DPC Summer Youth Mission Trip to Raleigh Youth Mission
A Re(New)ed Lens for Our Youth
By Jamie Neal, Seminarian for Youth Ministries
On June 22nd, our team of six youth and leaders set out from DPC to participate in a variety of unique and enriching service opportunities through Raleigh Youth Mission (RYM) in North Carolina. We came not with answers but with open hearts and willing hands. RYM’s theme for the week was A Re(New)ed Creation, we witnessed God’s work unfolding in real time through sweat-stained t-shirts and face-to-face interactions with neighbors on the margins. By the end, it wasn’t only the community around us that had been touched—we ourselves were transformed.
Each day offered a new opportunity to serve and to learn. At First Baptist Church’s Clothing Ministry, we helped sort shoes and garments in a warehouse full of donated items from Wake County residents. The ministry has served thousands since it began in 1983, offering clean, quality clothing to families, individuals re-entering the workforce, and people experiencing homelessness. One of our youth, Tyler, shared this reflection:
“I’m feeling grateful that this church organization provides clothes and shoes to the homeless population in Raleigh. While we were there, I found myself helping sort through shoes. As I was sorting, I was grateful to think of how these shoes would help so many people who might not have any. This experience has amazed me—we really helped make an impact in a community with such a great need.”
— Tyler
We served alongside St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church, Raleigh’s only overnight shelter. Each evening, up to 130 people—men and women alike—find safety and rest there. But the need is overwhelming. Sam, who runs the shelter, works tirelessly to connect guests with jobs, housing, and dignity. Charlie captured the tension of that day well:
“That shelter was the only one in the surrounding 17 counties and beyond… only able to hold an approximate total of 130 people out of the collective thousands. Sam also had mentioned that he had raked in two kids from upstate NY because this was the only place they had access to… What astonishes me the most is that there is no scarcity in resources to give more people access to these shelters—only a lack of resource management.”
— Charlie
At Farm Church, we harvested the final green beans and cherry tomatoes of the season—produce that will be donated through larger networks to feed hungry neighbors. It was meaningful, hands-on work that reminded us of our connection to creation and each other.
Later, we served at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, sorting through massive crates of potatoes—saving what was good and composting what wasn’t. By the end, we had packed over 9,100 meals. It was a labor of love, and we knew those boxes would soon feed families across 34 counties.
We also visited a church-based summer camp filled with young children—most of them Hispanic or Latino—where we played sensory games, blew bubbles, and simply listened. One quiet moment became a lifelong memory for Rebecca:
“A camp leader said I probably wouldn’t get too much out of this little girl playing with a ball in the corner. I walked over, sat down, smiled, and said ‘hello.’ She didn’t respond. I said ‘Hola.’ Her face lit up, and she replied in Spanish that she was four. These little interactions with the girl opened my eyes to the world she lives in. This building is a place she feels safe. Moments like these are ones that I know will stick with me for life.”
— Rebecca
One afternoon, with temperatures soaring to 102 degrees, we loaded ice chests with popsicles, Italian ice, and cold water and set out into the streets. We handed out 131 cold drinks and treats in under two hours. And it wasn’t just hydration—it was hospitality. One man, Tyler, lingered to talk. Our conversation, sparked by a sticker on my water bottle, turned into a story about addiction, street violence, and hope. “Today,” he told me, “everyone was just grateful. No one wanted to fight. For one moment, there was peace.”
Each evening, we gathered as a group to reflect. We began with Genesis 2, God’s perfect creation, and traced how sin—especially greed—has distorted it. We saw firsthand how greed divides: by race, class, gender, and power. But we didn’t stay there. We turned to Deuteronomy 17, where God commands justice for the alien, the widow, and the orphan. We wrestled with big questions: How do we become co-creators in healing this broken world? How do we resist the urge to compare, to hoard, to elevate ourselves?
Suzanne beautifully summarized this journey:
“This youth mission trip grounded DPC’s youth in Scripture that warns against greed and possessions and calls us to care for the poor, widows, orphans, and immigrants. They confronted real needs for food, clothing, shelter, and safety. Through their work, they witnessed the ripple effect of simple kindness—how one small act can make a neighborhood feel safe, a child feel seen, a person feel hope.”
— Suzanne
Mike added another layer of insight:
“The needs in Raleigh are not so different from those in Bucks County: food, safety, homelessness, childcare, prejudice. Though we live in a fairly affluent area, the desire to support these needs isn’t always present. This trip helped our youth realize how fortunate they are—and how much they can do to help right here at home. Small efforts can lead to big changes.”
— Mike
This mission reminded us that renewal doesn’t come all at once. It’s built moment by moment, hand by hand, act by act. And we could not have done it without you.
To everyone who bought a hoagie during the fundraising drive, donated, or supported us in prayer—thank you. Your generosity helped make this experience possible. Because of you, hundreds of people in Raleigh have encountered a sense of God’s love in action.
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