First Congregational Church - United Church of Christ - Battle Creek

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SUNDAY BULLETIN

SUNDAY Supplement

2006 Youth Mission Trip

The senior high youth group went to Cincinnati, OH for a mission trip this past summer. Twenty one youth and five adults came on the trip. We worked in the Camp Washington area of downtown Cincinnati and with the Washington United Church of Christ. While there, we met with Pastor Pam, the courageous woman who strives to give the kids of the neighborhood a better life and a chance to succeed in an environment where 53% have never graduated from high school, 40% of the neighborhood's households have an annual income of less than $15,000, 35% live below the federal poverty level.

We also cleaned out and painted apartments which will be utilized by future campers (mission trip groups like ourselves), planted a garden, played kickball and other games with the youth, helped serve dinner as part of Kids Café to families and children in the area and participated in a street feed. A street feed is an amazing opportunity where we took food to an empty parking lot and set it out so people from all over the city can come and get some free food. Some of us also got the chance to help plan worship as part of the summer program for the kids.

At night, the youth group gets together in the sanctuary to do devotions. We sing songs, listen to songs, talk about the day, reflect on things we have seen or done to impact our lives, and pray in different ways. Each year, on the last night of devotions, we say goodbye to the seniors by having the entire group say what they like about each senior. It's a special tradition.

Mission trips are always a great experience to interact with people of a different background. On our mission trip we fed and talked with the homeless in a local park. "If Jesus embraced Lepers, Prostitutes, & Convicts, shouldn't we?" First Congregational Church - UCC - Battle Creek - Michigan

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