So it's Election day. Aren't you glad God holds tomorrow firmly in His grasp? These last several months have not been easy. Much of how we do life has had to be re-learned. Will masks ever go away? Is the virus going to spike this fall and winter? What will happen to the country if ________ ________ (insert the candidate's name you DID NOT vote for) gets elected/re-elected? What will the church look like in the coming months? How will youth ministry navigate these choppy waters?
We are going to press on, with more flexibility and adaptability than ever. And, we're going to stick like glue to the foundational verses of this student ministry: John 14:6, Luke 9: 23, and John 20: 21. Everything we do will be intentional, with an even deeper focus on developing student leaders. Have you seen what the senior leadership of Jacob and the crew has done in our student band? They are being empowered and led to lead with confidence. Did you know that we have a very faithful and excited group of middle schoolers who are going to turn this place upside down for Jesus in the coming years? Were you aware that multiple students of all ages took the mic last Wednesday night and poured out their testimonies among their peers? And, did you know that we have a committed group of youth workers that are more unified than ever after coming out of the quarantine?
Yes, things may look different than a year ago-- and not just because of COVID or the incredible transformation of the stage in the chapel. The foundation is systematically being rebuilt for the future of Sweetwater Students and ultimately this church and the other churches these students will serve in wherever their collegiate and career lives take them. Stick around and see what's next. I guarantee you it's bigger than you or I could begin to dream up. It's God-sized.
I'd love to chat any time in person, on the phone, or via video. Please check out the mission trip information below. And, don't let the money scare you. If money is an obstacle for your family, we will eliminate that obstacle for you.
Talk to you soon,
Pastor Eric
Sweetwater Student Mission Trip 2021
July 4 - July 108am - 8pmLOCATION: Pawleys Island, SCEarlybird Cost Before December 31: $445/person* ($45 non-refundable deposit required to sign up)
Cost After December 31: $545/person* ($100 non-refundable deposit required to sign up)
*Mission funds raised for this past summer will be transferred to go toward this trip. And, we will do fundraisers as needed. Money will not be allowed to be obstacle that keeps any student from going.
Youth mission trips have been changing young lives for as long as student ministry has been in existence. Personally, some of my biggest faith milestones have come while away from home on mission trips.
Of course, there is work to do at home! We cannot neglect local needs. But, there is just something powerful about getting far away from one’s comfort zone and giving a solid week to serving and growing in Christ.I’ve led trips of 50+ students halfway across the country by buses in which I trained students to fully staff children’s Bible clubs in massive apartment complexes. I’ve also flown with teams into sprawling and diverse urban areas such as Jackson Heights, Queens, NYC. And, I have spent weeks working on construction and repair teams helping impoverished local residents of rural and urban areas do things they either not afford or not physically do to improve their quality of living. God works on mission trips. Students and adults come back stronger in the faith and with a burning desire to stay involved in missions.
Mission trips make a difference when they are done right with the right partners and with intentional planning. That’s why I am a big fan of Doug Franklin and his team at LeaderTreks. Leadertreks has been serving Pawleys Island since 1994 with a local missionary committed to reach the community year-round. This island off the coast of South Carolina is something special. LeaderTreks base camp is five minutes from the water’s edge, yet in the middle of this vacation paradise is a broken community.
Why Pawleys Island? Pawleys has a long history of racial division. The local ministry partners we will come alongside promote reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) by helping families caught in generational poverty. The many years of racial division has been ignored as the local economy has grown and expanded. Our team will serve families caught in the cycle of generational poverty through home repair projects. At the same time, our team will partner with local ministries to bring the hope of the gospel to this special place through relational outreach opportunities.
The Biblical discipleship, the leadership skills, and the practical community ministry skills students will learn by partnering with LeaderTreks will easily translate to developing stronger local mission ministries in our central Florida locale—and encourage a life of serving God as students go away to college and beyond in their careers.
But what about social distancing and safety? LeaderTreks has thought of everything. They say, “Safety is our number one priority. Throughout Summer 2020, our team led low-contact mission trips across the country. By making several adjustments to our programming, we allowed teams to serve while staying safe.” They will continue to do so in the summer of 2021. Here are the four big keys to health safety:
1. One Group Per Site
2. Low-Contact Service Projects
3. Accommodations in Non-public Buildings
4. Sidewalk VBS
Your students will not only work on mission projects. They will also learn spiritual habits that they can apply at home and when they leave home for college or work. Some of the discipleship that will take place on the trip will include:
- Introducing and learning multiple Bible study methods
- An emphasis on prayer
- Evening worship every night
- Intentional LeaderTreks staff who will pour into our students
- Tools for debriefing that will solidify growth after the trip is overStudents will be intentionally led to grow in the following areas:
- Passion for God’s Word
- Reliance on God
- Dependence on community (being the church together)
- Real life application of the Bible
- Spiritual maturityIn addition to growth in ministry skills and spiritual disciplines, your students will be taught leadership skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. They will learn to lead out of their unique wiring and gifting. For leadership growth, they will experience:
- Leadership Profile
- Team Building Games
- Leadership Assessment
- Leadership Principles
- Real Leadership Roles
- Learning Their Leadership Wiring
- Discovering Their Spiritual Gifts
- Life Skills
- Leadership Principles
- ConfidenceMuch prayer went into deciding who to partner with in missions this summer, and likely in future summers. LeaderTreks hits a home run in everything they do. I sincerely hope you will prayerful consider letting your student(s) commit to going on this trip.
I will be scheduling in-person, Zoom, or voice calls with any family interested in a student or sibling students going on this trip. Please email me, call me, or talk to me before/after Wednesday/Sunday services. I will be happy to meet you on a day and at a time that works best for your family. The call/meeting will answer all of your questions along with confidentially covering the financial needs of your family in relation to going on this trip. If your student feels God tugging at them to go, then we will trust God to make the finances work through fundraisers and other anonymous gifts from generous people in our missions-minded church family.
Talk to you soon,
Pastor EricPS The typical daily schedule looks like this:
7:00 Breakfast 8:00 Individual Morning Devotions 9:00 Work Project 12:00 Lunch 2:00 Student-Led Vacation Bible School 6:00 Dinner 7:30 Team Time 10:30 Lights Out 
https://www.youtube.com/watch/qtvQNzPHn-w
COMING SOON: S2 Movie Night
Date TBD - Date TBD7 - 11PMLOCATION: Sweetwater Student CenterStudents have requested a movie night with a faith-based film. We will be exploring dates for this event in the next three months.
COMING SOON: S2 "IMPOSTERS" NIGHT (a knock-off of "Among Us")
DATE TBD - DATE TBD7pm - 11pmLOCATION: Sweetwater Student CenterA very creative youth pastor friend of mine has created a live-action knock-off version of the wildly popular app game "Among Us." Students have requested an event based on "Among Us." So, we're going to make it happen in the next few months!