Mission @ Charlotte

When was the last time you walked up to someone...cold turkey...and shared your faith? Or have you stepped out of your comfort zone, risked your pride, and found out that the person standing next to you is hurting and going to hell? That is what our youth group has been doing for the last four days!

Jason decided that this summer our youth group would stay in Charlotte for their mission trip...hence the name Mission @ Charlotte. We had forty-six students sign up and fifteen captains leading outreach teams. Three full-time pastors from Calvary were on the team and each of the other captains took three days of their vacation time to be a part of this ministry!

You would be amazed at what these teens accomplished in Charlotte over the last few days!!!

They led a VBS in the inner-city, a prayer walk around downtown, courthouse evangelism, street evangelism, hospital evangelism, helped out a homeless shelter, CLEANED a very dirty homeless shelter, ministered to a teenage pregnancy center, had a huge block party for over five-hundred people, and went to the local areas around Calvary to evangelize.

The beginning of the week started off shaky. Most of the teens were very timid about sharing their faith...this being the first time in their entire lives to reach out to people in their own city.

But tonight, with the final dinner and youth group time, it was incredible to hear the stories about how God used these teens in their own backyard. Over a dozen people accepted Christ throughout the week and the students are excited to follow up and check on these new believers. Faith overcame fear and true passion for the lost superseded their insecurities! These students have inspired ME to be more evangelistic and to reach out to those around me. I am so proud of their tenacity and their willingness to give up a week of summer vacation for the Lord. Several times I logged on to Facebook this week to check on some of our other students and I couldn't believe how many of them were "bored" with nothing to do. And yet, here were almost fifty of their peers experiencing one of the most life-changing weeks of their lives! It was an amazing week for our youth group and for the city of Charlotte.

The theme song for this missions trip was Kingdom...by Kristian Stanfill. The words are so appropriate for what these kids have encountered this week!!!

Stand up and heed heaven's call

Coming to us one and all

To live love and give love

To those who don't know of the lavish and true love of God

We are the kingdom of God - we are an army of love

We carry truth to the world - we are the kingdom of God

Now join together as one; the time for rejoicing has come

Evil will tremble when God's saints assemble

Yes, now His salvation is here

I am, you are, we are the kingdom