Summer has offered a variety of opportunities for children, youth, and families to grow in their relationship with Jesus and serve others. These opportunities to explore and grow in their faith as individuals and as families helps to strengthen families and the church. Following is a summary of the exciting events that have happened this summer.

Youth Ministry

LVR – Trinity had twenty-one youth from both campuses and five adults who traveled to  LVR (Lutheran Valley Retreat) June 10-15 to participate in an amazing opportunity to grow in their relationship with Jesus, with one another, and with other Lutheran youth from the Kansas City area. The total number attending camp was 127 youth and 20 adults from the Lutheran churches of Trinity, Lord of Life, Christ, Beautiful Savior in Lee’s Summit, Redeemer in Olathe, Hope, Bethany, Our Redeemer in KCMO, Peace Lutheran in KCMO, and Prince of Peace in Topeka.

The theme of camp was “Renew” based on Isaiah 43:19: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Our week at camp focused on being made new through the love of Christ Jesus. Through baptism, through faith, and through the daily invitation to follow Him, Jesus offers us something the world never will. Youth and adults were encouraged to focus on what God is doing inside each of us to change the world around us.  The promise in Isaiah is:

  • Jesus offers you joy and peace in the midst of loss and sadness.
  • He offers you gentleness and humility in the midst of violence and hatred.
  • He offers you prayer and relationship in the midst of isolation and loneliness.
  • He offers love and service in the midst of a self-centered culture.
  • He helps us to live out faith in the midst of hypocrisy.

Summer Service –Youth

Vacation Bible School – A large number of Trinity youth served this summer at both the Shawnee and Mission Shipwrecked VBS events. Youth helped with decorating, as Crew Leaders, Station leaders, and Station assistants. They also helped with setup and take-down for both weeks.

Kid’s Café Lunch – At the Mission campus, youth also helped serve as part of Kid’s Café summer lunch program with the setup and take-down of tables and chairs each day, as well as helpers for our little ones during lunch.

Kids’ Kamp – Youth served as camp coaches for our afternoon Kids’ Kamp at the Mission campus. They guided the children in their activities through the camp week.

Children’s Ministry

Vacation Bible School – Shipwrecked VBS was a wonderful way for us to share the Gospel with our children and the children of the community. We learned that in the midst of life’s storms, Jesus Rescues!

When we are lonely, when we worry, when we struggle, when we do wrong, or when we feel powerless, we can trust that we have been rescued from all things through Christ Jesus our Savior.

Shawnee Campus – VBS was June 25-29 and we served 150 children with 50 volunteers.

Mission Campus – VBS was July 9-13 and we served 80 children with 37 volunteers.

Kids’ Café Lunch and Kids’ Kamp – Mission Campus 

We served 65 free lunches to children and youth each day of VBS, July 9-13. This is the highest number of lunches served during this week since we began participating in this program. Our Kids’ Kamp served 18 children with 10 youth camp coaches. Kamp included a game day, movie day, bingo, and swimming. A BIG Thank You goes to Justin Cox for leading camp, to Dimitry Barker who served as his assistant, to Kerry Barker for his assistance, and to all of our Trinity youth who led by example as they served the children of camp. The following is a compliment paid to Kerry Barker for our camp by the manager at the Roeland Park pool:

“This is the most respectful, kind, and well behaved group we’ve had at the swimming pool this year and you are invited to come back anytime you would like.”

Summer Sunday School

Babylon VBS Experience & Serve Together Experience – We are offering unique opportunities for families to be together during the Summer Sunday School hour to learn and grow together in their faith and service.

Babylon VBS – Daniel was way more than the guy who survived a den of hungry lions! Join Daniel—torn from his home and forced into the king’s service. Kids and adults find that they’re not much different from Daniel and his friends, who kept their faith in a faithless culture. The discovery we explore together is that God is always with us so when things change, when we need help, when we are afraid, when we are lonely, and even when we are thankful, God is with us. This experience is currently happening at our Shawnee  campus through Aug 19.

Serve Together – This experience is a unique opportunity for families to serve together. They also learn wonderful background information about the areas and communities they are serving to shed light on areas they might be interested in serving when this experience is completed.

Projects include serving for VBS preparation and conclusion, sustainable food bags for the homeless, blankets for Children’s Mercy, and a very special hunger-focused project based on the children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

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