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Bright Lights Big Mission

By Murray Bradshaw, Youth Leader, St Andrew's Geraldine

In January members of St Andrew's youth group joined the crowds heading for the Parachute Music Festival. On the way their leader Murray Bradshaw planned to ask the question "Where're You Goin'?". Murray previewed his plan for sPanz.

What a buzz. Big city, lots of lights, shopping, more sights and sounds than anyone can take in, not to mention the hills and harbour. Great place for a mission trip? Sounds strange but that's what we are doing. During January a vanload of kids from small town Geraldine (pop. 3000) will be heading to Wellington and Hastings to serve others for 10 days before heading to Parachute Music Festival.

The trip has been titled 'Where're You Goin'?' I want the kids to assess their own lives and see how much of it consists of reaching out to others.

There will be only one day to shop over the 16 days away ­ there won't be many luxuries. Parachute will be a time to let our hair down and after the trip we will debrief and I'll ask them what they are motivated to do in our community. Hopefully it will set in place actions that will last the rest of their lives.

The idea for the trip has been developing over several years after listening to missionaries talking about life changing experiences. They would say things like "take a kid out of his environment and have him serve the poor and needy and you'll see a kid changed for life". Tony Campolo was the latest to challenge me with this during his visit to Capital Teen Convention last year in Wellington.

Lana Andrews shovelling manure to fundraise for the trip

So, I'm taking them well away from their own town into unfamiliar territory and exposing them to other sights and cultures to serve whoever needs a hand and hooking up with bigger groups doing a good job in the community. We will be working with Youth For Christ in Wellington and Hastings, city councils, Drug Arm, Salvation Army and soup kitchens. We will also be knocking on doors and simply asking people if they need a hand and offer them a days work. Anyone can do that in their own community - and so they should. It's all about taking our eyes off ourselves and looking for a need.

Just think what our communities would be like if we all reached out to someone every week. Jesus came to serve not to be served and He is our ultimate example to follow.

The kids are excited about the trip. Lana says, "It's an awesome idea and as we put God first and seek to obey His will, He will be faithful. We need to keep God as our first priority." Elizabeth says "It's just going to be awesome". They have all been hard at work shoveling manure, bagging pine cones and recently we ran an auction and garage sale. Who knows, out of this we could have a kid serve the Lord ulltime for the rest of their lives.

Gotta be good doesn't it?