It has become a tradition in my class to bring my students on an end of the year ministry trip in which they share the Gospel through their show, and serve each other as well.  Over the years I have brought classes to Willamantic, CT.; Willingsboro, NJ.; Halifax, NS; Boston; Scituate, RI; and Burlington, VT.  In recent years, the venue has been Vermont each year, as it was once again in 2023.

I first define the goal of this trip as what it is not.  It is not youth group, summer camp or even a retreat.  Typically, these events are catered, in one way or a thousand, to serving the teens.  The American evangelical church has tremendously over-ministered-to, undercommitted young people.  And they are walking away from the church in droves when they become young adults.  I think teens deserve more credit than the typical pizza party- silly game- then-bait -and-switch-them-into-a-brief-Bible-lesson format that has failed hundreds of thousands if not millions over the past half century.  So I have designed these trips differently.  When you watch how Jesus trained his disciples, he sent them out to 'cast out demons, heal the sick and preach good news to the poor' then brought them back together to learn from what they experienced.  So LOL spends their four days doing similarly: minister, then discuss what we can learn from it.  This most recent trip they did four shows, a parade, and a visit to Water Brooks Retreat Center.  Then, back at the base, they were on student-led work teams who cooked, cleaned vans, washed dishes, etc. At each meal, a different 8th grader was responsible for a brief devotional message.

Of course the adult chaperones (of which we had six) worked along with them. And of course we found time for souvenier shopping.  And, of course, the kids had free time.  But this was not filled with adult-led games.  They created their own fun. And did they ever: hide and seek, card tournaments, walking the bunny and birds on leashes, sitting in the shade and talking.  There was plenty of time for fun.  But the prupose of the trip was clear from beginning to end:  learn by serving.

We set out from Widham Christian Academy on May 25, getting off to a bright and early 8:30 departure.  After a trip that included a 40 minute lunch and bathroom break (I'll never forget Kara and Autumn dancing in the lawn at the Vermont Welcome Center!), devotional thoughts by 8th graders in both vehicles, and lots of singing and chatter, we arrived at Birchwood Terrace, a nursing home on Burlington's North End.  In spite of a long day of travel, the kids did great, and did even better when visiting with the residents after the show.  There was a lot of intergenerational prayers being prayed together.

After the show, it was another 45 minutes in vans before we got to our base at Cross Ways Church in Vergennes. Then, after my wife, Sue,and my classroom aide, Lucy, went to the store for the perishable groceries we couldn't transport from Maine, we ate, had free time, chapel, and a remarkably easy time for the first night's lights out.  But the adventure was just beginning.