All Souls has an annual short-term mission project involving adults and youth in construction, teaching, and a medical clinic. (Ways you can assist.)
ASSIST-JC is our shorthand for our youth mission program: “All Souls Students in Service to Jesus Christ”. We began with a homeland mission trip in 2000 to New York State, continued in 2001 with our first trip to Nuevo Sacramento , Honduras. (See 2001 Photos, 2007 photos) In late June of 2002, our mission team went to Eastport, Maine where the local United Church of Christ congregation hosted us and we carried out a fairly major construction rehab project, painted a house, and helped with a smaller interior painting project. While there, we slept in the local middle school gym, prepared meals at the church, and were hosted twice for dinners in the homes of church members. In 2003, 48 of us went back to Nuevo Sacramento to build two more houses, provide a medical clinic, and hold vacation bible school.
As you can see, our mission program has a two-year rhythm of homeland and international missions. Jesus told us “just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” The idea of brotherhood and sisterhood in Christ becomes a very tangible reality as we work and worship with people in the communities we serve. As we follow Christ’s commandment to show God’s love in concrete ways, our own hearts and minds are transformed.
Our students are required to participate in a homeland mission before serving with us in another culture. Currently, eighth graders and high school students are being invited to commit themselves to the work of personal preparation, spiritual focus, and fund-raising efforts that are on-going features of our mission efforts. Classes in basic construction skills will be provided for newcomers; fund-raising for the two-year cycle is underway, and the pastor in Eastport is identifying work projects to discuss with our leaders.
Our church is moving ever-closer to supporting this program by funding 1/3 of the costs through the annual budget. Participants are expected to pay 1/3 of the cost out-of-pocket by making installment payments and taking advantage of the “Workers in the Vineyard” program through which church members “hire” ASSIST-JC workers for a wide variety of projects; these monies are deposited into individual accounts within the church financial system and are tracked by the church financial secretary, Dottie Andrews. Travelers and their parents are also expected to provide time and energy needed to hold fund-raisers for the other 1/3rd of the needed funds. Fund-raising events associated with our mission efforts have become a familiar part of the yearly rhythm around All Souls and the community. They include a buffet night at the Oriental Jade restaurant (approximately one half the proceeds from ticket sales comes back to us), a church-wide indoor yard sale in mid-October, making THOUSANDS of chocolate covered Easter eggs to sell in the community during Lent, a Lobster Stew Dinner in late winter, and when talent and energy allow, a musical or theatrical event in winter or early Spring.
ASSIST-JC has been organized under the format of an Explorer Post (210) through the Boy Scouts of America. Explorer Posts are co-ed, and allow young people to participate in the “business” of the sponsoring agency. The sponsoring organization determines the scope and activity of the program, criteria for the leadership and recruits members. The “business” of All Souls Church is to be Christ’s servant—Christ’s hands and feet in the world today—and we recruit from within our congregation. The connection with Boy Scouts of America gives us a tremendous help with travel insurance. We also can take advantage of some of the very special programs offered by the Katahdin Area Boy Scout and occasionally use Camp Roosevelt for our outings during the year.
If you’d like more information about ASSIST-JC, please talk with Renee Garrett or with Carol Sherman.