RCA Will Send 140 Young People on Mission Trips

Rachel Hashimoto, third from left, spent four years teaching English in Japan in partnership with RCA Volunteer Engagement.

Delegates voted on Monday, June 12, to send a total of 140 young adults to serve with RCA missionaries and partners over the next three years (R 17-59). The goal is to develop relationships between RCA missionaries and young people who may be called to mission work.

The recommendation was originally proposed by synod president Dan Gillett in his report on Friday. Gillett envisioned a culture change in the RCA where it becomes common for young adults to spend a year in mission.

The new initiative will be coordinated by RCA Global Mission and Volunteer Engagement. The synod requests that RCA churches and classes help recruit young adults and also invites the RCA to think creatively about ways of sending, funding, and supporting this effort for the sake of the kingdom.

To make this recommendation possible, the RCA Church Growth Fund (CGF) has committed additional funds to its Next Generation Missional Engagement Fund. The CGF contributes a portion of its operating surplus to this fund, which provides scholarships for young people going on mission trips. 

The recommendation calls for the RCA to send 20 young adults to serve in 2017–2018, 40 in 2018–2019, and 80 in 2019–2020.

Explore volunteer opportunities with RCA mission partners:

Apply for a scholarship from the Next Generation Missional Engagement Fund. 

Rachel Hashimoto, pictured above, spent four years teaching English in Japan. Read her story from RCA Today.