We are back from our mission trip to Rutland. Look at the slideshow below.
Grace Church EYC
Welcome to the Grace Church EYC check back for more changes in the future.
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Welcome to the Grace Church EYC check back for more changes in the future.
Our Youth Group is open to teens in grades eight through twelve. We encourage youths to join us for a try. Everyone is made to feel at home and welcome, no matter what! We will keep you busy with activities and fun throughout the year. Our goal is to enhance the Episcopal experience through social and service activities. We meet in the third floor of the Parish House every Sunday, except when noted in the Sunday Bulletin, at 6:45 pm.
Welcome to the Grace Church EYC check back for more changes in the future.
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ReplyDeleteFrom : Bella Strom
ReplyDeleteThis year we went on Mission Trip to Rutland, Vermont. I know our church hasn't been on one for a while and it was really fun. We left after the Parish House Eucharist on Sunday (July 5th) and drove for six hours. When we got there, there were only two of the other churches there: a church from Red Bank, NJ and a church from Baltimore area, Maryland. Everyone was gathered in the gym playing cards, basketball, and just hanging out. The leaders from Youth Works told everybody we would have to eat dinner without the group from Indiana because they were running late. The group from Indiana showed up during dinner. Then we went to Club. Club was really interesting. It was like Parish House Eucharist geared towards teenagers. That’s where we also discussed what happened at our mission sites that was very interesting or something somebody did that was extraordinary. We also sang and played games. The next morning we met our crew and got assigned our mission sites. Our crew was our group and some of the people from the Indiana group. We were assigned to go to a Parent Child Center for families of teen-age parents between the ages of 14 and 24. Lauren, Brandon, Mother Debbie, Noah (one of the kids from Indiana), and I sanded, primed, and painted the porch. When we got back to the school we where staying we had free time and then ate pasta for dinner. We were very excited because we got to go rock climbing (indoors). The next day everybody worked on sanding, priming, and painting the carriage house (which has offices and classrooms). Unfortunately, it rained and we had to stop. Everybody moved inside. Most of us were relocated to another site but Lauren, Brandon, Mother Debbie, Austin (another kid from Indiana), and I finished painting an office and then put all of the things they took out of the office back in there. After that, we showered and ate and then we went to a marble museum. It was very interesting. On Wednesday we got new mission sites. It turns out we got to work at Open Door. Lauren and I worked in the store in the morning while Freddie, Noah, Lauren, and Ellie (both from Indiana) painted a fence. Austin, Robert and Lucas (the last person in our group who is from Indiana) made meatballs for lunch. At lunch we had spaghetti and meatballs. Every other day we had to make lunch when we finished eating breakfast (but at Open Door they fed us so we didn’t need to pack a lunch). After lunch we switched jobs. Then it started raining so we all went inside. That is when we cut up over 100 pounds of zucchini. It was really relaxing actually because you didn't have to think about it and we all just got to hang out and talk. After free time and dinner we went hiking. It was one of the best things we did all week. The view from the mountain was so beautiful. The walk up the mountain was easy but the walk down was difficult because it was really steep in some parts and since it rained almost everyday it made it easy to slip and fall. A couple people did fall. Thursday was fun. We all went to our work sites and continued what we were doing on Wednesday before it rained. We painted all of the fence and after lunch we put on a second coat of paint but we "ran out" of paint. So we started to find other things to do. It turns out we were pretty much done anyway. So we took our showers and went back home. That night for dinner we had a cook out at a park some of the kids were working at. People we met at the homeless shelter were there, people from the other mission sites were there. It was so much fun. The leaders cooked that night so everybody was happy. We got to stay up later that night. I loved Mission Trip because we all had so much fun. There were good things and bad things but the good outweighed the bad. I think that next year we should go on another Mission Trip. All the kids should go because they will have so much fun. I learned so much and I think other people will enjoy this trip as much as I did.
From: Rob Spaeth
ReplyDeleteMission trip of 2009 was fantastic. This was my first mission trip ever, so I didn’t know what to expect. The ride to the site was, how I should say, interesting at times. Time for us wasn’t an issue because of our two great chaperones. When we arrived at site, we brought our large amt. of luggage in and then brought it to where we would sleep. There was about 30 or so people there when we arrived. After I unpacked, I headed downstairs to see what the gist of everything was. Surprisingly, people were playing games and shooting hoops. I expected something like a labyrinth on the floor with people praying around it. Dinner was ok. Anyway, when dinner began, 40 people from Indiana came in off their bus and we unloaded their luggage for them since we were finished with dinner. The first work day we painted the interior and porch of a place for pregnant teens and teenage parents. We pretty much just painted there for the first two work days. On the second day of painting, around lunch, it started to rain heavily, and I mean heavily. From there, we headed over to the Open Door Mission. That was the place where we worked for the rest of our stay. I was able to work in the kitchen with Tyrone, a cool Jamaican guy who would frequently say “ya mon”. It was so much fun to be around him, and we made over 700 Italian meatballs from scratch. This was the best work site ever!
After working there, we headed over to BEN&JERRYS! GO MOTHER DEBBIE! (and Brandon too). Best ice-cream and part of the day. We did this again on the next day. Again GO MOTHER DEBBIE! The last day of being there was yet again a sad one. It was hard to say goodbye to all the people we met and bonded with. Hopefully the next site we go to will be just as good.
The pros to this trip were having fun, and meeting new and cool people from all over the U.S. Some people were from Indiana, Maryland, and another group from Middletown, NJ. The cons to the trip for me were not having an air mattress, and only drinking water. These were not big deals and I would love to experience mission trip again. For anybody out there that wants to go, they should definitely go and have a great time!
From: Lauren Poliero
ReplyDeleteMission Trip was a pleasant experience and I learned a lot from it. I feel like I was changed by going. I was opened to how much I miss when I depend on technology. I definitely suggest that more teens should go next year. It can really teach and show you so much. I feel like a different person spiritually because I learned more about God and Jesus and was reassured that God is always with me. It is also a great way to meet and maybe become friends with more Christians from other cities, towns, and states. When you go, you see how there are other teens that are into the religion. It was sort of surprising to me that teens like me are really into religion.
Mission Trip was a fun experience, showed me so much, and really changed who I am. Mission Trip is so important and more teens should definitely go next year.
From: Brandon Hamilton
ReplyDeleteThis year Mother Debbie and I brought 4 of our teens to Rutland, Vermont for a mission trip. I have been on numerous retreats to Vermont with youth groups over the years but have never been on a mission trip. I knew the scenery would be beautiful but I was unsure what a mission trip would be like and what it would be like to spend the week with other Christian denominations. It turned out to be a very spiritual and rewarding experience both for me and the youth.
I was very inspired by the way that the all the different denominations interacted and the way the Youthworks organization found the common ground that united us and reminded us that we were all Christians. The first lesson we learned is that we were there to be the hands and feet of Christ in the community and our mission was to reach out and help others. The teens picked up on the message immediately and I can honestly say that there was no complaining as we headed out each day to our various assignments. On the first 2 days we worked at a parent child center that was set up for young parents who get tutored to get their high school degree while the children could be looked after while they studied in another building. Our work mainly consisted of painting a large wrap around porch with many spindles and also painting various offices. There was lots of sanding, scraping and painting to be done and the teens did it with a joyful heart and a sense of purpose. I could see God working through them. The last 2 days were spent at the Open Door Mission. It was a homeless shelter and thrift shop that had emergency housing and also veterans staying there for a longer period of time. They were a unique shelter as one of their beliefs was that everyone would get a bed and not a cot. Our projects were paining a fence, preparing meals in the kitchen, cleaning and organizing in the thrift shop and weeding the grounds. On the first day the teens made 700 meatballs and cut up over 100 lbs pounds of zucchini to freeze for future meals. The staff was extremely hospitable and really appreciated us being there. The highlight was the lunch where the teens got a chance to interact with all the different people that came into the shelter. It was great watching the kids getting to know the people that they were there to help. Not only was the mission work a great experience but the daily devotionals and evening worship services were very inspiring. There was a lot of singing and our teens learned some new praise music and they seemed to pick up on it quickly. When we met with our own groups at the end of the day we discussed what they had experienced. Some of the most meaningful moments came when we talked about what it was like to do mission work and what they had learned. The theme of the week was being free. It was about being free from all the things in our life that hold us back from having a closer relationship with God. We read scripture and focused on being free from material wealth, being free from the expectations that we think are put on us and being free to work together doing the work of God. On the final night there was a foot washing ceremony where all the leaders washed the feet of the teens. There were a lot of emotions as the kids were touched by this humble act that Christ did to his disciples.
This trip was an excellent example of how the youth can be disciples in the world. It was an example that the youth are not the future but are the ever present living embodiment of what God calls us to do. It was an excellent trip and got me thinking of so many ways of how the youth of our church can do more of this type of work in our own community here. I hope that we can do a mission trip every year as it helps the youth and the adult leaders realize how much can be done for others when we focus on being the hands and feet of Christ.
From: Mother Debbie
ReplyDeleteThis was Grace Church’s first Mission trip in a few years, and my first one ever. I was praying that it be would be a positive experience for our youth, and that it would open their eyes to God’s work in the world around us, especially through and with people unlike themselves—and prayers were answered! We left on Sunday, July 5 after Parish House Eucharist, on schedule—thanks to John Poliero loaning us his rooftop carrier and packing the minivan for us during the service. Thank you, John! We all got to enjoy cookies baked for us by Rebecca Perry as we traveled through NJ (Thank you, Rebecca!). After making some stops for food and gas, we arrived in Rutland, Vermont about 5:30 pm. The scenery is absolutely beautiful, and we had wonderful traveling weather.
Each day had a similar schedule: up by 7 a.m. (often before, particularly if you were on the breakfast crew that day), get dressed, pack your shower bag (showers were in the afternoon after mission work), have breakfast, make your lunch, and gather for prayer, followed by about 30 minutes of personal devotions. Devotions were aided by a booklet that had questions each day for us to think about. The Theme of the week was “Free”—free from the desire for fame, wealth, power. Then it was off to mission sites, of which there were several. We were blessed to serve at the Parent/Child Center for two days, followed by service at Open Door Mission for two days. Our small group was paired with some kids and an adult leader, Beverly, from Indiana. They were great to work with. At the Parent/Child center, we did a lot of scraping, sanding and painting, both outside and inside. At times, we had to stop to gather more supplies or figure out what was next, but there was no lack of work. At Open Door Mission, we worked in their Thrift Shop, painted a fence, worked in the kitchen (with some of the largest zucchini I had ever seen!), and weeded. Open Door is a wonderful place and joy and hospitality just seem built into the walls. It was a joy to serve and work at both of these locations. After work ended at 3 pm, we went to our assigned shower site (again, we were blessed to go to Open Door – private showers with hot water!) and then had free time. On Wednesday and Thursday, we did stop at the Ben and Jerry’s nearby and enjoyed Vermont made ice cream. Then it was back to our home base (Rutland Christian School) for games, dinner, and then off to our evening activity. One unique and great thing about the Youthworks program is the evening activities—we got to go indoor rock climbing, to a local marble museum (the marble industry was very large in Rutland at one time), for a hike to an overlook, and a community cookout. This allows the youth to experience the town in which they are staying, and meet and greet others. While everything was great, it was the community cookout—a gathering not only of Youthworks people but also the people we served all week—that truly celebrated the mission work; it illustrated how relationships had been built, that we are now joined and can celebrate God’s work together. We were grateful we had a beautiful park to hold the cookout in, and that the weather was wonderful.
Worship (called ‘Club’) was held each evening, and focused on the theme of the day—it was full of music and some witnessing, and was never heavy handed one way or another. Like Brandon wrote, it celebrated what we had in common. The evening closed with church group time, when I got to listen to our Grace Church Youth about their thoughts and feelings about the day, the trip, and how it was helping to shape their faith. Discussions ranged widely, and were often thoughtful and sometimes surprising. The biggest thrill for me was that the kids willingly and openly embraced all that the trip offered, and are already thinking about where to go next year. To anyone interested—come and join us!