Summer LINK Raleigh: Ministering Where You Live

I am finding that Summerlink Raleigh is very different from the other SLINK locations. I live in Wake Forest, a tiny town on the outside of Raleigh, so my life is here! I honestly had no idea that our location was so different from the other locations, but hey it is. There have been advantages and disadvantages with serving in the same area I live. Especially at the beginning of the summer, it was hard to balance my job and the relationships I already had in Raleigh with SLINK. I had to learn that my time isn?t actually my time. My time and my life is the Lord?s.

It is really cool that the things I have been learning and practicing have been in my own church! I will be able to continue these relationships I have built with people here. Discipleship will continue after this summer. I have learned from people in my own church body that I may not have gotten the chance to know outside of SLINK, and the cool part is that those relationships can grow and progress throughout my time here at Open Door.

Even as I am trying to write this blog, I am trying to separate the things I have learned from summerlink and the things I have been learning from my life in general. However, I am realizing that the two are not distinct. The relationships I had before summerlink have gone on and they have been with me on this journey. I am doing my life in my local church, with the name of summerlink or without.

This next week, a few of the girls on our team will be starting a youth girls Bible study on Hosea. I am super excited about this study. I have always wanted to do a study on Hosea and grasp a deeper understanding of the book. It can be a difficult book, but it is such a beautiful picture of the gospel. We are just like Hosea?s wife. We are adulators and make idols out of literally EVERYTHING. Hosea sought out his wife when she ran away, found her, and brought her back. We are Christ?s bride. He found us and brought us into relationship when we did not deserve to be brought back. I am excited to study this in more depth and dwell in the richness and the fullness of the gospel.

By Sarah Snow