Our Second Meeting

Everyone is hard at work right now getting ready for our trip, which is only two weeks away! Below are a few pictures of what we've been doing today. Our entire group is split up into four teams, each in charge of a different aspect of the trip.

                                                     This is our awesome mission trip group

                                             These are our cooks planning the wonderful meals

                                                       This is our special projects group

                                            This is our worship team missing several members

                                           This is our connections group planning all our games

And finally, we'd like to add just a few more examples of what students wrote about why they're going on the trip and what they're looking forward too.

"To draw closer to God by serving others. To grow in my friendship with the ministry teams. To love the special people we will meet through the UGM. to have a great, safe time serving God with some really awesome people."
-Jim

"I hope I can make a difference to the people we help, and strengthen my relationship with God. I look forward to helping the people. Also seeing them change and to see there smile. I am doing this because I think it's important to do this."
-Erica

"I want to go on the missions trip because I love serving God and I think that this would be a good way to do this. Also I think that this would be a great chance to connect more with the other people around me. I also think that this would be a great chance to strengthen my walk with God too. What I want to get out of this is to get a closer relationship with God and the people around me."
-Brooke

Fruit of the Gospel

This post is for our middle school students and the volunteers that are going to be going on the mission trip. Hopefully you've been keeping up with the reading in the One-Minute Bible. If you have, then today (Monday June 21) you read a few passages under the heading "Give thanks to God for his enduring love." One of the passages is Colossians 1:3-6, where Paul writes that the gospel "is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and recognized God's grace in the truth." The cool thing about God's Word is that it never stops working. It is always bearing fruit. It's always bringing results.

In Isaiah 55:10-11, God says, "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

So when God's Word goes out, it doesn't come back with nothing. It does what he means for it to do. When we go to Salem, we can trust that God will accomplish his purposes through us if we allow ourselves to be used by him.

So here is a chance for you to respond. Think about and answer the question, "How have I seen the gospel bear fruit?" Maybe you've seen God's Word do some incredible things in your own life, or in the lives of your family or friends. If we remember how God has acted in the past, it can boost our trust that he will continue to act.

This is important, because this is how you leave an answer to that question: At the bottom of this post, click where it says "0 comments" (or "2 comments" or however many there are). Write what you want to say in the box, and where it says "Comment as," choose Name/URL. Put your name (just your first name, please), and then hit "Post Comment."

With that, here's what a few more of you are looking forward to on the trip, and why you're going.

"What I hope to get out of the mission trip is that I can make a difference in someone's life and faithfully and kindly, and that Gd will use me in His way and that I'll learn more things. I loved this trip we took and I learned A LOT of things from them and I want to be as amazing as the people who started the program. I want God to use me to get through to those who need help from me."
-Maria

"I am hoping to get insight on what people who have nothing act like. This will help me to be more humble. I also want to get to know God better."
-Alex

"I am really hoping to get a better relationship with God. What I am hoping to help people out and I also hope to get the mission a lot cleaner and a lot nicer."
-Trevor

"I went on this mission trip last time...and nothing has ever impacted me more. I loved working shoulder to shoulder with people who's lives had been changed drastically by God."
-Heather

The Mission

As mentioned in our earlier post, our middle school youth group will be going on a mission trip next month. We wanted to take this opportunity to give you some information about the mission we will be working with--Union Gospel Mission in Salem, OR. Since 1953, UGM has been serving the homeless and needy in Salem in the name of Christ. Its ministries include providing meals to those in need, daily chapel services, ministry and job training, a mission store, a dental clinic, and other services. The organization's mission statement is, "Union Gospel Mission, a Christ-centered ministry demonstrating God's love by meeting physical, mental, and spiritual needs of men, women, and children in crisis. Proclaiming the gospel of Christ in word and deed."

While we are on our trip, we will primarily be helping with some physical labor projects, such as painting. We are hoping that these projects will be a blessing to the mission and will allow those who work there to be more focused and effective as they minister to those in the community. We are excited to see how God uses us and our resources to aid in his larger work among those in Salem. Check out UGM's website to find out more about this incredible ministry.

With that, we'd like to share a few more pieces by our students and volunteers about why they are going on the trip and what they are looking forward to. We'll keep putting these up in our next several posts, so be sure to keep checking in for updates!

"I decided to go on this trip because it sounds like a fun opportunity to be closer to God, while having fun. I look forward to volunteering my time to help others, and getting to know God even better. I also want to make fun memories that will stay with me for a long time."
-Kacey

"I want to use this as an opportunity to grow closer with the students in the youth group and to serve beside them."
-Angie

"On this mission trip I hope to grow closer to God. I also hope to spend time in fellowship with God and friends. I wish to serve and help people. I wish to enjoy life and be able to help other people enjoy their lives."
-Sean

"I'm going to spread the Word of God. I'm excited about working hard."
-Sarah

"I hope to grow closer to God and help middle schoolers grow in their relationship with him. Help people in need and ultimately have a fun time in the process."
-Brett

"I want to go on this mission trip for many reasons. My main reason is to serve God. When I went two years ago, I got closer to God. My eyes were opened about the real world. I want to get closer to God again. I want to see how God is working through homeless men and women. I hope to learn from them and for them to learn from me. I want to represent God and my church and show how God is working through me! I want to serve God for sure!"
-Jordan

Why We're Going

Hey! This is the blog for Suburban Christian Church's middle school mission trip. We will be traveling to Salem, OR from July 11-16 to work with the Union Gospel Mission. We'll be putting up more information about what we'll be doing in the near future, but for now, we just wanted to let you know why our students and volunteers are going on the trip, as well as some of the things we are looking forward to.

"What I hope to get out of this trip is spending time with fellow Christians on helping other people who don't have the things we have. Also spending time with Jesus. I hope to learn more about Jesus while I am there."
-Sean

"I want to go to the UGM mission with the Youth Group because I know that God has a plan for me and I want to spread his word to people who may not know about or believe in Him. I want to get out of this experience and opportunity is a great time spreading God's word and learning more along the way."
-Kristine

"I hope to get a stronger connection with God. To be able to listen to what He wants to tell me. I also want to build stronger relationships. Hopefully have fun."
-Haley

"I want to work on the Mission Trip because there's so many people in America, and starting locally is a perfect way to start letting people know the good news of God. I want to help out people who might be struggling and just let them know that people are praying for them and God is watching. Lastly, I want to have fun doing this for people. I want to get to know people in my youth group better, and to know God better"
-Lauren

"I would like to go on this trip because I want to work along side the students at UGM. I hope by this experience I can develop deeper Relationships with the students and see God work within the group. Woohoo!!"
-Katie