We are sending 9 middle and high school youth, along with two chaperones, on a service learning trip to Albuquerque, NM in July 2023. This trip is in partnership with Be the Neighbor. The total cost per participant is approximately $500. Each family is contributing half or more for their participant and we are fundraising to balance our budget. We appreciate your support!

An Invitation from Our Youth:

Be the church! This statement is something that we, the youth of our church, hear often. We use some of the actions associated with being the church, like forgiving our siblings. But other actions seem much more complex and confusing, we don’t always know how to care for the poor, or fight for the powerless.

By attending the Be the Neighbor service-learning trip this summer we will not only help others by participating in a service project, but also, learn how we can return to our church with a new awareness, understanding, and vision to work for justice in our community. Allowing us Be the Church!

Please consider making a contribution, to help us experience this amazing learning and growth opportunity and be able to make our church stronger when we return.

More Info from Be the Neighbor: 

Groups participating in Albuquerque Cultures and Community weeks will learn will about the diverse communities within Albuquerque and New Mexico and have the opportunity to visit one of the 19 indigenous Pueblo communities in the area. The week will include both service and educational experiences. Your group will speak daily with expert guest leaders, visit the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, spend a day in a local Pueblo area, learn about the Doctrine of Discovery, and have conversations about practicing cultural humility. Your group will have time together each evening for a justice-based Bible study and discussion focused on learning about root causes, systemic issues, policy and advocacy, so that you may go back to your community with a new awareness, understanding, and vision to work for justice beyond the service learning trip week.

Albuquerque, New Mexico is a historic city with rich cultural diversity; and yet, the poverty rate in New Mexico is almost 20%. The number of children experiencing poverty in New Mexico is one of the highest in the nation. The population of people experiencing homelessness has grown in recent years as migrants move to Albuquerque from the north and the south. Additionally, indigenous communities in New Mexico experienced high rates of Covid-19.