Jr/Sr High NSHVLL Week

By: Alison Loope
We can know that God is doing something powerful when we see 85 middle and high school students sitting together each night, discussing the bible and plans to change their hometown for Christ.  On June 21-25^th SLAM facilitated times of worship, bible study, service projects and team building activities for 6 youth groups from around the United States.  There was a sense of excitement each evening as the SLAM crew, youth leaders, and all the students gathered together to worship and reflect on a day full of service to those who have need in the Nashville area.  These young people took a week out of their summer to serve Christ and interact with others who wanted to do the same, leaving many of them speaking powerful words of testimony and in tears as they departed on the last night.

Students from Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Tennessee were challenged to lay aside the pursuit of any image other than the one they have been created in, the image of God.  Each night we dove into the Word to explore what it means for us as young people to pursue God in a world that is consistently presenting us with other options.  Each evening speaker shared the Word with boldness accompanied with stories of their experiences among those all around the world who have need.  The youth were encouraged to consider the situations of those they came in contact with not only throughout Nashville, but also around the world.

Despite the heat and humidity of Tennessee these 85 young people and their leaders cleaned the homes of elderly, disabled,  and forgotten living in the city’s high rises, washed the vehicles and organized supplies for a development center in the inner city, served food at the downtown Rescue Mission, and spent hours in conversation with Somali refugees.  At the end of the four days there were approximately 1,360 hours spent in ministry to those throughout the city of Nashville.  The students were challenged to not only participate in the tasks given to them at places like SafeHaven Family Shelter, Trevecca Towers, and Grace M. Eaton, but to also identify with the life of Jesus by connecting with the people there, whether they were adults, children, African or Hispanic.

The future is bright for these students as they continue to pursue God in their lives, leaving behind images of popularity, fame, and success that call their attention in this world.  We hope that which was begun in their hearts and minds during this SLAM NSHVLL Week  will be carried back to their homes and remain in their conversations as they seek to pursue Him in whose image they have been created!