Jesus says our highest purpose is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength AND to love our neighbor as ourselves. The two go hand-in-hand; loving God is evidenced in loving our neighbor. I don't know about you but if I'm not intentional and purposeful about serving those around me, I'll just coast through life thinking only about my own needs. Sometimes we need to build service into our schedules! The summer's change of pace is a great time to do that.

This June, our middle school students (those who finished 6th, 7th, or 8th grade in 2024) are invited and encouraged to join us for a three-day service "trip" in Harrisburg, PA. I say "trip" in quotes because while the event spans three days, students will serve during the day and then return home each evening to sleep. This will 1) help keep the cost of the trip down and 2) hopefully make it more approachable for some middle schoolers who would be new to being away from home.

We will be partnering with Wildheart Ministries in their "Love the Hill" initiative (click the links to learn more), which seeks to restore, beautify, and empower the neighborhood of Allison Hill. This ministry has been part of an ongoing transformation in Allison Hill – much of which is thanks to the simple act of volunteers cleaning up the neighborhood's trash, waste, and debris, which left many people feeling discouraged and hopeless. As streets and properties have been beautified and restored, so too have people's spirits. We are excited to join this ministry in their work that has been going on for the last 10 years and hope you'll be a part of it!

Registration closes Monday, May 26 at 11:59 p.m.