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United methodist youth fellowship

Sierra Service Project

When: July 31 - August 8, 2010

Where:Navajo Nation - Northeastern Arizona

SSP's History: Begun in 1975, Sierra Service Project was inspired by and modeled after Appalachian Service Project.  Originally founded by several United Methodist Church ministers, SSP is now an independent non-profit organization.  They maintain a close affiliation with the United Methodist Church, and they also draw participants from a number of other Protestant denominations.  SSP's "traditional" youth program is centered around youth groups, and a young person must be part of a group to attend.  SSP believes that young people develop a strong and deep understanding of God's gifts and God's grace through the direct experience of being in service to others

 

A CGS history with SSP

In 1991, Rev. Steve Horswill-Johnston introduced the youth of Good Shepherd to the Sierra Service Project.  That first summer 11 youth and 7 adults traveled to Smith River, California where they worked, doing home repair for the Tolowa Indians living on the Smith River and Elk Valley Rancherias.  Those eleven youth returned and related to the others how fun and fulfilling the work trip had been.  In 1992, twenty youth made the trip and in 1994, twenty nine made it part of their summer.  Soon after that Good Shepherd was annually sending the largest contingent of youth from any church in the Western states.

      Through the years, 194 youth and adults from Good Shepherd have gone on the Sierra Service Project 413 times.  Their combined efforts represent 16,520 hours of service (413 x 40 hours), doing home repair on Native American Reservations and Rancherias in Arizona, California, and Nevada.

      This year, 30 youth and adults (the maximum number a church can send) will be going to the community of Teec Nos Pos in the extreme northeastern corner of Arizona.  SSP groups have experienced a rich cultural and service experience in the communities we have worked in on the Navajo Nation in the past.  Teec is located over 5,000 feet so expect days in the upper 80’s and 90’s with nights cooling off significantly.

  This year, 10 of the 30 are first timers, and with their participation, the list of Good Shepherd people who have been to S.S.P. will grow to 204.   

SSP's Social Networking Groups

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