Stop Confirming Teenagers to Membership. Start Confirming them to Mission! Mark D. Hinds Remember when Jesus called his disciples and how he baptized them and appointed them as junior community members? Then when the disciples turned thirteen, he convened a crash...
The Advocate reached out to Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, Director of the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness to Washington, D. C., to gain his insight regarding the connection between the work of Christian education and social justice ministry. The above image shows Jimmie (with...
by Brittany Porch Upon canceling our summer mission trips due to Covid-19, the church Session committed to an alternative mission experience for our youth that was safe and offered a meaningful service experience. To pull this off, I had quite the task set before me....
I still remember the conversation. I was talking with our associate pastor about an upcoming annual youth mission trip. We both expressed some frustration with previous years’ trips. It wasn’t so much the places we had gone or the things we had done but mostly with...
By: Priscilla Andre-Colton Dr. Thomas Long is one of the plenary presenters for the 2019 Annual Event in Galveston. He will be speaking to the gathered body on Thursday and Friday and will lead a workshop on Friday afternoon. For more information about the annual...
By: Jann Treadwell All of us want to make a difference in the lives of others. This can occur as we follow Christ’s mandate to serve those in need. That said, youth leaders hope service projects also will make a difference in the faith and lives of our own youth, not...
By: Miatta Wilson Miss Abney sits hunched over in her wheelchair falling asleep as the fifth grade boys approach her in the circle and begin tossing a balloon and speaking to her. Soon she looks up bright eyed and bats it back with gusto, as the aide explains that...
By: Bill Buchanan After 9 years, we at Youth Mission Co have come to a conclusion. We no longer lead youth mission trips. There have been many critiques about short term mission trips with teenagers. There are stories of young people who travel far away, excited to...
By: Joyce MacKichan Walker Over my forty years of serving churches as a volunteer, Ruling Elder, Certified Christian Educator, and now as a Teaching Elder, I have always known and claimed the importance of educational ministry and mission working hand-in-hand....
