We have our eyes on the future. Who will sustain the Mission of God ten, fifteen, or fifty year from now? Those leaders are just children and youth today! This is why we were thrilled to host an youth internship organized by pastors and youth groups of the You(th) Church network. Students from four local churches came out for a carefully organized internship introducing them to urban ministry.
They learned a biblical basis for urban mission and approaches for sustainable community development. Their journey took them from kitchen to the farm, as they cooked and prepared food at the Innovation Assistance food bank, took it to local homeless shelters, and even visited the farm (and held the chickens) where much of our fresh produce comes from. They also contributed to beautifying and blessing our city by cleaning allies, and participating in a guided prayer walk.
One of the youth pastors who brought her youth group to the internships shared with us, “Nothing can replace the experience of actually doing ministry, and that’s what our youth appreciated the most, doing the work themselves and truly seeing the value.” For many churches this type of experience would be difficult on their own, but in partnership with Christian Direction, we can shape a next generation of urban ministry leaders!
