By: Erick Flores, Ministry Apprentice
Amidst everything happening in our country, people both within and outside our community continue to give, showing love to our neighbors. Donating time, money, and support is never an easy ask, but people are always willing to give without any hesitation. Our church congregation continues to grow, and I love how we, as a church, have made Mission Adelante a welcoming home for everyone. As new people join, they always feel accepted and embraced.
Working at Mission Adelante has truly been one of the greatest blessings of my life. Not only have I had the opportunity to grow as a leader and work in ministry, but I've also watched my faith grow stronger than ever.
Philippians 3:8-9 says:
“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” I am forever grateful for my mentors and peers.
I recently led and completed my first full trimester of Arts Community! This trimester, I was excited to work with our Children’s Apprentice, Alana. Unfortunately, due to the challenges we’ve been facing, Alana also had to be let go. Despite this setback, I am determined to continue pursuing the big goals we had set. Arts Community is still succeeding, thanks to our amazing kiddos. It always brings me joy seeing them walk through the door, eager to play with friends, learn in class, and form lasting bonds with our wonderful volunteers! Volunteers join our kids to play games and even run around! I forget to stretch sometimes so I pay for that.
Our Leaders in Training come in every Monday and Wednesday, ready to engage and step up in their roles. They are role models to their peers and the younger kids who are gearing up to follow in their footsteps!
Kids Adelante on Thursday nights will always have a special place in my heart. Apart from leading a kids program, you don't get to really get close with the kids and do activities with them until you become a volunteer. So running around, teaching kids, and building relationships will always be top tier. Volunteering for Kids Adelante last trimester certainly took all the energy I had at the end of my day, but knowing I could wrap up my week with our kiddos, who always manage to brighten my day, was more than I could ever ask for.
Our Leadership Training Project has also been off to a strong start! We began with 5 teens, and it has since expanded to 7! Each week, we hold a workshop, followed by rehearsing worship for our Youth Club on Wednesday nights. Youth Club has been such a joy since the beginning of the year! This trimester, we’re focusing on the road to Easter. It’s always motivating to see our teens engage in worship and stay focused on our lesson plans. As for my discipleship, it has been incredible! Recently, I was able to host a discipleship with two of our youth volunteers, Luis and Michael. We invited Youth Club to join us for a fun game of flag football! As competitive as it was, we all had a blast. With the weather improving, we’ll have even more opportunities for discipleship.
WE are stronger together! Would you consider supporting work like Erick’s and becoming a monthly partner? Click on the link below to help us continue to serve students like Luis and Michael.