Last summer, Community Christian Church (DOC) from Camdenton, Missouri and SouthPointe Christian Church (DOC) from Lincoln, Nebraska joined forces for the first time to do joint mission projects. Community Christian Church (CCC), from the Lake of the Ozarks, traveled to Lincoln and stayed at a house. This house and the surrounding property, known as Serenity Acres, was donated by one of SouthPointe’s parishioners to be a retreat center and a place for discipleship classes.

SouthPointe Christian Church is a new church start and they were eager and excited to join us and learn more about mission trips. CCC felt so blessed to have SouthPointe provide all our lunch and dinners. We provided our own breakfast.

The first night we joined together at Serenity Acres and shared a meal, had a short worship service, and sang songs while getting acquainted with each other.

Our first mission project was to build a prayer labyrinth on the Serenity Acres site. The location was about one-third of the size of a football field. SouthPointe CC had hired two landscaping professionals and the youth were to assist them. We completed the project in only three days, which was much to everyone’s surprise.

After the prayer labyrinth, we completed projects around the outside of the house: power washed the screened-in porch and sidewalks, painted a picnic table, cleaned up some prayer paths, and trimmed trees and bushes.

We also spent half a day at CEDARS to help make decorations for their “Luau”. The mission of CEDARS is “to help children who have been abused, neglected, and homeless achieve safety, stability, and enduring family relationships”.

This summer, SouthPointe Christian Church in Nebraska will be traveling to Camdenton to join CCC in local mission work. We plan on working in the church’s outdoor worship area and helping some of our local service centers: LANI (free store), Habitat for Humanity, Share the Harvest, LAMB House (food pantry and thrift store), and CADV (Citizens Against Domestic Violence).

Then in the summer of 2018, we are planning a new location where both churches will meet to do mission work.

The CCC youth have enjoyed the chance to meet new youth and get to know them. They have stayed in touch with each other and are excited for the upcoming trip to once again be together to do mission work, share meals, and have some fun.

Submitted by Laura Sauvage
(Community Christian Church’s Youth Coordinator)