Impact Fargo calls youth to “Be the Change”
Taking time for a photo during service projects at Impact Fargo. Photos courtesy of Impact Fargo participants.
Impact Fargo was held June 19-23, 2022, with forty participants from seven churches. Participants said, “It was amazing!”
In 2017, Impact Sioux Falls launched as a way for teenagers, middle school, and high school youth across the Dakotas to unite to serve God and others. In 2018, Pastors Kris Mutzenberger and Sara McManus created Impact Fargo, intending to have a mission experience every two years.
Because of the pandemic in 2020, Impact Fargo was not able to happen. This year, Impact Fargo was resurrected by Pastor Sara McManus and Stacey Kemerling from Flame of Faith UMC and Andrea Plueddeman, Director of Youth Ministries at Fargo First UMC.
The Impact Fargo experience began as the participants gathered at the youth room of Fargo First UMC for food, fun, and fellowship on the first evening.
“We had dinner together and lingered longer in each other’s company, getting to know our teams that we would be serving with for the week. It was also full of fun reunions of friends that had not seen each other since previous youth events. Some of which had been more than two years ago,” said one of the participants.
Each evening ended with a time of worshipping together led by Janson and Billy Steffan from Flame of Faith, Pastor Karl Kroger from Bismarck McCabe, and a few of the youth. Andrea Pluddeman gave the message about “Being the Change” in the world. Participants retired to the evening sleeping space at Oak Grove Middle/High School Campus.
Everyone engaged in mission projects throughout the week. After being divided into smaller groups, service happened at these locations: Great Plains Food Bank, Cookie Ministries at Flame of Faith UMC, Warm Blanket Hugs at Fargo First UMC, North Dakota Autism Center, Eventide Nursing Home, and The Ronald McDonald House, and Micah’s Mission.
The teams ate lunch together; for the most part, some groups had to take their lunches to-go to get to their next location on time.
“My favorite part of Impact Fargo was the smile on people’s faces when we helped them. The pure joy made me happy,” said Hannah Mueller, a participant from St. John’s UMC in Wimbledon, ND. We participated in a Poverty Simulation put on by FM Homeless Coalition.
Each day the mission projects continued, and groups went to a new service project, rotating through the areas. On the second day, a new partner organization called Hope Blooms was added.
Anthony Cleary, a member of the Bismarck McCabe team, said, “I really liked volunteering at the Emergency Food Pantry because I got to work with a great bunch of people and know that I was helping others.”
Working on cleaning up the Red River. Notice Deb Wilson's, front far left, purple hair died by the youth for meeting the challenge of completing seven blankets.
During the mission project time, Pastor Sara McManus put a challenge out to the Green Group that if they could make seven blankets for Warm Blanket Hugs, they could pick colors for Pastor Sara and Andrea to dye their hair. The group met and exceeded this challenge, and both Pastor Sara and Andrea were good sports about getting their hair dyed that night. Debbi Wilson from Dickinson UMC, and Evelyn Loomen, from Fargo First UMC also decided to let us dye their hair. With parents’ permission, a few youth also got in on this crazy fun.
Other activities throughout the week included: Everyone served at West Fargo Eats, a drive-up food service. Red River Keepers shared with the participants one morning about their mission to keep the Red Riverbanks cleaned. Attendees then went to various areas along the river and parks and cleaned up garbage. Another act of service was at TNT Kid Fitness to help clean and organize equipment. Another part of Impact Fargo was a Pop-up Vacation Bible Study for the kids in the Fargo Moorhead community. The theme was Food Truck Party. Participants found time one night for a fun activity at Sky Zone.
Each evening worship happened with music led by Janson Steffan, Billy Steffan, Pastor Karl Kroger, and youth. A different message was shared at each worship service. Pastor Karl Kroger and a couple of youth shared a message focused on the scripture verse, Luke 10, The Good Samaritan. Another worship message included guest speakers from Recovery Worship, housed at Fargo First. Pastor Sara McManus led one worship, and a guest speaker Dr. Elizabeth Ewing Lee from Flame of Faith, talked about neurodiversity.
Before they returned to their communities to “Be the Change,” participants had breakfast of fresh donuts made by the ladies at Grace UMC in Moorhead, Minnesota, and a guided prayer service with communion.
“I will come back because I had a lot of fun,” said Alexis Huff, a participant from North Highland UMC in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
