OUR STORY 301 E. CAPITOL AVE.
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JEFFERSON CITY, MO
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FBCJC.ORG
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573-634-3603
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September 2016
Rippling Hope Partnership Provides Service in Motor City BY THERESA McCLELLAN Rippling Hope sounds like a name given to a wooded, idyllic retreat with a babbling brook nestled in the Missouri Ozarks. Instead, it is the title of ministry in the heart of Detroit, Mich., and the site of the July 2016 Refuge Youth Mission trip. The goal of Rippling Hope is to serve the least, the lost and the lonely. FBC JC youth partnered with Rippling Hope this summer and serve they did! Fifty-three youth and 16 sponsors painted, cleaned and completed yardwork and construction in the heart of Detroit. Singing at churches and care facilities each day rounded out their mission. For Maxwell Ntalamu, an FBC JC 7th-grader, it was a new experience. “To be honest I was terrified about going on my first mission trip and I was afraid of meeting new people and what people would think of me. People talk about how Detroit is a scary place because of the people and places,” he shared candidly. “But I met some of the nicest people Abby Whitt and Maxwell Ntalamu take a and saw some quick break from painting. of the prettiest neighborhoods. One of my favorite times was when we sang at an almost all black church. They stood, sang along, held hands and raised their hands up in the air. It was almost like God was speaking to us.” Hunter Swanigan, a University of Arkansas freshman
SAVE THE DATE Sunday, September 11
Summer Missions Celebration. Join us for our annual summer missions celebration at 8:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
and mission trip veteran, completed his last trip as a youth. Setting the bar high for the mission, he wishes they could have done even more. “It is easy to look at our mission trip and measure our success by numbers: how many hours we worked, how many times From l to r: Josh Pridemore, Jimmy Green, Austin we sang, how Roark, Detroit Homeowner, Hunter Swanigan many feet of fence we built, etc. At the end of our week in Detroit, I felt we came up short,” he honestly assessed. “One thing that we always talk about, whether we are going to Kenya or Columbia, is the phrase ‘people over projects.’ It shifts our focus from a to-do list to connecting with people. To slow down and realize that just because we cannot get [everything] done, we can connect with each person we meet. So for me, who tries to ‘Extreme Makeover’ each project, this trip was just another reminder of people over projects.” Trip pictures revealed mission-accomplished, paintcovered dirty smiles. “And even when we smelled awful at the end of the day and we’re all tired, we all were just happy to be around each other,” Maxwell laughed. “I had an amazing time and I’m overjoyed that I get to spend another week next summer serving God and others with my amazing Refuge family.” For more information on Rippling Hope, visit www. ripplinghope.org. For more information on the youth ministry of First Baptist Church, visit www.refugejc.com.
Sunday, october 2 Churchwide Fellowship. Save the date for a churchwide dinner and evening of fun and games. 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at Apple Creek Farm.