Cape Cod Covenant Church

Every Wednesday I will publish a “Supporter Spotlight” post. One by one, I will honor each and every one of the members of my Mission Year financial support team. This is a fun way to say thank you to everyone who has given generously and entered into the story God is writing for me, my Mission Year housemates and our neighborhood in Houston. To read previous Supporter Spotlight posts, please click on the link under “Categories.”

Lucy and I at a youth group overnight in 2005 (8th grade).

When I was in 6th grade my best friend Lucy invited me to come to youth group at her church, Cape Cod Covenant. I had attended other churches before that point, but I must have really liked something about Cape Cod Cov because I continued going. It wasn’t long before I was a youth group regular and went on a junior high retreat to Pilgrim Pines in NH. That weekend with the Cape Cod Cov youth group changed my life forever. I found myself in a room full of other junior highers who were all singing songs of worship to God. I remember “You are Holy, Prince of Peace” was playing when I was suddenly overcome with the revelation that God was real. I still don’t have an explanation for what happened to me in that moment. I just know that God met me there in that room and thus, my wayward journey to a relationship with Him began.

From then on I went to “Sunday Night Live” every weekend, attended more youth group overnights and trips, hung out with our youth pastor Brita, served in the nursery during Sunday services and started going to Confirmation Class with Pastor Tom every Thursday night. PT  is especially skilled at balancing outrageous fun with meaningful teaching. Every class would start with a “goofy point” like eating pickled fish or an olive dipped in yogurt, always something strange. But then we’d transition into talking about things like the Trinity, baptism and communion. I learned so much from Confirmation Class at Cape Cod Cov and am incredibly grateful for that experience.

After being confirmed in 8th grade, a new youth pastor named Meredith started working at the church and again my life was forever changed! Meredith is one of the most incredible people I know and has loved me well over the past 8 years. Meredith would take us youth group kids everywhere…to Pizza Hut, to Color Me Mine, to get hot coco, to soup kitchens, to sports games, to retreats, on mission trips, to the beach, to our favorite breakfast spot: Grumpy’s…everywhere. Some of my most favorite memories from high school come from youth group adventures with Meredith.

Mini Golfing Outing circa 2007 (10th grade).

Over the years Cape Cod Covenant Church became my home. I owe a lot to all the people from church who have loved and supported me in a variety of ways since I was in 6th grade. While I will say that I’ve really dug deep into Scripture and learned the most theology in college, Cape Cod Covenant taught me the most about what a loving group of Christians living life together is supposed to look like. Maybe our youth group didn’t have the most quiet prayer time on mission trips, but we had an absurd amount of fun and we always knew that we were accepted for who we were. We may not be a huge church, but the congregation is incredibly generous and intentional about being active in the community. No, we don’t have contemporary worship or a fancy screen with lyrics flashing on it, but the most highly attended services of the year are always filled with performances and readings by children in the church. Cape Cod Covenant doesn’t put on airs. In my experience, the church, congregation and leadership care more about relationships, people and youth then they do about image or drawing lines with strict theological ultimatums. I appreciate this immensely.

Church Pumpkin Sale to Support Youth Mission Trips! (2012)

Now that I am older and have been in Boston for 3.5 years I have been less involved at Cape Cod Cov, but I still volunteer and participate whenever I get the chance. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know a lot of the kids I watched in the nursery as toddlers who have now grown into energetic middle schoolers. I’ve served as a friendly face to kids from the Cape who come to spend a week at Camp Squanto where I’ve been a counselor for the past 3 summers. I’ve volunteered on trips to Six Flags, the Big Day of Serving and Vacation Bible School.  And I have always felt welcome whenever I come back home. It’s one of the best feelings in the world.

In December 2009-January 2010, Cape Cod Cov supported me in a huge way so that I could go on a 10 day educational mission trip to Thailand and Laos with the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination. Now, 3 years later, they have generously supported me again to help make my Mission Year possible. Thank you Cape Cod Covenant for being the place where it all began and the people who continue to bring joy and provision into my life. You’ll always be my true “home church.”

The Big Day of Serving in Nashua, NH. (May 2012)

If you are a Supporter and wish not to be featured in the Supporter Spotlight posts, please just let me know!

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