From July 24-30, 2015, a group of youth from GPC participated in a local mission experience in Pittsburgh, PA. The theme of the week was “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”  They used public transportation to travel around different Pittsburgh neighborhoods so that they could learn about the needs of those around us and the people and ministries that are working to respond. They worked with Habitat for Humanity, Garfield Community Farm, and Book ‘Em (a non-profit that sends reading material to prisoners throughout PA), served meals at The Table at Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community, learned about gentrification, and did homeless ministry.

One of the youth participants, Tess Hancock, shares her experiences from the trip:

The widely accepted idea of mission trips is that they should occur in a place that is far away from everything that the person knows. Whether this idea stems from a misguided belief that help is only needed far away, or the excitement of travelling to new places, I have found that distance holds no sway over the effectiveness of mission trips. As we travelled to Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community, it felt just like every other time that I had been into the city. But as we talked with people at The Table the first night, it started to feel different. By the end of the week, my idea of Pittsburgh was completely and radically changed.

Over the course of this week-long trip we met with people who were homeless, underprivileged, and down on their luck. We saw the need of the people in our city as we learned about gentrification, and began to understand how the poor were being pushed out of their homes to make room for the more fortunate. We listened to first-hand accounts of the struggles that can be faced on a Native American Reservation, and we delved into the issue of unjust prison systems.

I saw the struggle of prisoners first-hand as we answered letters from inmates who were requesting books. Many of these people wanted specific books and we were not able to find them in the random collection of second-hand books we had to work with. In fact, many letters cannot be answered because there is not enough money to send the inmates any books at all. This work was enlightening and sad, because as I read these letters I saw the voices of normal people shining through the ink on the page, people that went through hard times, or bad experiences, or were missing love in their lives. In that moment, it felt like the work that we were doing was very small, that it meant nothing.

That feeling did not last very long because among all the darkness that we witnessed that week, there was far more hope. We met with people who have dedicated their lives to doing the work that God is calling us all to do. They feed the poor, visit the sick, care for those in prison, and treat everyone as a child of God. We worked alongside people who spend all of their waking hours caring for others, and I saw just how much good is in our city.

This trip was one of the most life-changing experiences I have ever had. Only twenty minutes away from my home, I saw that life could be terribly cruel to those without the means to escape bad situations. This trip truly opened my eyes to the needs of others and helped me to understand the struggles that are being faced right here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That knowledge is humbling and almost overwhelming, but it is nothing compared to the joy that I felt when I saw the work that people are doing to right the world’s wrongs. On this trip I saw struggle, but also the possibility and capacity for change. I saw that people are dedicating their lives to helping others, and that they are spreading the Word of God through community and their own undying faith. I saw that so much good exists in this city, and that God’s work is being done right here and right now.

From June 13-20, 2015, a group of youth and adult volunteers from GPC went to Baltimore, MD.  They partnered with Center Presbyterian Church (McMurray, PA) and The Center of Baltimore Presbytery on various service projects.

Two groups were formed from our combined churches. One group spent the week helping with a summer camp at Dickey Memorial Presbyterian Church and the other spent the week at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church helping with their urban gardens, after school program, and soup kitchen. Together, the groups spent a day in Washington D.C. learning from the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness.

One of the youth participants, Ryan Hills, shares his experiences from the trip:

Let’s be honest, a mission trip to Baltimore didn’t sound like a good idea, especially after the events of the past few months. I didn’t know what to expect or even if we would make a difference to this historically troubled city. Despite this, we were optimistic for what tasks were ahead. After all, we were on a mission to do God’s will and with him on our side, what is there to fear? (Romans 8:31)

There was one mission between three churches; to share God’s amazing love with the city of Baltimore. Pastor Kate (director of The Center in Baltimore) told us that this would probably be one of our hardest missions yet. It would not be physically hard as much as mentally and emotionally. We were to cross boundaries of the community and of our own comfort zones; to love where most hate. Throughout the week, we were exposed to the ignored faults and the injustice in our society. As sheltered as I am, I did not expect to hear any of this. Our visit to the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness showed us the injustice in the American prison system, as well as ways that we as Christians can help. I thought racism was a dying attitude and the world was moving on. Ignorance stole my glance at what society really was and still is. As a Christian, I felt very troubled by this. I sensed insecurity within me. I felt more of a need to do something about this.

Throughout the week, I had the opportunity to serve alongside members of Dickey Memorial Presbyterian Church at a summer camp developed from an afterschool program. All of the kids at the camp were black, elementary school-aged from an under-resourced area school. As we worked with these children, I began to see the ways boundaries of race and lack of trust can be crossed. We saw the love that members of Dickey Memorial had for these kids and had the joy of building relationship with them – not only as role models, but as brothers and sisters in Christ. Seeing the children’s enthusiasm to learn and have fun, and watching their imagination glow with their hearts on their sleeves was an experience I won’t soon forget.

Teaching these kids has actually taught us some valuable lessons, like patience. It also helps us see how unique and amazing God has made each and every one of these kids. This trip has really changed how I see the world. Pastor Kate was right in saying this would be the most challenging one yet. A boundary, such as racial injustice, is a challenge that can only be met with the peace of Christ.

From July 13 to July 19, 2014, our senior high youth went to Queens, NY and worked with YouthWorks on various service projects. One of the youth participants, Ryan Hills, shares his experiences from the trip:

This year’s theme for the GPC Mission trip was: “Fear not, for if you ignite yourself with flames of passion, people will come for miles to watch you burn”. Our call for mission brought us to Queens, New York: a community struck with poverty, crime, neglect, and violence. We set out to spread the word of God and Jesus’ teaching and to help the people of this community meet fellow missionaries and community members and enjoy getting to know and interact with them. We did just that and had a lot of fun along the way.  The road trip was long but enjoyable. Many thanks to our drivers/leaders: Frank McCoy, Karen Moser, and Carrie Gray; for their patience and ability to stay attentive through the drive.

From July 31 through August 3, 2014, our junior high youth worked in the Pittsburgh area with the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community. Here is a summary of the trip from one of the youth participants, Lisa Orr:

This year, the junior high group did mission work with Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community which is located on the South Side. We arrived there Thursday evening and started working that night. The church serves a free meal to the community every Tuesday and Thursday, and we helped serve that meal and then ate with the people there. Some of them were homeless, but many were the elderly and the poor of the community. That night we served 140 meals.

On Friday, we had a full day of work. In the morning we went to Brookline Boulevard United Presbyterian Church, which has a strong mission and outreach program. They offer free and reduced tuition preschool for the community of Brookline. We helped to clean and disinfect many of the toys for their preschool. After eating lunch at the church, we went to another location to work with Habitat for Humanity on a home which will eventually house a single mother and her children. The boys put up a railing on the front porch and later helped the girls paint and plaster the interior.

On Saturday, the group went to Garfield Community Farm which is an urban garden that gives fresh produce to food banks and offers healthy options to the community. We helped to weed the gardens as well as mow grass, harvest tomatoes, and clean up some of the fallen plums. The younger kids spent the whole day there while those who were sixteen and older got to leave early to help with Hot Metal’s homeless ministry. We packed bag lunches and then drove to several homeless camps to deliver the meals. This was a particularly eye-opening experience because we got to meet and talk to some homeless people and see how they live.

The junior high group can be proud of the work we did on the South Side. Through Hot Metal Bridge, we were able to help the community through our mission work. We also learned a lot about what it means to be a community and how the church should be an active participant. Hopefully we will carry these lessons back to our own community and church.

Our senior high youth worked with TEAMeffort to rebuild a home that was destroyed by a tornado. The youth came together with the help of leaders Carl Grande, Carrie Gray, Nick Hills, and Emily Raines to do great work.

Our junior high youth returned to Camp Crestfield to serve the Lord by serving others through their “Mission Possible” program. They spent their days doing home repair, cleaning, processing food donations, and painting at various sites in the area and spent their evenings participating in camp activities and games. They partnered with another group from Crossroads Presbyterian and together they shared experiences that will last a lifetime.

The youth worked with the Sandusky Mission Outreach Center on a variety of service projects in the area.

Our youth worked with TEAMeffort to help struggling Native American families with home repair and renovation.

Our senior high youth worked with Broad Street Ministry, “a broad-minded Christian community that cherishes creativity, fosters and nurtures artistic expression, extends inclusive hospitality and works for a more just world through civic engagement.” In Philly, the city of brotherly love, our youth had the opportunity to put Christ’s message to love one another into action as they engaged in service learning activities that allowed them to work with the people of Philadelphia, particularly the poor and disadvantaged.

Our junior high youth participated in the “Mission Possible” program at Crestfield Camp and Conference Center. We spent the days doing mission work at various sites in Pittsburgh, Slippery Rock, New Wilmington, and New Castle and we spent the evenings participating in camp activities and games.

Our senior high youth worked with Habitat for Humanity and The Food Depot. We stayed at St. John’s United Methodist Church in Santa Fe throughout the week. On our last day, we stayed overnight at Ghost Ranch and visited the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.

Our junior high youth participated in Mission Possible at Crestfield Camp and Conference Center. We spent the days doing mission work at various sites in Pittsburgh, Slippery Rock, New Wilmington, and New Castle and we spent the evenings participating in camp activities and games.