Partnership Grant Funds VA Summer Mission Trip

Early in the fall of 2025, a group of pastors in the Virginia Conference asked the question, “What if we combined our efforts to plan a mission trip together?” This question led to a year-long planning effort that included Christ the Servant in Reston, Emmanuel in Vienna, St. Andrew in Centreville, Community in Sterling, New Jerusalem in Lovettsville, and Church of the Covenant in Dale City. With the help of a partnership grant from the synod, these six congregations planned an 8-day mission trip to Knoxville, TN for 20 middle and high school youth and 13 adult leaders. The group stayed at a local presbyterian church in downtown Knoxville and served with Operation Backyard, an organization that provides exterior home renovations for those who cannot afford it, such as deck repairs, new roofs, paint, and wheelchair ramps.

Following the example of the early church in Acts 2, each day we ate, prayed,
worshiped, served, played, and learned together. By the end of the week our students had built two wheelchair ramps for elderly homeowners who only had stairs in and out of their homes and a two-level deck that had been built by the homeowner’s grandfather 40 years ago and was in desperate need of new supports and decking! It was incredible to see how hard these young people worked as they were inspired by the stories of the homeowners and moved by the Spirit. At the end of the trip we celebrated in Beckley, WV at ACE Adventure Waterpark enjoying ziplines, slides, and inflatable obstacle
courses in the middle of a lake! The bonds between the congregations was an
inspiration and proved that we are stronger together! We are already dreaming of our next adventure together, next summer to Minneapolis and the 2027 ELCA Youth Gathering!

Submitted by Pastor Kenny Champagne of Christ the Servant Lutheran in Reston, VA