Jessica Foster
Staff WriterForest Lake area youth are coming together in the name of God.
In a packed sanctuary at Linwood and Covenant Church last week, youth groups from throughout the area gathered to praise God and serve God as a unified community.
Youth from Immanuel Church, Linwood Covenant and Sunnyside Lutheran Church recently returned from a joint mission trip to Bluefield, WV.
It was the type of journey they plan to repeat, a journey for which they want to recruit other travelers.
Meeting with youth from area churches June 30, the group were led in song to Praise God, and to be vessels of his work.
The trip was the brainchild of Dave Van Acker, youth minister at Sunnyside and Jim Murphy, youth minister at Immanuel.
They enlisted the help of Linwood Covenant youth pastor Jeremy Elseth and Chris Bjur, youth pastor intern at Immanuel.
The pastors are members of FLAYM, Forest Lake Area Youth Ministers. The trip was part of YouthWorks, an organization that organizes Christ-centered mission trips for youth 12-19-year-old.
ìWe did everything from building a church ramp to helping to clear a cemetery, play sports with kids, work with babies, clearing a park,î Bjur said.
They did it all in just four days the end of last month.
ìWe got up at 6:45 a.m. and went to bed at 11:30 or 12,î Elseth said.
They were tired, indeed. But those who went said it wasnít a hindrance. They were able to do the work that needed to be done. They credit God.
Joe Manske will be a senior at Forest Lake High School this fall.
Before leaving for the mission trip, Manske said he prayed to God for people to be able to see God through the group.
ìTowards the end I really, through the quiet times in the morning, really felt Godís presence there,î Manske said. ìIíve never had an experience like this. Itís an experience Iíll never forget. Itís just seeing the way God works.î
Manskeís sentiment was echoed throughout the Raise the Praise event.
ìThe thing we witnessed the most was that God was working to rebuild the community. Heís doing it through Youthworks,î Murphy said.
ìThe people were very welcoming,î said Heather Hanawalt, an adult from Immanuel Church who went on the mission.
Bjur agreed. Itís really a communityónot just a town.î
And that, creating a community, is the goal of unifying the youth groups.
ìA lot of these kids go to school together but they donít really know each other,î Bjur said. ìWeíre building a body of Christ, not just a small part of it.î
Organizers say they hope youth, no matter their home church, will support one another and bring the action from West Virginia home.
ìThe main thing is we want to tell people about a relationship with Jesus,î Elseth said. ìWe want to build unity among the churches. Sometimes you have to go away for kids to see the need back home.î
ìWhat weíre excited about is to bring back some of the fire we gained there,î Van Acker said. ìLetís not let it die. Weíre tired of poking the devil. Weíre going to punch like the Body of Christ and knock him out.î
Mission to Montana
Organizers are planning a trip to Montana June 11-18. Confident others will join, they booked 115 spots.
ìThe vision is to have 100 people next year,î Bjur said. ìWe would like to involve other churches.î
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