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Immerse: The 2012 national gathering of American Baptist
youth in Washington, D.C.
Sponsored by American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS)
Day 5: Saturday, July 28, 2012
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| At worship, Antonio Lombardi, of Immerse’s planning and media/technology teams (at microphone), thanks Trevor Beauford (at far left), Immerse’s lead planner, for his dedication and leadership. |
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The Rev. Carol Jamieson Brown, Immerse coordinator of
youth from American Baptist Churches USA Metro Chicago region, prays for the Rev. Tim Schwartz, a member of the Immerse Connections Team, who shared his story of surviving brain cancer. |
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| On the final day, worship was held in the morning on American University’s Eric Friedheim Quad. |
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Day 4: Friday, July 27, 2012
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| At a Maryland farm, youth gleaned collard greens to feed those in poverty. |
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On the second day of mission, Immerse participants traveled again to various sites throughout Washington, D.C. At the Mary Virginia Merrick Recreation Center, they served a picnic lunch, played games and washed the feet of children and youth, aged
4-14, from City Gate’s summer and after-school programs. At right, two children take a break from a group activity to braid the hair of their new friend, Aye Yi Chan, 19, of Lake Avenue Baptist Church, Rochester, N.Y. |
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| Immerse attendees from various American Baptist Churches USA regions play basketball with children from City Gate’s summer and after-school programs at the gym in the Mary Virginia Merrick Recreation Center. |
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| Joycelyn McCall, 19, of First Baptist Church of Park Forest, Ill., washes the feet of 11-year-old Tynia Lawson. During the washing, McCall engaged the pre-teen in conversation, asking her: “Did you know there’s a man in the Bible who washed feet? Do you know who Jesus is?” |
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After washing the feet of 9-year-old Robert Matthews, Yara
Lopez, 19, of Central Baptist Church, Chicago, fit him with a new pair of sneakers. “It shows the kids that, even if they’re younger and I’m older, I can do something for them,” Lopez said. “And it’s for God.” |
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Day 3: Thursday, July 26, 2012
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In the afternoon, a Prayer Walk took Immerse participants past 13 buildings, memorials and statues along the National Mall. |
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At sites along the National Mall, youth and their adult leaders paused to pray for our nation. |
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| Evening worship included three altar calls: one for those committed to following Christ for life, another for those called to ministry, and the last for those who rededicated their lives to Jesus. |
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Youth and adults alike were among the 220 individuals who came forward during altar calls. They received counseling that night and were invited to a Respondents’ Breakfast the next morning. |
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| Immerse participants chose from a variety of Deep Dive Learning Experiences. During a workshop at American University’s amphitheater, the Rev. Lisa Harris, ABHMS national coordinator, Justice for Children Initiative and The Penny Project, led youth in an exercise that provided insight into privilege. “Privilege,” she stressed, “is to be shared.” Quoting Luke 12:48 (“Unto whom much is given, much is required”), Harris noted, “We don’t live in a culture that believes that. We live in a culture that says, ‘What’s mine is mine.’” |
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Day 2: Wednesday, July 25, 2012
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At evening worship, guest speaker Stephanie Tillman used
T-shirts with custom graphics to illustrate the chapters of her life. A former addict who was once homeless, Tillman is now a storyteller, motivator, promoter, creator and visionary who uses similar T-shirts to bring hope amidst suffering. Noting that she needs to be “beautifully broken” regularly so that God can
re-mold her into the person that she should be, Tillman says she walked away from her award winning graphics design business at the height of success. “God told me, ‘When you’re comfortable, you’re not out in the world doing what I want you to do,’” she says. |
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During the first of two “Mission in the City” days, Immerse participants performed hands-on community service at various sites throughout Washington, D.C. At right, youth from American Baptist Churches (ABC) USA’s Metro Chicago region paint a classroom wall at a soon-to-open location of Centro Nia, a charter school that provides early childhood education and
after-school programs. |
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| Youth played games and socialized with clients of Emmaus Services for the Aging. Tiara Cousins, 18, of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Charleston, W.Va., bowls virtually with a senior citizen on the Nintendo Wii gaming system. |
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| At Emmaus Services for the Aging, the Jamir sisters, Asen, 17, and Rongshi, 19, both of First Baptist Church (FBC), Waltham, Mass., bag groceries to be delivered to senior citizens. |
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| Nineteen-year-old Jean Cox of FBC, Waltham, prepares to deliver groceries bagged at Emmaus Services for the Aging. |
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| Youth from ABC of Alaska collect litter along the street near Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, a national park. |
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| Shani Powell, 17, and LeRoya Simmons, 18, both of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Palmer, Alaska, removed bottles, Styrofoam and other trash from Nash Run, a tributary of the Anacostia River. |
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| Youth help to clean up Nash Run by removing large branches. |
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Day 1: Tuesday, July 24, 2012
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| The Worship Team performs during the “Late Night Immersed in Worship Celebration.” |
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| Guest speaker on Immerse’s opening night was Alex Harris, a founder of the nonprofit youth organization The Rebelution and an author of “Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion against Low Expectations” and “Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are.” |
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