It's nice to know that there are so many places I can go in the US and be close to a church that has some sort of relationship with Mountain T.O.P. The Sunday before Thanksgiving, I was vacationing with my family in Florida, and I attended church at UMC of the Palm Beaches. A group of youth and adults from this church attended YSM this past summer. It was good to see familiar faces in worship! I always find it a gift to be able to worship with MTOP campers at their home church.
The associate pastor, Jen Harner Sims, grew up in a church that attended MTOP when she was a youth. During the service, Jen spoke about how much MTOP was an influence on her as a youth and then in choosing a vocation in ministry. Even though Jen and I only knew each other through phone calls and emails, I was proud to know MTOP had been such a great influence in her life.
Again, I was reminded of how important our presence is in one another's lives. We never know the influence we might have, or the transformation that the experiences we foster can bring. I am so grateful for the 80+ youth workers who gather together hundreds of youth to come do mission with MTOP. This reminder helps me move beyond the sentimentality of Christmas and the Advent season - that the incarnational ministry in which we participate IS God in the flesh, not just some sweet story that we like to repeat on an annual basis or some mission trip that is fun or cool to be a part of.
I think that one of the best gifts I could receive would be to know that somewhere, along in my past, someone was transformed by knowing Christ through my actions.
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