Deep Justice Journeys

Deep Justice Journeys Student Journal

So you’re fired up, you want to make a difference, you want to change the world…but how? Signing up for your church’s mission trip or service project is a great first step, and you are definitely going to make a difference in someone’s life. But are you ready for the different cultures you may encounter? How are you going to really connect with the people you serve? And what about when you come home—how do you make sense of all the things you’ve experienced? It’s easy to forget your experiences in the mission field—especially when the people around you haven’t had those same experiences. And it is easy to go back to living your life the way you were before—but if you really want to change the world, you have to change, too. The only way that is going to happen is if you spend some time before, during, and after your service preparing for and processing your justice work. As you use this journal you will start to think about— • the people you are serving • your relationship with your teammates • how God factors in to your service project • the impact your experience has had on you • how you can continue to make a difference in the world around you If you think you’re fired-up for service now, just wait! As you complete the creative and fun exercises included in this journal, you will be energized for justice work, you’ll learn how to apply this to your own life, and nothing will be able to stop you.

Models, Mentors, and Messages

For far too long we’ve neglected the urban mission field. Many churches have moved to the outskirts of the city for various reasons, and the urban landscape appears to be forgotten. Dr. René Rochester presents a vision for how communities can change this pattern and plant redemptive and sustainable urban ministries. Models, Mentors, and Messages takes a close look at the developmental stages of Jesus’ life, focusing on how family, his heavenly Father, the Jewish community, and neighboring nations were used to shape his holy destiny. Through the example of Jesus’ life, you will learn how to draw on your own formative years to show urban teens how to live out God’s call in their communities. The most authentic models are individuals who have wrestled through life’s challenges and learned to trust God in difficult situations, and so by empowering urban students today and showing them how to nurture one another in faith, you can help create sustainable ministries in which each generation will model for the next how to follow Jesus. The first of its kind, this book doesn’t try to force old models on the urban context, but rather teaches new ways to draw on Jesus’ teachings to help an urban, hip-hop generation live for Jesus and for one another.

Journey with Justice