More Mission Trip Pictures #6

To find out what Bailey, Jesse, and Pastor Mark are doing here, scroll down and read the post about Mel Trotter Ministries.

More Mission Trip Pictures #5

Jesse, taking a break from his endless sorting, shows how truly dangerous static cling can be.


Why is Garth Brooks sneering from Kylen's T-shirt? Doesn't he like the color of paint she's using?

More Mission Trip Pictures #4

Jacob and Fran (top and bottom pictures) joined Sam and John, along with folks from other congregations, in cleaning the Potter's House School in inner city Grand Rapids. The school began as a prayer, a dream, and a dare of faith with almost no cash. The school has continued to grow and bring the hope of Christ to a community that needs it more than most.

Our youth and adults were inspired by Potter's House.

They also worked very hard...including cleaning the entire building with paper towels!

More Mission Trip Pictures #3

Becky strikes a pose with her crew. They put in a full week at Mel Trotter Ministries.


Ask Hannah about her definition of tedium. It's bound to include as an example planting grass...one single blade at a time!

More Mission Trip Pictures

Stephen on the job.

Kylen and fellow crew members showing off the muscles they developed from their service.

Mission Trip Picture #1

In June, eight youth and four adults from Saint Matthew participated in the Group Work Camps Foundation's 'Week of Hope' mission trip in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It's one of a number of such mission trip camps run by Group each year. Our particular camp brought together sixty campers from four congregations from three states.

The daily routine included opening worship, work at various agencies, schools, and homes, daily devotions, and evening worship. Participants also had a lot of fun.

Pictured above is the Saint Matthew group. Each day, they were put with people from the other churches in work groups of which they were a part all week long.

[Click on the image to enlarge it...if you dare.]

2009 Mission Trip Location, Dates Set!

Great news!

The Saint Matthew youth group got its first choices for its participation in the 2009 Week of Hope mission trip. Because we've taken advantage of early registration this year, the group got a reduced rate AND will be work camping in Nashville, Tennessee from June 14 to June 19.

Work campers had a great experience on this year's trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Please begin to pray now that all of our youth will have a tremendous experience of spiritual growth, commitment to service in Jesus' Name, and fun on the 2009 mission trip.

To learn more about the Group Workcamps Foundation's Week of Hope, which is what the mission trip program is called, go here.

(Group Workcamps, by the way, is a spinoff of Group Publishing, the company formed years ago by a Lutheran couple looking for educationally sound, attractive ways to teach Biblical truth to teens. As the years have gone on, their methods have been applied to people of all ages. Group Publishing are the creators of this year's Vacation Bible School curriculum at Saint Matthew, Power Lab.)

Youth Mission Trip Dates and Site Set

The dates and location for the youth group mission trip this summer have been set. We will be going to Grand Rapids, Michigan, June 15 to 20. Eight Saint Matthew young people and five adults are registered.

Next year, hopefully, all of our young people can go! Please pray for our group as it prepares, asking God to deepen our faith through this experience. Pray too, please, that God will keep the group safe.

The Week of Hope mission trip in which the young people will participate is part of the Group Workcamps Foundation's annual Week of Hope program.