Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ

Youth Ministry Programs

2007 SEC Youth and Adult Mountain Mission

When people visit the mountain community of Ellijay, GA they often tour the apple orchards and beautiful state parks, places which present a thriving town with priceless scenery unsurpassed by familiar city skylines and suburban neighborhoods. Yet in this tranquil, ever-growing town there exists a population of neighbors in need who often go unnoticed. Theirs is a situation of necessity as progress and development drive the property value higher than their income can support leaving them with little money for the much needed repairs to maintain their home. The deteriorating houses and overcrowding of mobile homes throughout Gilmer County stress the need for more outreach to our neighbors… no matter who they are or where they may be.

In response to this mounting hardship, the Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ is sponsoring a Mountain Mission for youth and adults June 10-15, 2007. During their week-long stay at Fort Mountain State Park, 30 volunteers will go out into the Ellijay community to improve existing homes and foster relationships with people who seldom have the time or the money to care for their own individual needs. Each worksite will be led by a qualified site leader who will not only direct the work for the week but will also teach and train each team member so that they will be equipped to do similar work in their own communities. Work will include everything from carpentry to plumbing, flooring to painting. Our goal is to reach out to our neighbors in need while also empowering us to live into the call to serve.

For more information or to receive an information packet with full details of the mission trip, please contact Heidi Schuler at hschuler@ellijay.com or 706-273-3054.

Looking Back...

We have created a series of week or longer immersions that explore the different ways we experience relationship to God.

"Practicing in the Garden" debuted summer 2004. We experience relationship with God through creation. This immersion looks at the implicitly ecological character of traditional Christian practices and explores the theological basis for ecological justice and sustainable living. Check out our photo album and read the essays PiG participants presented at the Ala-Tenn Association "Just Water Conference". You can also check out the article on PiG in Fall '04 Voices and Visions. Practicing in the Garden will be presented again in the summer of 2006.

"The Whole Body of Christ" We experience relationship with God through our encounters with the whole body of Christ. Many of our assumptions about Christianity have more to do with the culture we live in than the gospel of Jesus. To gain "eyes to see" with a new perspective, we will study and serve with churches outside the US.

In the summer of 2003 we went to Juarez, Mexico and worked with a church organization to build a house for a homeless family. Take a look at our photo album and read comments made by participants. We will return to Juarez in the summer of 2007.

In the summer of 2005, we visited Seoul BoGeum Church in Seoul, S. Korea, participating in the homeless and elderly ministry the church runs, serving in their Vacation Bible School and going on retreat with their youth group. Check out the on-line photo album and read the responses of young people who traveled with us in the Fall '05 Voices and Visions.