We are very excited to announce SSP’s summer program theme for 2016: Set Your Foundation! We have assembled a stellar planning team that will be working hard over the next two months to put together the program that many of you will experience on site at SSP this summer.
On the team we have: Piper Hightower, youth leader at Shepherd of the Sierra Presbyterian Church and teenage development extraordinaire; Jeff Lowery, ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church, Director of L.A.S.T., and SSP’s Portland Regional Coordinator; David Felten, pastor of The Fountains UMC, author of Living the Questions, and experienced spiritual curriculum writer; and Veronica Russell, SSP’s Volunteer Coordinator.
As we embark on SSP’s 41st year of service, “Set Your Foundation” will invite volunteers to do exactly that: explore the importance of developing a durable base for all we do in life. At SSP, we work hard to make our home repairs stand the tests of time, use, and harsh elements. In the same way, the SSP experience helps volunteers gain the social skills and strong faith they will need to weather the challenges that life throws at them beyond their time at SSP. This summer, we plan to take a look at what Jesus might mean when he says,
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” -Matthew 7:24, ESV.
Volunteers who embark on a service journey with us this summer will ask, “What is my foundation, and what does it mean to build my life and faith on something that is lasting and durable?” In construction, before one starts to build a structure, the groundwork must first be laid. That then informs how long and how well the rest of the structure will hold up. What is the reason you are coming to SSP? How will that reason, right here and right now, shape the result of your service down the road? Building up and serving others, whether in our spirits or work projects, will have lasting impact when based on a sturdy foundation.
SSP wants all volunteers to know they are freely loved and welcomed, no matter where they come from or what they believe. We understand this as God’s invitation to all of us: to stand on the foundation of knowing we are loved and welcomed, so we can then freely love others. We can’t wait to explore what it means to “Set Your Foundation” with you during SSP’s summer of 2016!
Editor’s Note: Join us this summer! View the current availability and learn more about our summer programs. Individual high school youth are also encouraged to serve.