Trinitarian Congregational Church's Senior High Youth Group Mission Trip to Webster Springs, WV

Each year Concord's Trinitarian Congregational (TriCon) Church's senior high youth participate in a week long mission trip scheduled over the February or April public school vacation week. Past trips have been to Miami, Biloxi, Puerto Rico, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Kentucky, New Mexico and Jamaica to work on projects for those in need due to poverty or natural disaster.

In February 2016, 46 TriCon youth and 8 adult leaders decided to spend their vacation week serving others instead of laying on a sunny beach or skiing down mountains like most of their high school friends. These youth traveled to the poverty-stricken town of Webster Springs, WV where they spent the entire week helping make improvements to the poor living conditions of many homes and buildings. They divided into 8 care groups and tackled big projects including painting, tiling, plumbing, insulating attics, and demolition work.

Please go to triconchurch.org/mission-trip to watch a fun VIDEO summary of their mission trip, view a photo SLIDESHOW, listen to the short audio clips of 7 individual youth's REFLECTIONS from the trip and more.

A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE From Suzanne Giles

“Yesterday morning at 3:30 a.m. we sent 46 High School youth and 8 adult chaperones off to West Virginia, where it is freezing cold, rainy with possible snow showers, to do home repairs and construction work for those in need. My daughter Margaret, now 20, went on four of these Mission Trips and would stand here today and tell you those were the best four weeks of her life! That is a pretty profound statement, right?

Now, what makes it so profound, is that this young lady has had the luxury of traveling across the globe – multiple trips hiking the most beautiful rivers and mountains of Newfoundland, Canada; a 5 day Safari in South Africa; 10 days with her school touring China; a child’s dream vacation at Disney World. She swam with the dolphins at Sea World; rode bikes all over Key West; parasailed in Puerto Rico; not to mention multiple trips across America; and the endless summers enjoying time with cousins galore with beach parties, talent shows, ice cream socials, kayaking and just “hanging out” on Capitol Island in Maine.

So what is it that these Mission trips have that all these other vacations don’t? Community and Service - That is it!! How powerful these two are separately and how dynamically magical they are when put together!!! WOW!!! How lucky we are to have these opportunities provided for our youth to serve, to learn, to grow and to cherish.

Margaret continues her work of service as a mentor to a 2nd grader in her community who comes from a disadvantaged family – for the past two years Margaret has tutored her with academics, taught her social skills, and helped her with making healthy and safe choices in her everyday life. Why does she do this? She would tell you because she learned at TriCon that this work is important and it makes her feel good. Thank you TriCon for providing my daughter and hundreds of other young adults with these life long gifts.”

About Trinitarian Congregational Church:
Trinitarian Congregational Church (TriCon) is located at 54 Walden Street, Concord, MA 01742.

TriCon is an inclusive, open, affirming and welcoming congregation. As always, TriCon's worship services are open to the public. For more information about our worship services, please visit our website at www.triconchurch.org and follow is on Facebook and Twitter (triconchurch), email us at info@triconchurch.org or call the church office at 978-369-4837.

Senior Minister - Rev. Dr. John Lombard
Associate Minister - Rev. Robert Brown
Interim Sabbatical Minister - Rev. Judith Brain
Music Director - Vickie Wagner
Church School Director (Pre-K thru 8th grade) - Carrie O'Brien
Senior High Youth Group Leader - Nick Bruning