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Kayla came to Serve Boldly ready to serve. She didn’t expect how much she would take home with her.
During her time serving alongside the Madison and Milwaukee teams, Kayla met new people, built friendships, grew in her faith, and experienced the kind of everyday moments that can turn a service trip into something much more — from serving alongside neighbors to cheering at a Madison Mallards game or exploring a city with new friends. “I’m so thankful for opportunities like this that allow me to connect, laugh, and enjoy new experiences together,” Kayla shared. That’s the thing about Serve Boldly. The service matters, but so do the relationships that grow around it. You show up to serve a neighbor, and somewhere along the way, you find yourself welcomed into a community, seeing your faith in a new way and wondering where God is calling you. Kayla’s own story is a pretty beautiful example of how one invitation can open the door to something we never expected. Her Serve Boldly journey began with an invitation from Ellie, a coworker at the school where Kayla was working and a longtime Serve Boldly alum whose story stretches back to Shores of St. Andrew. That invitation brought Kayla to Serve Boldly - and into a community of people she may never have met otherwise. While serving with Serve Boldly this summer, Kayla built relationships with congregation groups and individuals from across the program, and she learned about a new vocational opportunity - one that would become the beginning of her next chapter. This fall, Kayla stepped into a new community and joined the fourth-grade team at St. James Public School; she is already well on her way, looking forward to a school year filled with learning, laughter, and new adventures. And she carries a little bit of Serve Boldly with her. An invitation from Ellie. A summer spent serving alongside others. Conversations and relationships that opened an unexpected door. Each became part of the path that led Kayla to where she is today. Because sometimes faith takes us somewhere we never expected. Sometimes one invitation leads to another. And sometimes the people we meet along the way become part of where God is leading us next.
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 Summer calendars fill up quickly. Between sports, vacations, camps, family commitments, and everything else competing for young people’s time, finding space for a weeklong service experience can feel like a challenge.
And yet, you still want youth to have opportunities to build relationships, try new things, serve their neighbors, and become more aware of God’s presence in their lives and the world around them. That’s where a half-week with Serve Boldly can be a great fit. Shorter doesn’t have to mean less meaningful. A half-week offers a full Serve Boldly experience in a more manageable timeframe. Youth are introduced to a new community, meet neighbors, serve alongside local organizations, worship, and grow in faith together — all without requiring a full week on the calendar. For congregations without a strong culture of overnight or summer experiences, a half-week can also be a natural place to begin. And for middle school youth in particular, it can be a meaningful first step into service and travel experiences. A first step toward independence For younger youth, a summer service trip can bring a lot of new experiences all at once: being away from home, sleeping in a shared space, navigating a busy schedule, serving in a new way, making their own sandwich each day, and learning what it means to live in community with their peers. A half-week gives youth an opportunity to practice those skills in a shorter, more approachable experience. They build confidence and independence while learning the rhythm of service, travel, and community life. They begin to discover what it feels like to serve alongside others and to pay attention to the people and places around them. And that first experience can create excitement and confidence for longer service experiences as they move into high school. More than a service trip At Serve Boldly, the goal isn’t simply to complete a certain number of service projects. Youth serve alongside local organizations and neighbors, but they also worship, reflect, build relationships, explore their community, and practice noticing where God is already at work. That’s what makes a half-week meaningful. It isn’t simply a shorter version of a longer trip. It’s an opportunity for young people to experience service and community in a way that fits their age, their schedules, and their congregation. If a full week feels like too much right now, a half-week might be exactly the place to start. Explore Serve Boldly and find an experience that fits your group. If you’ve ever thought, ‘Our middle schoolers aren’t quite ready for a service trip…’ we’d encourage you to think again! Middle School youth are curious, energetic, and often more capable than we give them credit for. They are ready to serve. They’re ready to meet new people, try new things, and contribute in a meaningful way. Are they also going to forget where they put their water bottle, need reminders to put on deodorant, and have very strong opinions about who sleeps next to whom? Probably. That’s part of the adventure. An overnight service trip brings a lot of newness all at once - being away from home, meeting new people, sleeping on an air mattress in a room full of people, perhaps even having to make their own sandwich for the first time, all while figuring out how to live together in Christian community.  That’s exactly why we love the half-week Serve Boldly experience for middle school youth. It’s long enough to dig into meaningful service, build relationships, laugh a lot, and begin seeing God at work in unexpected places. It’s also short enough that when everyone is tired, the laundry is starting to smell, and you’ve answered “What are we doing next?” for the 28th time, you’re already nearing the finish line. A half-week doesn’t have to mean a smaller experience. It means creating an experience intentionally designed for where youth are developmentally. They get to discover:
And maybe most importantly: I want to do this again. That last one matters. A lot. Erica Mathews, Faith Formation Director at Vinje Lutheran Church in Willmar, Minnesota, shares: I believe these shorter experiences are a great way to introduce middle school youth to mission work and get them excited to keep serving as they grow. This age group is ready to step into volunteering, participate in devotions, and take ownership in leading worship. However, too much newness at once can be a lot. It’s much easier for our middle school youth to embrace new experiences when they are part of a shorter week. We love using a half-week experience to introduce mission trips. It gives youth the opportunity to experience the incredible growth, service, community, and faith development without feeling overwhelmed. It also helps build excitement and confidence for a full-week mission trip when they reach high school. A half-week Serve Boldly experience isn’t simply a shortened trip - it’s an intentional first step, giving youth an opportunity to love boldly, grow in faith, build confidence, and discover that they already have gifts they can use to serve their neighbors right now! And who knows? A few years from now, when those same youth are packing for their full-week high school service trip, they may just be the ones reaching out into their peer groups and extending the invitation by saying: “I’ve done this before. Let’s go.” Every gift to Water’s Edge Ministries tells a story of faith, hope, and community. Donors give because they see the transformative power of this ministry where everyone has the chance to encounter God’s love, grow in faith, and form lifelong friendships. Saying yes to making a gift is more than simply sharing financial support: it’s joining in the mission to create spaces where everyone feels seen, valued, and welcomed. One longtime supporter shared that they don’t come to the quilt auction because they need another quilt—“thankfully, our closets are already full. We show up because generosity is how we say yes to something bigger than ourselves. This ministry has created spaces where people feel welcomed, known, and invited into faith and community. Giving is our way of helping make sure those doors stay open—for the next family, the next camper, the next story God is still writing.” Generosity fuels invitation. One invitation leads to another, rippling on wider and farther each time. Generosity prepares cabins for new arrivals, crafts meaningful can’t-be-missed programs, and strengthens staff to share God’s love in tangible ways. For donors, giving is personal: a way to live out their faith, express gratitude, and invest in a ministry that shapes hearts and lives.  At the Water's Edge Campaign Progress The At the Water’s Edge Capital Campaign is about creating opportunities for God to work in the lives of everyone who interacts with Water’s Edge Ministries. Every gift strengthens programs, maintains welcoming retreat spaces, and provides unique experiences where faith, community, and God’s love come alive. Thanks to generous supporters, we are already seeing progress, with over $350,000 raised so far in Phase Two. Each gift is multiplying impact by touching lives, strengthening faith, and building community that lasts. Looking ahead, our vision is bold, and we need your support on this journey. By giving, you’re not just supporting a camp: you’re joining in God’s work, helping it grow and flourish far beyond our walls.  At Water’s Edge Ministries, events are an opportunity to take action. Each gathering brings together families, volunteers, alumni, and friends to celebrate God’s work in the lives of campers and communities. At the 2025 Quilt Auction, generosity was on full display. Friends gathered to revisit memories, rekindle friendships, and invest in what comes next, raising more than $128,000—the third-highest total in the event’s history. Through the Fund-A-Need appeal alone, $35,000 was raised to provide camp scholarships, extending the invitation to campers who might not otherwise attend. The energy among those gathered was unmistakable, with 11 quilts selling for more than $1,000 each, well above the historical average and a testament to the community’s shared commitment. That same spirit carried into the 2025 Dinner Theater, where storytelling, laughter, and generosity came together in record-breaking ways. With the support of 13 local business sponsors, the event raised more than $70,700—the highest total ever, surpassing previous years by at least $10,000. Each ticket purchased and sponsorship given helped ensure that future generations can experience the same beloved moments of camp, faith formation, and community. Donating to the Quilt Auction or attending a Dinner Theater performance creates the chance for people to extend a opportunity for the next generation to have the same beloved experiences. Faith, fellowship, and generosity intersect here, reminding us that living out our calling is best done together. Generosity In Action In 2025, Thrivent Action Teams made a powerful impact on Serve Boldly, equipping youth participants and community partners with essential resources that brought hope and care to neighbors across the country. Action Teams supported hands-on projects including tied fleece blankets for unhoused neighbors and shelters, hygiene kits for community organizations, and meals prepared and shared nationwide. Resources also strengthened worship, participant journals, and prayer stations—creating space for reflection and faith conversations alongside service. Thrivent members showed up to love their neighbors, unleashing generosity through 20 Action Teams. These projects empowered hundreds of youth to build relationships, share Christ’s love, and serve with purpose.  In the ELCA, vocation names the many ways God works through our lives. At Water’s Edge Ministries, vocation is discovered not by having everything figured out, but by belonging somewhere safe enough to listen—to God, to others, and to ourselves. Here, it takes shape through four pathways: Hospitality Associates, Ministry Associates, Summer Camp Staff, and Serve Boldly Staff. Through our Hospitality Associate program, we partner with Ridgewater College, where young adults studying fields such as plumbing, electrical, veterinary technology, auto mechanics, nursing, and cosmetology live in community on-site at Green Lake Bible Camp. Students receive housing and meals in exchange for ten hours of hospitality work each week, providing consistent, trusted hosts for retreats and gatherings while discovering who they are becoming and how their gifts meet real needs. This work is not separate from God’s call; it is ministry lived out through care, service, and responsibility. As Parker Palmer writes, vocation is found where “our deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.” Drake, an electrician student reflected, “Being a host here is a gift. I get to work with all kinds of people, help out where needed, and grow as a person.”  That formation is felt by others as well. Retreat guests consistently name the kindness and attentiveness of these young adults, calling them “so kind and gracious,” with one sharing, “student hosts are AWESOME—helpful, polite, and friendly.” The Ministry Associate program offers young adults a vocational and educational season rooted in lived ministry. Through hands-on experience serving youth, adults, and families in faith-based settings, they are supported as they discern paths in youth ministry, outdoor ministry, and nonprofit leadership.Ministry Associates partner with local congregations for weekly engagement, gaining practical experience while building meaningful relationships. They also work closely with the Program Team—supporting curriculum and theme development, recruiting summer staff, and helping plan and coordinate youth and adult programmed retreats. In these shared responsibilities, they play a key role in the daily life of both church and camp. Also living in community, Ministry Associates are invited to listen closely—to God, to one another, and to the congregations and communities they serve—as they continue discerning how their gifts meet the world’s needs. For many young people, a summer at camp becomes a life-changing season where work, faith, and community come together. As part of a diverse Summer Camp Staff, they take on real responsibility—leading, serving, and caring for others—while being supported by mentors and peers. One returning staff member, Karina, shared that she “really felt like [she] had a community here,” naming both the new challenges and adventures that shaped her experience. By planting herself in the community formed this past summer, she watched not only her own growth, but the growth of those around her. In the rhythms of daily camp life, staff begin to notice what brings them joy, builds confidence, and points toward how their gifts might serve the world beyond camp.  Serve Boldly staff who already carry a sense of vocation with youth and community involvement live their calling in a new way during the summer. They offer radical hospitality and lift up the sacred practice of accompaniment with non-profits and ministries across the country as they engage in hands-on service alongside youth groups  As one staff member, Christin, shared, “Serve Boldly allowed me the chance to use my gifts in ways I don’t always have the opportunity to at home, such as playing guitar or connecting with other adult leaders.
I was inspired by the ministries I got to serve with. Overall, I’m walking away from this summer feeling recharged, both personally and professionally, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be filled in that way.” When all is said and done, one truth remains: when young adults are trusted, supported, and invited to reflect, they grow into lives of purpose—carrying their gifts, their faith, and a commitment to the common good into the world.  Serve Boldly is a lived response to God’s life-changing invitation--an invitation to move beyond ourselves and into communities where love, justice, and dignity are already taking shape. In nine locations across the country this year, God’s invitation to love and justice moved through communities as youth, adult leaders, summer staff, service organizations, and congregations united in ministry with Serve Boldly. Embracing new perspectives along the way, participants walked with neighbors, joining in God’s work unfolding in communities nationwide. Participants quickly learned that service is not about arriving with answers, but about walking alongside neighbors. In St. Louis, one high school student described discovering the true power of service through ordinary, meaningful work. “I never imagined I’d enjoy farming, but I found a strange satisfaction in plucking garlic from the soil. And while planting sweet potatoes under the burning sun, I looked around and noticed something that stuck with me. I was sweating through my shirt, yet the farm workers around me were wearing long sleeves and pants. At first, I thought that was odd. Then I saw it: their focus, their energy, and their love for what they were doing. It wasn’t just work to them; it was something deeper.” And, that awareness extended far beyond the farm. The student reflected that they saw God in every community they visited - “In the joy of the kids and caregivers. In the quiet strength of the unhoused. In the compassion at the women and children’s shelter.” They expressed gratitude to the St. Louis Community for opening their eyes to the hardworking, resilient people all around them, for reminding them that small acts of service can make a big impact. Through hands-on service and encounters with people whose lives looked very different from their own, they discovered that service is not about changing others, it’s about showing up. It’s about seeing God in new ways. It’s about being open to the Holy Spirit. These moments—on farms, in shelters, and within neighborhoods—became sacred spaces where God’s grace is made visible.
This past year, 831 participants partnered with 133 local organizations across nine communities, forming relationships rooted in trust, mutual transformation, and respect. Rather than working in isolation, Serve Boldly participants join ministries already embedded in these communities, learning what it means to serve alongside those who show up every day. Community partners consistently affirm the importance of these relationships. In Nashville, Serve Boldly participants worked with The Bridge Ministry, which serves between 1,500 and 2,000 unhoused and under-resourced neighbors face-to-face each week through multiple outreach sites. Melody Ramsey of The Bridge Ministry shared deep appreciation for the volunteers who helped pack encampment bags filled with food and essential items, along with lunch supplies to support weekly hot meal outreaches. Over the course of their time together, participants packed more than 300 bags—tangible support that strengthened ongoing ministry. “We are so appreciative of the lovely group of individuals from Serve Boldly who are helping to pack resources for our unhoused community. We can’t do what we do without volunteers, like those from Serve Boldly, who come in to help us every week. Thank you so much for being here in Nashville.” Serve Boldly is a ministry of Water’s Edge Ministries, and at its heart is a simple but profound truth: when people say yes to God’s invitation, lives change. Youth discover new courage and compassion. Communities experience renewed support and partnership. And together, the church and the world participate in a shared movement of love that honors the dignity of all people and responds faithfully to God’s invitation to love boldly and serve together. |
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