To be honest, I was rather scared to go to Fall Ministry Project. I had heard wonderful things about it, but I was a little unsure about spending a whole weekend with people I didn’t know well…or at all. My fears turned out to be unfounded. Fall Ministry was a wonderful opportunity to develop relationships between not only my peers, but also older and stronger Christians. It is not an event meant to entertain high schoolers, but to involve them in the work of the church in humble ways.
Over the weekend of Fall Ministry, there were two parts. On Friday, all the youth going to Fall Ministry met together at Second RP. Not only is there time to socialize and get to know other high schoolers from different congregations, as well as to play games and eat, but there was also a focus on spiritual encouragement. Pastor Holdeman talked to us about finding one’s calling in life. One of my favorite memories from Friday evening was singing together—seeing a larger group of Christian young people praising God and worshipping Him.
Then, on Saturday, the large group split up into smaller teams and traveled to different congregations all over Indiana and even into Illinois. I worked with my team at Christ Church on the west side of Indianapolis. The congregation was just moving into a new building, and so there were plenty of jobs to be done. I helped clean, paint, and clear out junk the previous owners had left. Each group stayed the night with people from the congregation they served and the next day worshipped with them. My group enjoyed lunch after church at Pastor LeFebvre’s home and then headed back to Second RP, where we were either picked up and taken home or attended the evening service.
Participating in Fall Ministry was an opportunity to be involved in simple and meaningful ways in God’s promise to build His church. And in so doing, I was able to build friendships with other Christians of different ages and congregations. In the end, I went home tired, but encouraged. I’m already looking forward to next year!
Nora Kathryn Shipp, Bloomington RPC
