Youth Enjoy Serving in Oklahoma
The July 21-27 senior high youth trip to Oklahoma City (OKC) with Next Step Ministries was compact and complementary. Compact because the two teams attending were both rather small. Complementary because the work we did added to the community, and the worship we shared added to our understanding.
Ordinarily, Next Step hosts between 40 and 60 youth and adults for a week of service. We were a team of six, and our fellow volunteers were a team of 11. Our diminutive group did work out well, since it was the last to be hosted in Oklahoma City this summer and the church hosting us also held Vacation Bible School the same week. So, it was simpler for them to share facilities with a smaller group.
Our new teammates (three leaders, three young ladies, and five guys) came from Evanston, Illinois. Together with the young adult leaders from Next Step we were a group of 24 who gathered for worship and meals. The Next Step team members were mostly from Texas, except one attending Clemson in South Carolina.
The two teams stayed in the church’s Youth Space, which looked like an unfinished balcony to the sanctuary. The room was in an industrial style with lots of game tables and sofas around. During free time our youth were often found playing air hockey, pool, or foosball.
Our work Monday through Thursday consisted of two main projects. We completed building a privacy fence with Mission Norman and helped organize the summer’s tools in the storage shed at the church facility. Next Step has been working in OKC for more than 10 years, with Southpark Baptist Church hosting volunteers for eight weeks each summer.
Each day we had time for worship and study of the theme of “Everyday Heroes.” After breakfast chores we had individual devotional time using a booklet provided. At lunch each day we shared devotions together. And every evening the entire group met for worship, including a reflection on our day with “Yay God!” moments to share. One evening during worship we even shared in feetwashing—which was familiar to our team but a very new experience for the others.
Participants were advisors Linda and David Byers and youth Elicia, Jon, Jorge Alan, and Tyler.
I asked our group to each share one word to describe what the week meant to them. Elicia used “enlightening,” because it brought her close to Jesus. Tyler felt “learning,” because he learned things like how to use a miter saw and a drill. David wrote, “flexibility,” because of adjusting to teaching youth new skills. Jon added the word “service,” because we gave our time to the local community. My word is “aware,” because the week has made me more aware of these new young people who are becoming a new generation of leaders in our church.
Other words to describe the week would be, hot, exhausting, thirsty, fulfilling, sweaty, rushed, satisfying, and blessed. Thanks to the congregation for the prayer support during our week serving in Oklahoma.
By Linda Byers, Director of Children and Youth