Friends Youth Summer Ministries

Cover Stories:	Features:
9.11	In The Spotlight
	Friends Disaster Auction
	Camp Gideon Summer "Splashing" Success
	Longview VBS Exceeds Expectations
	Our Church in NYC
	Remembering Yearly Meeting
	Friends Youth Summer Ministries

Friends Youth Across Eastern Region Experienced Unforgettable Summers
       
"God truly blessed us on the trip. We praise Him for keeping us safe through the week and for helping us to go beyond our comfort zones and grow spiritually." Youth Pastor Eric Biddle, from Damascus Friends Church, summarized the feelings of most who participated in Summer Mission Trips this year.

The Facing Bench is deeply grateful for all who responded with information about youth trips. Space limitations prevent us from including detailed summaries of every trip but, every trip sent to the editor is listed below. For more information, contact the churches directly. Their stories may well be worth the call.

Please click here for a list of all of the Summer Missions Trips this year associated with EFC-ER

Memphis, Tennessee
"The Memphis Mission Team"

Damascus Friends Church took five adults and six senior high students to Memphis, TN. They spent a week in an inner city ministry center called "Streets Ministries" where they slept, ate, ran a VBS, and did work projects. Using Veggietales curriculum for the VBS, they ministered to about 50 children. The work projects consisted of painting, cleaning, and organizing some closets.

Dominican Republic
Canton First Friends - Senior High Youth Trip

33 students and 8 adults spent 16 days in the Dominican Republic. They presented their outdoor drama 17 times to audiences averaging between 100-400 people, held church services, conducted a VBS three times (one location had over 300 children in attendance), and competed with the nationals in 3 basketball games.

Kickapoo Indian Reservation - McCloud, Oklahoma
Raisin Center Friends - Youth Missions Trip

A group of 20 youths and 9 adults from Raisin Center Friends (near Adrian, Michigan) returned to the Kickapoo Friends Center at McLoud, Oklahoma. The group dug out, formed, and poured more than 26 yards of concrete on the campus to form two long sidewalks and a large patio which went from ground level at one end to about 30 inches above ground at the other end. The concrete was paid for by the children of Raisin Center during V.B.S. through their "Sidewalks for the Kickapoo Center!"

Included in the group were the Banner/Worship Team, the Drama Team, and the Bell Choir who performed in four churches during the week after working very full days.

First EFC-ER Youth Mission Trip to Hungary

Students from three churches accompanied Greg & Pam Rice to Hungary. They spent most of their time in Hencida. (A small village with a large gypsy population where several churches in our region sent money to help fund the buying and building of a camp.) The team's project was to go and lead the first Gypsy Children's Bible Camp. Team members were especially impacted by the poverty of the gypsies and the difference Christ can make as He brings hope to their situations.

Neon, Kentucky
Deerfield Friends Youth

Nine youths and eight adults traveled to Neon, Kentucky to work with HOMES Inc. (Housing Oriented Ministries Established for Service, Inc.) The mission of HOMES is to assist residents in obtaining adequate affordable housing by constructing new housing, rehabilitating, or reconstructing existing houses. Work teams from several states participate through out the year with different project assignments.

Deerfield's Mission Team worked on the construction of a new four plex, installing insulation, dry wall, a concrete ramp and deck and much more. As a result of their hard labor, DEFC Mission team contributed 612 hours of work toward the completion of this project, saving $6,120 of the total cost of the four plex.

Sidewalk Sunday Schools
Mt. Gilead Youth--Summer Outreach at Home

On the youth mission trip to Arizona last year, our teens caught a vision to do "Sidewalk Sunday School" outreach events. These are VBS-like programs held in the neighborhoods where the children live. Our teens committed to doing Sidewalk Sunday Schools at locations around Morrow County including trailer parks, apartment complexes, and small towns (using parks or school yards) throughout July and August. We averaged 15 kids in attendance and usually had anywhere from 5 to 20 teens helping with the event. Over the summer many children accepted Christ and/or made recommitments to Christ. In addition, our teens were really challenged in their faith and walk with the Lord. We are planning to continue these events next year, and will be expanding what we do.

In August, they took it one step further. Pastor Jim McMillan and eight young people traveled to Ridgeway,Virginia to serve God by working with the youth from New Life Community (Friends) Church to train and lead the youth from New Life in the development of Sidewalk Sunday School in their community. Throughout the week, our youth were challenged with various opportunities to develop their leadership skills. The youth were placed in charge of various ministry teams including teaching, crafts, skits, games, and music.