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A Local Mission Trip
As the Youth Group coordinator at Grace Presbyterian Church outside of Washington DC, I greatly desired our youth group to go on a mission trip. But I wanted it to take place somewhere different than our homes and home church. I wanted to see the group serving or evangelizing—focused outwards on others and their needs. I was also excited to see relationships flourish as we spent time together through service, as a mission trip uniquely encourages. However, it was already late spring 2023, folks had their summer calendars decisively parsed, and honestly, I didn’t really feel like I had the bandwidth to lead a group of youth for an entire week as we were all out of our comfort zones. Mission trips are not something I myself have been a part of very much and I was intimidated by the planning required and the energy necessary for a far-away week-long trip.
Evangelism Everywhere
“Gospel-sharing starts right where you are, and it goes out from there. Evangelism isn’t reserved for far-away mission trips—evangelism should be a part of the Christian’s daily life,” says Tyler Detrick, pastor of Light of the Nations OPC in Dayton, Ohio. This convicting statement is not mere sentiment for Pastor Detrick but is strongly supported by his demonstrated passion for and work in the area of evangelism and missions.
A Short-Term Trip to South Sudan, Again!
One of the reasons for the visit to Juba in South Sudan was to talk to the brothers in the Sudanese Reformed Church (SRC) about the possibility of having their young men trained at the OPC’s Knox School of Theology, established and run by the OP Uganda Mission in Mbale. Knox is a 12 hour bus-ride from Juba. Jackson, the director of Knox, plans to build “Juba Lodge”, a dormitory which will enable young men to come from South Sudan, stay, and study for a semester at a time. The hope is that some of these young men will come from the refugee population, giving them a way to move forward with their education, that upon completion they might return and bring spiritual nourishment to many hungry souls in the IDP camps as ordained ministers of the Sudanese Reformed Church.
Three Constants in 2020
This year has been... unprecedented? Has anyone said that before? The large difficulties and uncertainties have magnified the small ones and made the whole year feel like one big disaster.
