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Imagine with me…it’s early June, it finally happened, school is out for the summer. Your student comes home and throws their backpack to the back of their closet to not be seen for months. They plant themselves on the couch, swiping through their phone, their head full of dreams of sleeping in and weeks full of freedom. Now, while there is certainly room for that on every summer break—wouldn’t it be great if there was something more for your student this summer? Well, there is. I’d like to encourage every family to send their 6th-12th grade student to Crossings Camp and our North Cincinnati Mission Trip (registration for both is open online!)

Our students, like a lot of us, will often default to the easiest option—which for a student on summer break, is to fill those ten weeks with a whole lot of nothing. However; I want more for our students and I know you do as well! While I don’t want to say forced…let’s just say “highly encouraged…” here are some reasons why I believe your student should be “highly encourage” to go to Camp and the mission trip this summer!

  1. Jesus—always the right answer, but both of these trips offer an intentional opportunity for our students to grow in their relationship that matters most! In a week of camp, they are saturated with worship, preaching, small groups, and quiet time—away from all of their modern at-home distractions, to listen and let God speak to them. The unique spiritual environment of camp lets our students grow in ways they wouldn’t anywhere else!  The mission trip provides students the opportunity to serve like Jesus and share the Good News of Jesus with others. There are few things we want more for students then to put them into opportunities where they can be selfless—and the North Cincinnati Mission Trip is a perfect opportunity for that! 
  2. Fellowship—students are lacking interpersonal opportunities. Significant face to face interaction is invaluable and both of these opportunities allow for students to grow in their friendships with one another, make new friends, and be mentored by adults that care about them and their spiritual growth.
  3. Fun—both of these trips, while there is work done, and serious moments had, are still fun! Throughout camp, students are tearing it up with a few hundred other teenagers doing a variety of things, from jumping off lake inflatables, shooting paint at each other, dominating people in nukem and gaga ball, and a bunch of other activities (Link-- https://gocrossings.org/2020-jonathan-creek-camps/)!  During the mission trip, while we are there to serve first, our days are still full of fun and memorable events. While there, we have the opportunity to hang with the Clarkson family (our church plant partners) who are always down to have a barbecue or share an urban myth of Carlisle. We also fill our free time with fun activities and end our trip with a rest day—this year we’re planning on a return to King’s Island!

This is just a brief look at what could be in store for your student’s summer! However, sometimes students just need a little extra “encouragement” to go (or just, like, make them go, if you have to.) If you’d like even more info, call or email Alec--636-327-8696 or .

Posted by Alec Erhart with