ACCCN Mission Conference 2026 

Author: Minister Coleman Schnaak
Date: 03/25/2026
Category: Pastoral & Elder Messages

This past June, our student ministry had the opportunity to take our first mission trip in several years. Going into the week, there was a sense of excitement, but also a bit of uncertainty. For many of our students, this was their first time stepping into something like this—serving in an unfamiliar environment, being stretched spiritually, and living closely alongside one another.

Looking back now, it’s clear that what happened that week was far more than just a series of planned activities.

It was a week where God worked, both through our students and in them.

From the beginning, the purpose of the trip was not just to serve, but to help students “expand their neighborhood.” For many of us, it is easy to live within a small, familiar world—church, school, home—and assume that is where most of life happens. But spending time in Atlanta, particularly in areas like Decatur, challenged that assumption.

Students were able to see firsthand both the needs within the city and the faithful ministry already taking place there.

Throughout the week, our group partnered with several ministries—serving men coming out of homelessness, working with organizations like Books for Africa, and engaging in relational outreach with vulnerable communities. These were not just tasks to complete, but opportunities to encounter people and to see the reality of brokenness and hope side by side.

One student reflected on this shift clearly.

“I went wanting to have maybe some fun, but I realized that this wasn’t just a fun little thing to do, but was about helping others and serving God…. Working at the shelters and serving people in need opened my eyes to how much we take for granted and how powerful God’s love really is.”

That realization captures something important. What begins as an experience often becomes a moment of clarity—where students start to see both the world and their faith differently.

At the same time, the trip was intentionally structured to ground everything in Scripture. Each morning, students spent time in personal Bible study, learning how to engage with God’s Word in a focused and consistent way. This wasn’t just another part of the schedule—it became one of the anchors of the week.

Another student shared how that time, along with the service itself, shaped their experience:

“The devos and just simply the service we did… it made me feel bonded. It’s like I belonged to something big…. I felt bonded with God’s people.”

That sense of belonging is not something we can manufacture. It comes when students begin to see that their faith is not isolated, but part of something larger—the body of Christ at work.

Of course, not all of the growth happened in structured moments. Some of the most meaningful parts of the week came through simply living life together.

Cooking meals, for example, became an unexpected highlight. Without parents, students had to work together, figure things out, and occasionally make mistakes along the way. But even in that, there was growth.

As one student put it: 

“The cooking definitely brought me closer and forced me to talk to the people in my team…. We definitely didn’t want to burn the kitchen down.”

It’s a lighthearted comment, but it points to something deeper. Community is often built in ordinary moments—working together, solving problems, and learning how to serve one another.

There were also moments that pushed students well outside of their comfort zones. One of the clearest examples was the focus on relational evangelism—encouraging students to step into conversations with strangers and, when possible, share the gospel.

For many, this was unfamiliar and even intimidating. 

But it was also formative. 

Students began to realize that faith is not meant to remain private. It is meant to be lived out, even when it feels uncomfortable. And in those moments of discomfort, we often see the clearest evidence of growth.

Throughout the week, we closed each day with team time—worship, reflection, and discussion. These moments allowed students to process what they were seeing and experiencing, helping them connect their service to a deeper understanding of God’s work.

And that is where the impact of the trip began to take root.

One student summarized it this way: 

“This trip brought me so much closer to God and reminded me that when we serve others, we’re really serving Him—and that’s where real joy comes from.” 

That statement gets to the heart of what we hope for in every mission trip: not just participation, but transformation. Not just activity, but a deeper understanding of what it means to follow Christ.

Because ultimately, this trip was never meant to be just a one-week experience.

The goal has always been something greater—that our students would return home with a new perspective, a deeper faith, and a greater willingness to live missionally in their everyday lives.

The same God who was at work in Atlanta is at work here. 

And if this trip helped even a few of our students take that truth seriously—if it helped them see others more clearly, serve more willingly, and pursue Christ more faithfully—then it accomplished exactly what it was meant to do.

And from what we have seen, it did. 

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