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.
