seen and not just their needs.

The Students and Youth Leaders – The Students and Youth Leaders who register have been praying about how to expand their worldview and fulfill the Great Commission. They are invited to serve the Host Church and community for one week then urged to go back and engage more fully with their own congregation to reach people down the street and around the world.

For more on Serve Outcomes in these areas of impact, click here to download a one-page summary.

Now here’s the break down of participants. These are approximates and on the conservative side (I never like to be “evangelistic” in my numbers):

1,700 students and youth leaders
400 Host Church volunteers
1,700 Host Church Prayer Partners
2,400 Sending Church Prayer and Financial Partners
5,600 people receiving help and sharing their life perspective with students

10,000 plus participate in Serve each summer directly connected to a church.

That last part, “directly connected to a church”, is vital to Youth Unlimited. Serve is not a student mission trip where student groups “show up, blow up and blow out”. Everyone participating is or can be relationally connected to a long-term ministry. With Youth Unlimited, it’s all about faith for life.

If you’ve been on Youth Unlimited’s Serve and have a story of impact you’d like to share, please email Mandi at Mandi@youthunlimited.org.

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The Church in the Park

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 13:56:12 +0000

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Unity, worship, power, witness… those and many more words could be used to describe some of what God is doing in Peterborough, Ontario.

A few years ago, our church and youth group set out to extend our ministry and our presence into the community by loving others genuinely and intentionally outside the walls of our church building. We realized that as much as we talked about being changed and affecting change, effectiveness would rely on being intentional enough that we would actually leave what’s comfortable (i.e.: our building) and move into the community.

With this in mind, we began regularly canceling “youth group as usual” and organized service nights, connecting with service providers in our community, working to serve those who serve others. As we did that, we ran into unexpected co-workers… brothers and sisters from the church down the road. I walked into the “The Bridge”, a youth drop in for street involved kids in our city. And there was Jim, the youth pastor from Ferndale Bible Church. As we looked at each other and tried to figure out what each other was doing there, we laughed as we realized that we had booked the same service night at the same place on the same week. After that exact thing happened a second time, we figured that God was up to something.

One of the great things about ministry in our city is the connections and unity we experience. It’s an amazing thing to know, support and love others who are kingdom workers here in Peterborough. Church in the City is an organized group of pastors and ministries who pray for and with each other, work together for the common mission of Christ in our city. Jim and I know each other, know each other’s church and trust the call that God has placed in our hearts.

A year later, Jim and I found ourselves co-hosting Youth Unlimited’s Serve week together, celebrating the mission that God has not only placed each of us on, but placed us on together. We kicked off Peterborough Serve 2014 in the middle of Peterborough, the city God has called both our churches to. We held our Sunday service in a downtown park, overlooking the marina on Little Lake: in the same place that just the night before had been the location of Peterborough’s twice weekly free music concert series. In the middle of our community, Ferndale, Living Hope and all our Serve participants sang praises to our God and were commissioned to serving faithfully and enthusiastically for the whole week!

Amazing work was done, we were able to bless some families in their homes and draw alongside all of the same service providers that we had initially begun serving.  We even got to send teams to The Bridge for fresh paint and a new look! We also dove deep into what poverty really looks like in our world, and specifically, in our town.

There was some great work done, and not a small part of that work was the binding of hearts of God’s people, on mission.

If you want to get your student ministry out of the church building, download this youth group curriculum called, “Kingdom Living By Mere Mortals”. It is seven sessions based on Isaiah 58 that will educate, inspire and inform your group. It is suggested that your speaker watch the LIVE 58 Film and clips of that film in this series. See LIVE58.org after downloading and reading through the curriculum.

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Live 58 + Serve

ThereforeGo Ministries — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 15:48:05 +0000

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Click here to watch the video about how Youth Unlimited, Live 58 and World Renew have teamed up to make Serve a life changing experience for students, their congregations and communities.

“In collaboration with Live 58 and World Renew, Youth Unlimited connected the one week Serve to a global initiative. Live 58 supplied much of the biblical messaging and World Renew supplied stories of international impact. Students learned about the needs in North American communities while also realizing the impact of their daily lives on food security around the world.

Live 58’s invitation to Pray, Fast, Give and Shout became a rallying point with the hope that students will engage their own congregations throughout the year in efforts like the World Renew Hunger Campaign. Many churches and youth groups are now inspired not to simply feed the hungry, but to end hunger.

Youth Unlimited doesn’t just involve students in a one week mission trip. Youth Unlimited is engaging them and helping them to mobilize the church all throughout the year.”

It’s not just about one week… It’s about The Other 51.

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Changing the Meaning of “Church Service”

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 20:29:07 +0000

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Bethel CRC in Brockville, Ontario, has left the building. Rather than seeing a teen summer mission trip as a mountaintop experience, they are working to build serving into the DNA of the congregation.

Students from Bethel have participated in Youth Unlimited’s Serve many times and have taken it home to help reach their own congregation.

Pastor Jack Van de Hoef and his team planned three days of worship, prayer and serving with a total of 10 very local work sites. Here is the report in his words:

Most of the sites involved revitalizing properties and creation care (pretty fancy words for pulling lots of weeds). We also helped out at the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore because the damp weather interfered with our outdoor painting projects. Two of the sites were through our local social services agency; the others were through our own church connections. Only two of the sites were for members of our church.

We set it up much like Youth Unlimited’s Serve, with devotions in the morning, work for the day, supper together and worship in the evening. We slept in our own homes. It made for a long day, especially for our seniors, but no one complained.

On Sunday morning, participants were invited to share their thoughts of how they saw God at work. The comments included appreciation for the inter-generational experience and the blessing of seeing the look of appreciation on the faces of those we served. There was the joy of serving, of experiencing teamwork, of coming back to church after a day of work and knowing someone had prepared supper for us.

It was a very positive experience. We will see how the Lord continues to bless our church through this. I’m sure the impact will be felt beyond this one week and into the other 51 weeks of the year.

Thank you for the theme material on Isaiah 58. I gleaned from it to prepare a handout for the morning devotions (with credit being given to Youth Unlimited). I also used the idea of living out of the centre of normal for our Friday evening worship. Instead of a speaker, I interviewed three members of our church who volunteer on a regular basis for different community agencies. I introduced them as three normal people, doing normal volunteering as their service for the Lord and his kingdom.

I could probably say a lot more, but this gives you an idea of how things went.

Thanks again for your support.

Blessings, Pastor Jack

To see a video of Bethel CRC’s experience, click here.

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Changed Lives Changing Lives

ThereforeGo Ministries — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 18:14:10 +0000

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“His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me.”

Words from Betty Bartlett’s favorite song ring true each and every day in her home. Betty, a 72-year-old, cancer-surviving widow expressed her joy as eight high school students painted the cupboards and walls in her warm, loving home. With appreciation in her voice, Betty said she felt strengthened by this group of students; making her feel like a person instead of “just a little old lady”.

Coming from eight cities across the United States and Canada, the 156 high-school-aged Youth Unlimited Serve participants were mobilized by their home church to Grand Rapids, Michigan, not knowing exactly what was in store for them. With a week packed full of opportunities planned by the local host church to serve the community, these students would change more lives than they could count.

Serving people, like Betty, in their homes, in organizations, in warehouses, in thrift stores, in soup kitchens or even out on the streets, the volunteers discovered excitement in sharing the love of Christ. Equipped with a helpful, Christ-centered heart, these volunteers were giving the gift of confidence, love and respect back to the community; especially to people like Betty.

Sharing God’s heart of compassion for the poor, broken and lonely, the host church(es), Youth Unlimited and World Renew worked together to enrich the lives of teenagers. After exposing the growing physical, mental, emotional and social needs of people in the world to the students, Youth Unlimited and World Renew wanted them to see what they can do.

Youth Unlimited used principles and messages from LIVE 58 to create a curriculum that inspires students to live missionally. With the solid application of scripture and a compelling global vision exhibited in LIVE 58 resources, it was natural for Youth Unlimited to seek real life stories of gospel impact from World Renew and urge students to engage with their church in global issues upon their return home. Together, these organizations are empowering and equipping people to live out the gospel message through words and actions.

Bob Grussing, the youth pastor at LaGrave Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, MI, explained how Serve helps equip and shape teenagers’ futures. Giving teenagers the opportunity to serve in communities across Canada and the U.S. allows for them to expand their thinking and know they are part of a bigger world. The Serve volunteers shared in the mission of Isaiah 58, showing the love of God through their work.

As Grussing explained, embracing your own church and then your own community sets you up for embracing the broader community, eventually leading to embracing the world. Continuing on, he said, “This is a beginning of what students can do with their lives. They can make an impact here at Serve and then at home by showing that same hope and passion.”

“In doing the work, we are building relationships,” said Jennifer Heerema, a Serve participant.

“It changes how you look at people and it’s a lot easier than what you would expect,” said Chris Beezhold, another Serve participant.

Nick Moelker, Worksite Coordinator of Grand Rapids Serve said, “Our shirts say ‘Serve’ and that is a piece of it, but it’s more of getting the kids to build a relationship with Christ.” Building a relationship with Christ is the foundation for building a relationship with other people.

Jay Knoblock, the leader of street evangelism at Grand Rapids Serve, said, “Being the hands and feet of Jesus is what we are created for. We need to minister to people where they are at; reaching outside the community and being willing to take a risk.”

Nick Hoffman, a Serve leader from Minnesota, took that risk to reach outside the community. Previously, he went on a World Renew mission trip to Guatemala with a church group where he was inspired by Lazaro Aguin, a man that has collaborated with World Renew over the years. As an expert in organic agriculture, Lazaro teaches countless communities around the area how to fertilize, water and maintain crops.

After seeing what Lazaro was doing, Nick saw the hope and excitement of growing plants in Guatemala and wanted to bring that back to his home community. During his week at Serve, Nick thought of ways to give hope back to people. One idea was to have a community garden to give people hope, dependence, excitement and ambition.

Although the plans are just an idea yet, Nick has learned through a life-changing World Renew Guatemala trip and a Youth Unlimited Grand Rapids Serve trip that people are in need everywhere. “Physical needs are slowly being met, both in Grand Rapids and in Guatemala; but the lack of hope, the lack of love, that is the real poverty.”

Deepening the understanding of global issues and encouraging action is what Youth Unlimited and World Renew are working to do for today’s youth. By broadening their perspectives and challenging their previous world views through experiences, relationships and passion for Christ, Serve participants get fully engaged into God’s community.

So what’s next? What will these kids do the other 51 weeks of the year? What can you do to mobilize the Church and help build the world view of global service to Christ in the next generation?

Pray for direction in continuing the good work God is doing through Youth Unlimited and World Renew.

Give of your time and blessings to end world hunger by participating in the World Renew World Hunger Campaign this fall. Find out more at:
worldrenew.net/worldhunger.

Fast during the campaign using Fast Forward Resources at:
worldrenew.net/fastforward

Show the LIVE58 Film to your church. Find it at live58.org/

Just as these teens had a week-long experience of community change, we can make a change together. Talk with your pastor or meet with your church council to see how your church can use your blessings to help spread the gospel and mobilize the Church.

Together, we can make a difference around the world, feeling comfort in knowing that, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

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What now?

ThereforeGo Ministries — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 17:05:38 +0000

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Love Jesus. Love Others. Like the directions on a shampoo bottle; lather, rinse, repeat.

“Repeating” asks us to do it again and again. Maybe you heard something like this in grade two: Pete and Repeat were in a boat. Pete fell out and who was left? That could go on and on, my friends. Slightly more fun was changing it up to: Pinch Me and Punch Me were in a boat… but I digress.

In the past, student mission trips have seemed that elementary at first glance. It seemed the directions were go, return home and repeat.

That’s changed and we are realigned with the command of Christ. The emphasis in student missions is no longer on the mission trip. The principle worth repeating is living with the mission mentality. Love Jesus. Love others. Repeat daily (not annually after raising the proper funds). The mission of life is loving and serving with a clear gospel focus, especially at home where caring for others is most effective.

The goal of mission trips is not to accomplish missions. “Missions” are not something you accomplish – they are lived. Part of the goal is learning alongside of those we’re sent to serve. We learn how God is working in their community so we can better understand how he is working in our own.

In 2007, the Fuller Youth Institute developed the resource Deep Justice In a Broken World: Helping Your Kids Serve Others and Right the Wrongs Around Them by Chap Clark and Kara E. Powell and in 2009, followed that up with the student companion journal, Deep Justice Journeys: Moving From Mission Trips to Missional Living by Kara E. Powell and Brad M. Griffin. Thank God, after seven years we are living this idea more fully.

Youth Unlimited has woven this key thought into our mission trips: You are being invited to serve alongside a local church and community for a week, learning from them how to compassionately care for a community. Then, you are asked to return home to engage more fully with your church to compassionately care for your own community and the world.

The summer has drawn to an end, so what now? The school year has started, what now?

How will your students repeat missional living each day and all through the year?

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SERVE Blog – ThereforeGo Ministries

Inviting Gen Z to SERVE

Embracing the Elderly

SERVE-ing as a Family

You Can’t Pour from an Empty Cup

Is There More To Supporting Student Mission Trips Than Writing A Check?

#GRATEFULL

Inspire Light

What SERVE Means to Me

Serving Together at Home

Ministry in the Anxious Age

Faith In Action

Creating a Mentoring Culture that is Lifelong and Life-Giving

The 3R’s Part 3: Volunteer Restructuring

Full Transcript:

The 3R’s Part 2: Volunteer Retention

Full Transcript:

The 3R’s Part 1: Volunteer Recruitment

Full Transcript:

12 Ways Youth Can Serve at Home

Serve in Your Church

1. Call or visit congregation members

2. Write cards/notes to older individuals

3. Run a class or book club

4. Help with cleaning or gardening

Serve in Your Community

5. Help your neighbors with home projects

6. Clean out your closet

7. Reconnect with friends near and far

8. Share something you love

Serve in Your Home

9. Help with extra chores

10. Help a sibling with their homework or spend some time doing something they like doing

11. Collect your family stories

12. Pray

Acts of Service are All Around Us

ThereforeGo Announces SERVE@Home For 2021

Better Mission Trip Podcast

SERVE 2021 Theme: The Unshakable Kingdom

A Reflection on SERVE@Home

COVID-19 Creates Opportunity For New SERVE@Home Outreach Program

Go Do Good – Do It

[This is an excerpt from the Fall 2019 Magazine. To read more stories CLICK HERE]

Forever One; SERVE 2020 Theme

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:5 (NIV)

Find a 2020 summer mission trip location here!

Registration opens at Noon (EDT) on November 1st, 2019. For more details and to fill out Step One CLICK HERE!

5 Reflection Questions to Ask After Your Mission Trip

1. What are the top three things I will miss from my mission experience?

2. What are the top three things I’m most thankful for at home?

3. What is one thing I want to remember from this experience?

4. What do I feel like God was communicating to me during this time?

5. Who will I share with when I get home so I can be held accountable for continuing this growth?

Take the time to reflect on your mission trip

Are you planning a youth mission trip for High school students?

7 Ways to Empower and Encourage Youth Before a Youth Mission Trip

1. Make a list of the people (or the person) they most admire and their qualities.

2. Spend time in prayer.

3. Reduce fear of failure.

4. Share and reflect before sleep.

5. Develop a student leadership team.

6. Plan after-hours activities.

7. Formalize reflection and feedback.

Are you planning a youth mission trip for High school students?

9 Benefits of Youth Mission Trips

1. God will change you.

2. You build relationships with people.

3. Your comfort zone will be challenged.

4. You are taught faith in ways you don’t expect.

5. Your compassion grows.

6. You practice patience and flexibility.

7. You become more globally aware and better understand the world.

8. You commit to servanthood.

9. The benefits don’t end when the trip is over.

Looking for more benefits of a youth mission trip? Check out this great resource!

FAQs

What’s the typical schedule of a SERVE week?

Who can participate? (ex. how old do you have to be)?

How do I find a mission trip?

Are you planning a youth
mission trip for High school students?

Are you planning a youth
mission trip for High school students?