Grab a hammer and a paint brush! In the spirit of television’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Momentum 07 (Brethren National Youth Conference) will assist with special “makeover” projects during the conference, which will be held July 21-27 in Hattiesburg, Miss. Following the theme, Xtreme Makeover: Heart Edition, the conference will encourage teams of students, staff, and other guests to spread into the community each afternoon to assist with Hurricane Katrina recovery projects.
The purpose of the theme is two-fold; in addition to emphasizing makeover projects in Gulfport, Miss. the conference will also focus on the makeover of the heart, the fresh start God offers in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
CE National, sponsor of Momentum 07, and the Grace Brethren Disaster Relief Fund (managed by Grace Brethren North American Missions), are hoping to raise $25,000 to assist with the work projects.
The majority of projects will involve dry-walling and painting. Funds raised through the Grace Brethren Disaster Relief Fund will assist in purchasing necessary supplies. In addition, a portion will be used to provide transportation from the conference campus to the work sites.
An estimated 350-500 students and adults could be involved in this project each day, according to officials at CE National.
In addition, Momentum 07 is forming a team of 35 to 50 adults who will serve as work project managers. Each manager will be assigned to one project location in the Gulfport area and will oversee a group of 10 to 12 students and one to two youth workers each afternoon of the Momentum conference.
Momentum 07 is partnering with a local church in the Gulfport area to streamline all work sites and to provide orientation to the projects. Some of the managers will be needed during the week of July 16 to assist with preparations for the following week. Contact momentum@cenational.org to indicate your interest in helping as a project manager and/or for more information. Momentum 07 (Brethren National Youth Conference), July 21-27, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulfport. For more information, see www.buildmomentum.org/.
