Dear friends,
I am worn out and exhilarated! I am writing this article after returning from our first-ever Family Service Project Trip. Fifteen of us – five youth, three young adults, and seven young-at-heart adults – participated in a weekend program led by “Incredible Days,” an organization that helps church groups learn and grow as we do service.
We stayed at a UCC church in Seekonk, Massachusetts, which offered us warm hospitality, a hall and kitchen and even showers. Friday evening was spent getting to know each other, reflecting on why we had come, and playing “Go Fish.” We woke up early Saturday morning and headed out to Mathewson Street Church and
St. Raymond’s Church, both in Providence. We wrote affirmations on lunch bags, made sandwiches, served coffee, broke down boxes, organized systems, moved pineapples, made meatballs, and distributed lunches to people at a park beside a bus terminal.
We took a break to eat our own bag lunches, then headed to our second site: Church Beyond the Walls, an outdoor church like Common Cathedral in Boston and Worcester Fellowship. The congregation meets outdoors in a park. Most of its members are unhoused. We joined them in a worship service and helped serve pizza, salad and cracker packs for lunch. We reflected with their pastor on where we experienced the presence of Christ, drove back to Seekonk and collapsed until dinner and reflection time. We were revived by brownie sundaes.
On Sunday, we worshipped with the Seekonk Church. Olivia led the Call to Worship, Sarah read the Hebrew Bible text, and Dawn read the Gospel. During prayer time, Santi and David (supported by Maya and Celia) went up to the pulpit and shared about our trip. Here are experiences they highlighted (their words):
- Writing affirmations on lunch bags and learning how much those words mattered.
- Seeing people who had basically nothing having the generosity to share with others who are also in need.
- Seeing someone crying during the prayers at Church Beyond the Walls.
- Seeing how much it matters for people to have choices.
- We saw a cute duck with a gold chain; she was being held by a “duck dad” with a duck T-shirt (you’ll have to ask Santi, David, Celia, Ruth or Axl about this one).
- Meeting people who volunteer every day or every week; some of them are folks who experienced homelessness themselves.
Santi and David closed their reflections by saying how much our experience affirmed the UCC statement of welcome: “No matter who you are or where you are on your life’s journey, you are welcome here.”
What a gift it was to spend a weekend with this amazing group of young and slightly less young members of our church. It was a gift to have the opportunity to serve and reflect together. I can’t wait for our next opportunity to serve and learn!
Peace, Debbie