Adele Werner

We all have different talents. We know this; we experience it daily. It’s an incredible thing to watch different people with different skills work towards a united goal. The Word speaks to this concept by saying: “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body” (1 Cor 12:17–20). St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Barrington, Illinois, and their recent mission trip to Belize provide a great example of this message in action. Because of your gifts to Concordia Gospel Outreach, we were able to play a small role in God’s work in Belize.

Planning a mission trip is a lot of work. I am not super experienced in this realm; I don’t have years and years of experience. But I have planned and led two mission trips for the church I went to in college (shout-out to the University Lutheran Chapel in Ann Arbor, MI—much love). The first trip I was a part of planning was to Houston, TX, in 2018 after Hurricane Harvey. We were part of the wonderful disaster response efforts with Heart for Texas, an LCMS-affiliated organization.

It’s during the spring when things seem to get really busy. With the end of school approaching, spring activities starting, and Easter right around the corner, it can be a fast-paced time. Time in a youth group or at church in general can be just the break youth need. Chances are, your youth will want to give you their ideas for what to do during your time together. Being able to give feedback allows youth to have agency and ownership of the time they spend together while still allowing you to have structure. But how do you get the most helpful feedback from youth?

Spring is just around the corner, and with it, spring break! This week can be a restful time and help your family “spring” into the next season.