July 29, 2002
THE YOUTH GROUP traveled across the Southwest, including a stop at the Grand Canyon.
No longer just someone else's project, teens take a mission trip
___By Brandon Kirk
___Staff Writer
___DALLAS--Many people see the youth of El Calvario Baptist Church as a mission field, but this summer, they saw themselves as missionaries.
___"Why do we have to be everyone else's project?" asked Johann Lochner, youth minister at the West Dallas church. "They can be used by God too."
___Most of the eight youth Lochner led on a June mission trip across the Southwest never had left Dallas before. They live in the nation's 11th-poorest community; most come from broken homes; and few believed they could be missionaries themselves.
___Gang violence and illegal activity fill the neighborhood around the church, but Lochner has given the youth a passion for ministry.
___When Lochner first suggested taking the El Calvario youth on a mission trip through New Mexico, Arizona and California, few people believed it could be done.
___Yet 13-year-old Jacob Garcia, one of the youth leaders in the church, stood up to the ridicule and doubt of skeptics. "We've proved everybody wrong," he said. "We give all the glory to God."
IN THE DRAMA presented by El Calvario's youth group, Jacob Garcia portrays a troubled teen bound by the chains of bad decisions and sinful actions. Jesus is played by Eddy Marceleno.
___Before they could leave on the trip, the youth were required to put in almost 20 hours a week of Bible study and training for four months. "What we were doing was just getting strong in the word" of God, said Charles Martinez, a 15-year old who lives next-door to the church.
___During that time, they also prepared a drama called "Breaking the Chains," in which demons put chains around a boy as he loses his innocence and Jesus sets him free just as he is about to commit suicide.
___The second day on the road, the Texans were asked to perform on a live public-access television program in Tucson, Ariz. There, they stopped to talk to people and perform at The Living Room, a community center. "We built a relationship with them," Garcia said.
___They also went into the Rampart District housing projects in Santa Fe, talked to homeless youth in Santa Monica and Venice Beach, Calif., and performed at Hope for Homeless Youth, a coffeehouse in Los Angeles. Along the way, they met many people with spiritual needs, including a hippie named Dreamstar and a Satanist named David.
___The group gave seven performances in all, and the response to the play was as dramatic as the performance itself. Many audience members broke down crying after the performance, including one prostitute. A former drug addict cried because "he saw himself on stage," said Marc Anthony Rachel, one of the young actors. Another woman said to them, "I love being here," and a man in a wheelchair told them they were "a shining light."
___Even off stage, compliments followed the group wherever they went. "I really feel like the Lord arranged for the right people to go," said Stephanie Lopez, one of the counselors. "The light of Christ was shining through them."
___In Los Angeles, they visited the Dream Center inner-city ministry of International Baptist Church. The Dallas youth learned how to implement the Adopt-a-Block program, where churches sponsor areas of the inner-city with food, clothing, gifts and the love of Christ.
___They also spent time doing fun things, like visiting the Grand Canyon and Universal Studios.
___The trip was made possible through funding from contributors to the West Dallas Fellowship, a group of churches and organizations that promote ministry to the inner-city youth of West Dallas.
___"It's a big collaborative effort," said Roland Johnson, pastor at El Calvario. As a partner in the West Dallas Fellowship, his church also provides computer-skills training, English as a Second Language and high-school GED classes and other community services.
___The fellowship is spearheaded by Park Cities Presbyterian Church, which began the program two years ago to commemorate its 10th anniversary. "They wanted to do something that gave back to the community," said Trey Hill, director of the fellowship.
___El Calvario, Dallas Community Church, Dallas Community School, Voice of Hope and Park Cities Presbyterian all coordinate their efforts to minister to this impoverished neighborhood, especially the children.
___The partners in the fellowship offer after-school programs and tutoring for children from kindergarten to eighth grade, summer camp and a monthly medical clinic at El Calvario. They also provide various economic aid and have contributed to an affordable housing project.
___On Wednesday mornings, leaders of West Dallas Fellowship hold a voluntary prayer meeting at El Calvario to lift each other up and seek God's guidance in meeting the vast needs of West Dallas.
___"The more we get involved, the more West Dallas is going to get involved, and that's what we want," said Daniel Prescott, president of Voice of Hope. His organization employs 27 local teenagers as managers and teaching assistants.
___The youth at El Calvario, with the confidence and compassion they gained from their trip, are working to make a difference in their neighborhood as well. "This community is going to change, with the help of God, from within," Lochner said.
___This fall, the youth at El Calvario will take their drama on the road again, performing on Sunday nights for Metroplex churches they hope will share their vision for Adopt-a-Block. Several churches already have scheduled performances.
___Volunteers from church groups will connect with residents through youth representatives from El Calvario to coordinate teams to cut lawns, paint houses and care for children. Church members also will have a chance to be creative in organizing fellowship with the community.
___"Not only is that block going to experience the love of Jesus, the ministry of that church is going to be blessed," Lochner said.
___West Dallas has seen rough times, but the West Dallas Fellowship and the youth at El Calvario believe better times are ahead.
___"You couldn't pay me a million bucks to get me away from this place," Lochner said. "I have to stay and see what happens."
___To contact El Calvario's youth about performing the play, call (214) 638-1277 or (972) 642-1168.
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The Baptist Standard
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