This summer the American Clergy Leadership Conference in Detroit took our first step in the service area of our mission by teaming up with the volunteer group Summer In the City to help a local church with some renovations.

Summer in the City is a service group started by two college students. It is similar to Service for Peace. Our AFC brother, Art Roselle, met them when he was heading up a SFP project last spring. SIC advertises in schools in the spring to have students work with them in the summer. They have daily pick-up points, mostly in the suburbs. They pick up volunteers four days a week and bring them into the city to help with a variety of projects from landscaping to tutoring. We put an advertisement in the paper for a church that would like to have them come to help on a project.

A church that called us was New St. Mark Baptist Church. One criterion for SIC to come out to serve is that the church should have their young people come to help in the project as well. The pastor, Rev. Larry Smith, liked the idea and so a project was planned for landscaping the front of their church with plants, shrubs and flowers. ACLC donated shrubs and helped organize the effort.

Our pastors and I were so inspired by the work of these young people coming into the city to help out. It is exactly ACLC’s vision in Detroit to have young people from the suburbs volunteering to come into the city to help restore and serve. And, members of St. Mark’s youth group worked side-by-side with the SIC young people. As they worked together and got to know each other we could see that this was a formula that was good for everyone.

And, the SIC leaders were inspired by ACLC. They said they have, until now, only recruited in schools. Next summer they plan to expand to recruit young people from churches to come out and help as well. This will add a spiritual dimension to their work, which will enhance it further. We have already talked with them about some possible projects for next summer.

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