Bearing Christ's Reproach

Joint Mission Week Opportunity
Summer 2008

Partnering Ministries

Church of the First Born
Bethlehem Community Center
Widows Harvest Ministries

Mission Statement

Provide an in-town, cross cultural, urban, summer mission opportunity for area senior high youth with Ministries who have a long history in our city for ministries with at risk youth (with high percentages of fatherless) and widows.

Schedule

Cost

$300 without breakfast and lunch included.
$320 includes breakfast and lunch.

Breakdown

Cost covers housing (St Elmo Ave Baptist Church), evening meals, t-shirts, mission week handbook, materials for widows construction project, general support for MVP (church of the First Born), V-Team (The Bethlehem Center), Widows Harvest Home Repair Ministry for Widows.

Questions & Answers

Q.Isn't it better to go out-of-town with a youth group because there are too many distractions to achieve the desired group dynamic when staying in town?

A.Missions is not either/or it is both. Scripture presents a mandates for us to repair the breaches in the wall where we live as well as to go into all the world and make disciples. All the world includes home, it is just not as exciting. Besides, for most suburban youth in America going across town to spend a week in an inner city, cross cultural setting is every bit as radical as any place out-of-town you could go.

Q.Isn't the cost per person high for a local mission trip? That seems like the same amount we have paid for an out-of-town mission trip?

A.This amount is the average per person cost for most mission opportunities. Understandably, it would seem to a group that is staying in town that the cost per person should be less, but for the ministries hosting the mission teams the costs are not any less for a local group than they are for a group coming from out-of-town. Actually, the cost is less for the local visiting team since there are no other associated expenses for them like transportation costs, for instance.

Q.Are there any real advantages, though, for our youth by staying in town rather than traveling out-of-town?

A.There are actually many advantages that should be considered. Perhaps, one of the greatest advantages, though, has been best expressed by a local youth who made the remark after participating in a mission week with us:

"When you go out-of-town all you come back with is memories. When you stay in town you also have ongoing opportunities to continue ministering with the ministries you have begun a relationship with."

<>Aaron Tolson, the youth director at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, after bringing his youth to participate in a mission week with us this summer confirms this youths observations:

"the connections that we have made with the ministries we worked with have opened our eyes to inter-racial dynamics in our city, of which we were mostly unaware. Just as significant are the friendships that were developed that have continued to build bridges between our congregations."

Q.Are there any real differences between this mission opportunity and other short-term mission opportunities either here, locally, or out-of-town?

A.There are a lot of good mission opportunities available that God uses in the lives of those who participate. What, perhaps, sets this opportunity apart from many other mission opportunities is the fact that all of the Ministries who are participating are involved in these same types of ministries all year long and have been for many years. In other words, the ministries you will be working with here have not been created in order to provide mission teams opportunities to serve.

In recent years many ministries and mission organizations have realized that tremendous amounts of money can be raised through short-term mission opportunities. Some mission organizations raise as much as $1 million dollars during the summer months. Their mission opportunities, though they may include other ministries, much of what is done during these mission weeks through these ministries is not a part of ongoing ministry outreach. Unfortunately, when the summer ends, the ministry opportunities that were created for the mission teams, end as well.

The motive for our mission opportunity is discipleship, both for those who come to minister (through our short-term mission opportunities) as well as those who are the focus of our ministries. We place great value on the youth we have the privilege to serve with through these opportunities. Christ's model of leadership was to serve and not be served and that is our hearts desire with those who come to serve with us. If lives are not being transformed as a result then the kingdom of God is not being advanced.

Q.How flexible is this mission opportunity in being able to accommodate the ministry goals that I have set to achieve with my youth group during this week?

A.It is our desire to be as open to the moving of the Holy Spirit as we can. What we want and hope to accomplish in ministry at any given time is not necessarily what God has in mind. Therefore, during your mission week with us we will always keep in mind what you would like to accomplish as well. Being flexible is what we strive to be.

Q.Will there be any opportunities during the week for our youth to meet and develop in-depth relationships with youth of other races and cultures?

A.Each mission team that serves with us we hope will also be joined that week by a group of African American youth. It is our belief that one of the most effective ways to break down many of the barriers that commonly separate us as the body of Christ happens when we come together in order to minister to those who have much greater needs than ourselves. Doing this while living together throughout the week will, in turn, greatly expedite these results.

To Learn More

about the Ministries who are coming together to partner in this local mission opportunity you can visit the web sites for the Bethlehem Center and Widows Harvest Ministries at:

Thebeth.org
Widows.org
Widows.chattablogs.com

For video Footage from the 2007 mission week with Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church's youth group type in the following link:
blog.widows.org/archives/050798.html

or go to widows.chattablogs.com and on the left side of the home page click on "Bearing Christ's Reproach" in order to view.

Signing Up

To reserve a week during the Summer of 2008 please contact Andy Mendonsa:

Contact Form