Dear Invested Adult,

Each summer, teens and adult leaders from St Luke climb into vans with workboots and sleeping bags under their arms to embark on a St Luke Youth Service Trip.  During their service week, they might be framing a new home, repairing the floor on an old one, or serving a meal at a shelter, and through it all, they will be growing in faith.  Through participation in these trips, teens are:

·   able to experience life in a culture outside their own, and exposed to the realities of poverty in our country.

·   provided a special opportunity to develop relationships with other teens and adults based on shared values and shared work.

·   offered a chance to get away from the demands of a “plugged-in” lifestyle and experience a week focused around prayer, simplicity, community, and service.

·   challenged to break through their fears and perceived limitations.

·   given unique opportunity to live out their Christian values and care for their neighbor.

Whether you are a family member of a teen participant or an invested member of the St Luke community, thank you for your commitment to supporting the young people of our parish with your prayers, words of encouragement, and financial contributions, and thank you for your part in forming such loving and conscientious young people.  There is still further opportunity to help with these trips, and I invite you to consider offering your gifts in one of the following ways:

·   First, we need adults willing to help coordinate our pre-service trip fundraisers: two “Stock Sales” at which parishioners are able to “invest” in our trips. 

·   Second, we ask all participants to get together in independent trip-specific groups during the month of May.  Please consider hosting a pot-luck or movie night or organizing and leading a day of service for these trip participants.

·   Third, of course, we need volunteers to take part in and lead the service trips!  As a trip leader you would be committing to partnering in the spiritual formation of your service trip team and taking part in the actual week of service.  This means that your participation in all the formation meetings and other pre-trip preparations is imperative.  I will also arrange individual meetings with adult trip leaders in a manner that fits your schedule.  On the trip itself you will work alongside the teens in their service, facilitate discussion, drive the vans rented for the week, and attend to the safety and well-being of the teen participants.  Please be aware that we ask adult trip leaders to make the same financial contribution ($230) as the teen participants, but that other arrangements may be made if this proves difficult.  Adult volunteers must also be 25 years of age with a valid drivers license, and all adult volunteers must complete our Background Check requirements (see box on right side of page).

·   Finally, we encourage you to share your unique gifts in any way you feel called.  If you have an idea about a way in which you might be able to help, please share it with me, and please pray for our teens and the people with whom they are serving.

Please take some time to think and pray over the ways you might be able to be a part of these wonderful service trips: fill out the attached “Adult Sign-up Form” and return it to the Youth Office (in the Rectory at 528 Lathrop Ave).  Thank you for your continuing commitment to the teens of St Luke.

Peace and Blessings,

Amanda Collins

Coordinator of Youth Ministry, St Luke Parish