At the end of June, Travis Hutchinson, Betta Cook, and I had the opportunity to lead 12 high school students on a week-long mission trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey. We served as an “urban mission team” in partnership with New City Fellowship of Atlantic City, a church plant of New City Fellowship in Chattanooga. Their urban mission teams focus on community outreach and sharing the Gospel with children, so those goals shaped every part of our week.
Each morning began with devotions and a training seminar on topics such as charity and development or racial reconciliation. Afterward, we served through a variety of projects and outreach events - doing yardwork for community members, helping at a soup kitchen, handing out Bibles on the boardwalk, and praying with people downtown. Our students embraced every assignment with what New City Fellowship calls a “flexible and pioneering spirit.”
In the evenings, we regrouped before heading to our Bible club, where the students led a mini VBS in an inner-city neighborhood. They taught songs, shared the Gospel, made crafts, and played with the children. The students planned every part of the evening and poured so much time, energy, and care into each aspect.
On our final day, we returned to our Bible club location for one more afternoon with the children. We taught our students how to share the Gospel by making balloon animals, and they spent the afternoon putting those skills into practice. It was a sweet and fitting way to end our week.
Members of a small PCA church from Pittsburgh were also partnering with New City Fellowship that week. Serving alongside fellow believers who were the same age as our students added such a special aspect to our week and gave our students the opportunity to serve and fellowship with other young believers.
Travis, Betta, and I are so grateful for the time we spent serving with our students. Throughout the week, we saw each student being stretched beyond his or her comfort zone, and we witnessed meaningful growth in every one of them. I am incredibly proud of our students and grateful for the ways the Lord worked through this experience!
(From Abby Sotelo: “God used the New Jersey mission trip to help encourage and challenge me. It challenged me to learn to lead others and grow my friendships. It also deepened my love for Christ, His people, and strengthened my prayer life.”)
Our hope and prayer is that our students would continue to grow from this experience and that it would deepen their love for the Lord and desire to serve. We also pray that the Lord will bless and strengthen New City Fellowship of Atlantic City and their ministry.
Thank you for all of your support and your prayers. We could feel your prayers throughout the entire week, and we are so grateful for such a supportive church community.
In Christ,
Heather Morrison
