A New Exposure to Missions

Five new team members have joined the work of Mission Year this month in Oakland, CA. These new volunteers are urban high school students who have gone through an application process and joined together to serve their cities, learn together, be accountable to a mentor, and love their neighbors.

This new endeavor addresses an issue on my heart for a very long time. Since Donna and I answered God’s call in our lives 22 years ago, we have been painfully aware of the fact that few people of color, and even less African Americans, are present serving in missions. We have also worked with many youth over the years and have developed a leadership model in our city that has been one of the joys in our life. This new Mission Year effort connects these passions.

Mission Year recruits young adults for a year of service in one of our six cities across the US and has served in 11 different cities, from Chicago, IL to La Grange, GA over our 15 year history. The common thread of our volunteers is that somewhere along the way, mostly through youth groups or college, they were exposed to missions.

It seems evident that this expose to missions is important. Some of the well-known ministry leaders today became engaged by first going somewhere to serve during a summer in college or on a youth group trip. There is much to be said about the effect of these trips on the communities that hosted them (see Toxic Charity), but in many cases, that initial expose ignited something inside the person going.

In churches of color, missions looks differently. And for young people of color living in places where others are coming “to serve,” their exposure to missions is interpreted quite differently. I grew up in a place where people “served,” so I am familiar with this experience, but I believe we can change imbalanced missions opportunities and offer something different. We can offer exposure to leaders of color who live in urban centers.

Our youth volunteers are meeting each week to study curriculum, engaging each month in a service project, connecting individually with their director, and participating in citywide gatherings with other Mission Year teams.

This new work is born out of 15 years of service and relationships in community. Our presence has exposed the children we love to missions and service, and now they want to serve. Each time I see Teshauna, a college student in Chicago who has been around Mission Year for years while growing up in Lawndale, she reminds me of her commitment to join Mission Year after her senior year in college.

The exposure has connected with her passion for Jesus and to serve others.

I think we are witnessing something powerful here as young leaders from the communities where we live are growing up and joining us. We need your help. Please consider supporting one of these teens as they serve this year and give a gift. Thank you.

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This post is part of our 15 Dreams blog series supporting The 15 Campaign. We envision a world where youth engage in service and discipleship.

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