Show of Hands

We all have to start somewhere.

That's incredibly sweet. That wasn't the purpose of the poll so I'm very unprepared for that. I can give you the name and address of the church. You could write a check to the church (which would make it tax deductible) and include a letter specifying that it go to the VG (high school choir) Calgary trip.

That's the only way I can think of you doing it without mailing me (or my daughter) a personal check.

Yes, great idea. Let me know the address and any other info I need and I'll do it.

Ok. I want to make sure to give you the correct info. Let me make a call and I will let you know the proper way to address the check.

Sure. Take your time.

Ok. If you feel led, the address to the church is:

Calvary Baptist Church
5000 Country Club Rd
Winston Salem NC 27014

Payable to Calvary Baptist Church.
In the memo section, put "VG Calgary/Sarah Helderman"

Whether you donate or not, thank you for the thought.

Sadly, we are in NC.

Don't be sad. CT is in economic chaos.

Mission trips are for any place where there are people who don't know Christ. They can be to the slums of Africa or the suburbs of DC.

Per capita, there are VERY few Christians in Calgary. Our church had planted several churches in the city. The youth are going to go do block parties and serve some of the communities surrounding the churches.

It still just seems weird to me that they are going on a mission trip to rich majority Christian city up in Canada.

Mormons go on mission trips all throughout the US and other rich Christian countries as well.

Definitely not majority Christian.

Kimbobee - I wouldn't find it strange if they go to places in the U.S. but I find it interesting that they are going all the way to Canada.

Calgary is a place where people gather from all over the world. The hope is to make a difference there and then those people will go home to other parts of the world and they will change the world.

I guess going somewhere where people need actual help is to inconvenient.

Wow. That's incredibly judgmental and speaking from a position of ignorance. People everywhere have needs and needs aren't just physical.

My church has sent people to China, the slums of Iraq, Cuba, war torn Berma, refugee camps all over the world, orphanages, Russia, several countries in Africa, disaster areas in NC (flooding), and the aftermath of Katrina.

And yes, we send people to places like NYC and Calgary. There are poor people everywhere. There are people suffering everywhere. Who gives you the right to tell people that their needs (starving children, homeless, run down schools, broken communities) are not as big as another city? Whether that city is Calgary, Havana, or even Winston Salem NC?

@Nuclear I ask, have you gone to serve? Not necessarily spiritual needs. What have you done?

Many hundreds of feet under the ocean, for nuclear deterrence. I serve my country.

I don't tie my help with an allegiance to a certain dogma.

You were doing this as a 14 year old high school student?

I do not wish to take anything away from your service. You have chosen a career of service to your country. You are to be honored and respected for that choice. You are protecting me and my family and you are giving us safety so that we can go other places to serve. Thank you for that.

That said, the service that you have chosen and the service that my daughter has chosen are two different things. I believe neither should be disrespected and both should be honored for what it is.

Proselyting is only a service to one's church though.

Again, you are speaking out of ignorance. You honestly think we are taking 150+ high schoolers across a continent and putting them on street corners with bullhorns? If that were the case, I wouldn't support it either.

They will spend their days repairing playgrounds, doing camps and parties in underprivileged neighborhoods, cleaning up schools, and many other things.

We are partnering with people who are established in the community currently who know what the needs are. They inform us of those needs and then we go and we take care of those needs.

Yes, the ultimate goal of the trip is to spread the Gospel of Christ, but we aren't going to spend the majority of our time speaking about Jesus. Instead, we are spending the majority of our time showing the love of Christ to people through our actions and our service.

Doing charity work out of the goodness of your heart is admirable. Doing it in a self serving way, not so much.

I seriously can't believe I am having to defend my daughter and my church for raising money in order to serve other people. No matter the reasons.

How is it self serving that in the last month, she has baked, sold, and delivered over 70 pans of brownies all while still being a full time student? How is it self serving that she will go out of her comfort zone and help other people where they live?

Our world is full of self absorbed teenagers who think of nobody but themselves and you are denigrating a group of students for wanting to do something, ANYTHING, for someone else because you disagree with the message? Can you not see how messed up your position is?

I could use the same tactic against you. You are being paid to serve your country. You are using that service to better your life. You are using that service to provide for your family. That's self serving. Does that lessen you or your service in my eyes? Not one bit.

Ronderman, this submariner's wife agrees with you wholeheartedly.

You're taking this way too hard. And personally.

First. I never said that I did anything selflessly.
Second. No matter how you spin it, these things can be done without religious pressure put on anyone else.
Third. I don't really care specifically about your daughter so you can stop feeling personally attacked because it's not about YOU. In fact, that's the very point.
Fourth. No, I don't think the people of Calgary are in that desperate need. Its also pretty nice there. More like a vacation where you do community service.

I think it's utterly prentious that people brag about mission trips. You go somewhere, find the most easily manipulated and down on their luck people, do something nice for them, then guilt them into some religious dogma. Why not just do good? The church obviously wants something out of it.

Besides, I would never have mentioned my career if you had not so smugly asked how I contribute. So don't try and use it against me.

1. No, you didn't say you ever did anything selflessly. You just judged others.

2. You are assuming that religious pressure is being applied. It's not.

3. While you may not have personally attacked me or my daughter, you invited this discussion by commenting on the poll in a passive aggressive way. I felt the need to defend myself after reading your comments.

4. I'm glad that you have been to every part of the city of Calgary. You must know that everyone's emotional, physical, and spiritual needs are met. You know this better than the people we are partnering with who live in those communities.

5. It is not my intention to use your profession against you. Quite the contrary, I honor it.

Kywrite, thank you.

So you serve people's spiritual needs without religion? Give me a break. It's proselyting wrapped in charity to gain favor. It's not anything to pat one's self on the back for.

However you're right, I'm being kind of a bitch and I'd like to formally blame it on the pain killers from a surgery yesterday. Haha

I didn't mean to insult your daughter, it really was never my intention, and I apologize for not saying so sooner. I'm sure she's worked very hard, more than she has to, and it's good she's giving back, although I disagree with the medium (but that's my gripe with society, not you).

Thank you for all of that. What kind of surgery? Surely that didn't happen on the sub?

Seriously!

Last year they took 185 to Washington DC. They are going somewhere else this year. D.C. Must have been TOO lost 😜

Hey!! We're not all lost. 😉

Ha!