The weekend of March 22-24, 19 students and 4 fearless chaperones headed to Williamsburg to participate in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia’s (CBFVA) March Mission Madness. The weekend was spent with 225 students from around the state at Walnut Hills Baptist Church. Our youth particularly like these events with other churches as it offers the chance to reconnect with friends they have made over the years, and make new friends.
When we arrived at the host church, they served us dinner, and then everyone moved into the sanctuary for our opening worship service. The theme of the weekend was “Seeking Transformation,” and we spent time pondering what needs to transform in our own lives and worlds as we seek to be followers of Christ. After worship on Friday, we traveled to the hotel and got settled in and ate lots snacks. The girls all in one room and the boys in another, meanwhile the adults sat in the hallway monitoring everyone’s movements.
Saturday brought a morning worship service, and then all 250 participants departed across the city of Williamsburg to participate in mission projects. We landscaped at public housing locations, played games and crafts with children, cleaned and landscaped at shelters for women and children escaping abusive situations and cleaned, and prepped a Girl Scout Camp among many other opportunities. It was a powerful reminder that just a day of service can make someone’s day easier and brighter for the future.
Following some time of rest, we headed back to the church for dinner and evening worship, followed by some church group time together at Ripley’s Believe it or Not and shakes at Cookout, then we crashed after a long, but great day for the evening.
The weekend wrapped up with closing worship on Sunday morning and we headed home. It was a really good weekend with some really terrific teenagers. I am amazed at who they are now and love spending time with them. Special thanks to 3 terrific chaperones who gave up their weekend to spend some time with our RRCB youth: Lisa Cipolletti, Laurie Gray, and Sara Heisler.
Written by Marnie Fisher-Ingram