Middle school isn’t the chapter of life some of us would care to repeat. But then, maybe that’s because we didn’t experience it the way our students in Ignition do. They’re learning what it means to unleash what God can do through them.

Earlier this month a group of our middle school students traveled to First Fruits Farm in Freeland, MD. This is a working farm that donates 100% of their produce to local food banks, like Manna Food, right here in Gaithersburg. Last year alone First Fruits Farm produced 1.2 million pounds of food for those in need!

So our group of students and parents went on a Saturday morning to pull, sort, and haul potatoes from the field. They were joined by 100 other volunteers from around the DC metro area. During their four hours of serving the entire army of volunteers cleared 4 acres, which equals about 55,000 pounds of potatoes!

Parents and students served side by side and experienced being a community that cared for each other, and cared for others. They had a chance to get muddy, to learn about agriculture, to laugh, and to take joy in the fact that they were unleashing what God could do through them!

A big shout-out to Heather Nicholson, our Middle School Director, and to all the parents and students who helped make a difference! You showed us what it can look like when we unleash the church to ignite a movement of the gospel.

And the question for the rest of us is this: “How will I unleash what God can do through me this year?”

If you have a story of unleashing what God can do, please be sure to let us know. We want to celebrate with you.

-Pastor Mark

P.S. Don’t forget to set your clocks back this Saturday evening. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep. And if you’re a morning person, enjoy the extra hour of daylight. 🙂