Jesus and Justice

By Beth Paz
 
   For Spring Break, High School Youth partnered with youth that attend Teen Night (Bethany Inner City Church), and our MMA gym, 701 United (Youth for Christ), coming together for 4 days to serve, learn, worship and grow together. We stayed at the Fresno Rescue Mission serving alongside the Mission in a few projects as well as serving at Bethany’s Food Ministry, going on a Justice Scavenger Hunt and more.
  
   It was a special week, one in which I felt that the Holy Spirit showed up in unexpected and powerful ways. One of those weeks where you can almost see the growth happening inside of students. It was a joy to partner with 701 and Teen Night and we have seen some of our students visiting each others' spaces in the last few weeks!

   Event Highlights - being hosted by and serving at the Rescue Mission, Preparing a meal, eating together, food distribution and playing Uno with those who are homeless at World Impact, a 701 workout, City Bus ride and scavenger hunt to Courthouse Park, Fresno County Jail, and City Hall to read scripture and discuss homelessness, incarceration & immigration, morning musical worship and Imago Dei devotionals, evening Squad debriefs and games and bonfire at the new YFC campus life center!

   We finished with an affirmation circle and the youth that were completely avoiding each other at the beginning of the week opened up to share amazing love towards one another.

   Here are a few of the things students verbalized as something they learned or was challenged by, or a way they saw God at work during the week:

  • "I was challenged by the biblical presentation on the topics of incarceration and immigration."
  • "I learned that I like to help people."
  • "I learned to trust people more and that it is good to trust people!"
  • "I need to slow down and look for the Image of God in others."
  • "I heard God's voice clearly on the bus ride tell me as I looked around, "child, are they not beautiful?" and I began to see something else entirely."
  • "I was challenged to talk to people that I don't normally talk to. I learned that I put up blinders and think in terms of "me and them," but I need to find what about God is in them."
  • "I get intimidated by people and make judgments, but I found out they're the nicest ever! I feel like I've been missing out." 
  • "I like to help and I realized that I can't fix everyone... but God can do something and God does."
  • "I used to be judgy, but after this week I learned I'm no better than anyone else."
All praise and glory to God!

Posted by

Communications

May 4, 2017