Summer Communities of Service 2010 is a reality! No longer a list of tasks to be accomplished, recruitment flyers to be sent far and wide, a stack of applications to review, or a file in my or Paula’s computer, it is now a project being lived out by real flesh and blood. As 14 young adults and members of their host churches and agencies start the summer brimming with hopes, dreams, expectations and anxieties, it is a project burgeoning with endless opportunities for growth, service, and life-changing experiences.

Young adults from places across the country and world—including California, Georgia, Wisconsin, Scotland, Florida and India—convened for orientation June 2-4at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C. These vibrant folks are in college, just graduated from college or seminary, or are still discerning their life’s path. Along with their suitcases, computers, bikes and musical instruments, they brought their energy, enthusiasm and courage to change their lives and their world. They also carried fears about leaving their comfort zones, anxieties about the work to be done over the summer, their concern about loved ones at home, and their uncertainty about vocational aspirations. Our time together at orientation gave space to voice their hopes and apprehension with sessions that delved into the richness of living in intentional community, of attending to spiritual discernment, of managing conflict, and of being aware of the complexities of poverty and serving alongside those who are considered poor. 

On the second day of orientation, representatives from Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh, Ellis Avenue Baptist Church in Chicago, Metro Baptist Church in New York, and Wellspring UCC in Centreville, Va., joined the interns and shared their gifts of poetry, song, leadership and wisdom as they met their summer interns face to face for the first time. The ecumenical endeavor of the Alliance of Baptists with the UCC is exciting and provides an on-the-ground collaboration allowing all involved to intimately explore our common commitments to justice, community and progressive theology. 

This summer is going to be about stories and the sacred act of sharing them with others. Intentional communities will give interns place to share the stories of their lives over meals and with their spiritual sojourners.   Host churches will share the rich stories of their history and how their work in their respective communities has been shaped by a passion for service and justice.  Those being served will share their stories of joy, perseverance, and hardship with all who take the time to travel alongside them.  It is going to be a vibrant summer. I can’t wait to bear witness to these stories over the summer and beyond.  You too will opportunities to hear stories from the summer in upcoming issues of connections.  Please pray for the young adults, their host sites and agencies, and the folks whom they will serve.  Will you also give your financial support to ensure that this project is successful throughout the summer? Go to http://www.allianceofbaptists.org/support/give to make your much-appreciated donation.