When Experience Mission’s partners from the Salvation Army in Atlanta accepted new job positions in New York last summer, the opportunities for ministry in the city seemed to open up effortlessly. EM and the Salvation Army have a long-standing relationship in urban communities, which now include Atlanta, Chicago and New York. Both organizations have a highly relational focus and believe in taking ministry out into the streets—meeting people in the midst of their struggles, in the routine of their daily lives.
Here at EM, we are so excited about providing volunteers the opportunity to serve in New York for the first time during the summer of 2012!
Like many inner-city neighborhoods, the community of Harlem has had its highs and lows. Although it is now considered the economic capital of the world, life in New York wasn’t always so easy. In the 1930s, Harlem experienced economic devastation alongside the rest of the country during the Great Depression and social unrest during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s. While many other neighborhoods in New York have triumphed after these difficult times in American history, it seems that the people of Harlem were never able to fully recover.
On the surface, life in Harlem seems hopeless. Illiteracy, high unemployment, broken families, substance abuse and sex trafficking are just a few of the major issues that seem to have overrun the neighborhood.
But organizations like Experience Mission and the Salvation Army are joining together with volunteers all over the country to continue combatting these social, physical and spiritual problems. As a volunteer in Harlem, you and your team will have the opportunity to come face to face with some of these real-life struggles and meet the people who have found hope and beat the statistics. You’ll meet children who have been abandoned by their earthly fathers into a life of poverty, but who have found a renewed purpose through a relationship with their Heavenly Father. They’re growing their young faiths through daily Kids Clubs that take place on neighborhood playgrounds.
You’ll serve alongside Corps members and Officers at the Salvation Army who have committed their lives to making a difference in the community. They’ve chosen to move their families into the center of the brokenness and build authentic relationships with the people living in their neighborhood. You’ll be challenged to live your mission in the world—realizing that the struggles in Harlem might be happening in your hometown, too.
Be a part of the healing that is happening in Harlem. Join the ongoing work by registering for a New York mission trip this summer!
QUESTIONS? | 888-475-6414 x 10
Site developed and hosted by Skycog, Inc.