The Youth Group at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Milford is planning a week-long mission trip in late June to help people as part of an urban inner city experience in Rutland, Vermont.
The group of 15 in grades 6-12 conducted a similar trip last year to Charleston, West Virginia.
“Typically we split into two different teams,” said group leader Maureen Lucas of the urban program overseen by a national group called Youth Works. “One team goes with kids at a day camp called Kids Club where they help out as junior counselors. The other team will go out and do home repairs or repairs on public grounds.”
The group also conducts other projects during the year as part of its mission statement: “Serving Christ Through Action.”
Coming up in early May is “30-Hour Famine” in which the group plans to not eat for 30-hours to raise awareness of world hunger. As of noon Friday they will start their fast with prayer and reflection time. Then in early evening they will walk around downtown Milford collecting donations for a charity that feeds the hungry. They will sleep overnight in the church’s parish hall and break their fast with a dinner there Saturday night.
Planned for sometime in the summer is sleeping under boxes on the parish lawn to raise awareness of homelessness.
The group just finished a Lenten Bible Study by reading a book called “Renegade Gospel.”
“It was about Jesus coming down to show a revolutionary way to live,” said Lucas. “We also read associated scripture in the Bible to make the Bible come alive and be more relevant.”
It’s all part of their mission statement, she said, adding, “We not only talk and read. We also want to be active. This is what the kids wanted. It’s their group.”
Lucas’s son, Henry, 17, is one of the members of the youth group and enjoys it.
“The community is the best part,” said Henry. “Being around people that you’re comfortable with. That’s what I enjoy the most.”
“That and the mission trips,” Henry added, noting he went on the mission trip last year to Charleston and is looking forward to this year’s trip to Rutland.