Summer Mission Trips

WRITTEN BY ALEX IELASE

The months of June and July are some of my favorites. Summer is here, school is out and the warm sun is shining! It’s also a perfect time to take middle and high school students on missions trips.

From June 28-July 3, 17 students and leaders ministered on the boardwalks and beaches of Ocean City, Maryland. By God’s grace, we equipped them with multiple methods of sharing the gospel through scripture memorization, preaching practice, teaching them about different religions and their backgrounds, and more!

If we really believe we have the best news in all of history, we should do everything we can to share it! And that is exactly what our students did during this trip. It’s so much fun to see students who are shy, quiet and timid, coming out of their shells and comfort zones to talk with total strangers about the Lord.

We had hundreds of conversations with people, alongside public preaching times where we taught to groups of 10, 20, 30 or even more people at a time. We also passed out thousands of gospel tracks.

First Free Students Serving in McKeesport

One of our students handed a man, his wife and daughter a track. The next day, he came back to tell us that he prayed to receive Jesus! We spoke with him for about an hour, prayed with him, and remain in touch with him even to this day. Hallelujah!

First Free Students Preaching on the Boardwalk

During last week of July, we had 23 students and six leaders scattered in Mckeesport to show the love of Christ and share the gospel. We did work projects at peoples homes, assisted at Sonshine Community Ministries, and walked the streets to talk and pray with whoever the Lord put in our paths. Unfortunately on Thursday, we were rained out by the threat of thunderstorms for the Slip and Slide at the Mckeesport Library, but we made the best of it.

First Free Team at Ocean City, MD

Pastor Alex and Students serving in McKeesport

Most of the students worked hard during the day and then also served at Summer Blast in the evening. They did such an amazing job engaging with children and helping them to better understand that Jesus is our ultimate best friend.

First Free Students serving at Summer Blast

I really am very proud of them, and it is such a privilege to get to do this as a job. Thank you so much for supporting youth ministry at First Free Church and please continue to pray as we enter a new year of Reach Student Ministries this September.