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Quite a lot has changed since D. P. Thompson ran the first Church of Scotland mission in Millport in the summer of 1934. At one level we have changed our name three times (Children’s Special Services Mission to Seaside Mission to Summer Mission and now iMPACT). At another level the majority of missions we run and support are not primarily aimed at holidaymakers nor take place at the seaside but rather they aim to connect with children, teenagers and family who wouldn’t normally be part of regular church life. However some things remain the same...
playing in the park    
pool party in gourock

D.P.’s approach 70 years ago was to take the message of the good news of Jesus Christ out to the people and iMPACT seeks to do the same today. The Church Without Walls initiative seeks to encourage us to get outside the walls of our church and engage with people wherever they are found, whether this be in the skate park, on the beach or on the corner in a village, street or housing estate in Scotland.

      

iMPACT teams work with children and/or teenagers with the key element being a partnership relationship between the team and the local church congregation. Because each mission team is an extremely valuable resource and the demand from churches for a team is still high, a team will agree to work with a particular church for three or four summers in succession. During this time the team hopes to encourage and support the local church in finding it’s own vision and capabilities for reaching out to children and young people. In this way, mission can be developed in a sustainable manner whilst a team moves on to work with another congregation.

In addition to sharing the gospel, iMPACT teams often find that volunteering on a mission team changes their own lives as well. The fellowship that the Holy Spirit brings to teams is incredible. As God touches the lives of the children and young people that the teams are working with, they find that God is touching their lives as well. As people step out of their comfort zone and begin living out their faith using the talents God has given them, their confidence and faith grows deeper as they find themselves walking closer with God.

Some people wrongly think that iMPACT is only looking for volunteers who are already experienced in Children's or Youth Work. However many volunteers come on teams with little or no experience of mission work but simply with a willingness to allow God to use them in His service.

                       
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