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Our Youth in Mission

Want to join us on a future mission trip? We'd love to get to know you and have you love, serve, and share the love of Christ alongside us. Reach out today to learn more.

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Your support ensures that our Youth Group can continue in God's service this year and for generations to come!

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Our Youth Group's Service-Filled Summer Continues

August 12, 2025: Our Middle School service week, City Servants, is underway 🎉We kicked things off by hanging out with the kiddos at Belong NC, an organization that helps immigrants and refugees become part of our community through education, job coaching, and belonging. The joy and laughter were contagious! 😄 After that, we bounced over to the trampoline park for some epic jumps and flips. 🏀✨
Please keep our middle schoolers in your prayers as they continue their week filled with fun, laughter, and the spirit of serving our community while growing in faith together. 🙌❤️ Check back here for regular updates!

A group of college and high school students from Highland is headed to Costa Rica July 19-26 to engage with the local community and each other through worship, service, and fellowship. We’re teaming up with Costa Rica Mission Projects and other youth groups from around the country, and our goal is to have fun, grow together in faith, and be the hands and feet of Christ to the world!

Keep checking back here for regular updates about their trip and the work they are doing!

Want to join us on a future mission trip? We'd love to get to know you and have you love, serve, and share the love of Christ alongside us. Reach out today to learn more.

🇨🇷 COSTA RICA DAYS 7 & 8 🇨🇷

Here's the final installment in our vlog series! Thanks to everyone who followed our journey--it was an incredible, life-changing week, and it has been awesome to share it with you.
If you're just discovering Highland from these vlogs and want to be a part of what we do as a community of faith, send us a message so we can be in touch. We can't wait to welcome you!
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🇨🇷 COSTA RICA VLOG 🇨🇷

For today's vlog, we get to hear our Youth Director Neil Smith's reflections on the week and why this is so much more than just a trip.

Tomorrow's vlog will be a combination of days 7 & 8, so stay tuned here to see how our time came to a close.

Our group is currently in the air on the way back to NC after an amazing week in Costa Rica. They are due home just after midnight. Please remember them in your prayers as they make the journey home.

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🇨🇷 COSTA RICA DAY 6 🇨🇷

There's so much fun stuff we haven't been able to share with you yet...enjoy these outtakes from our amazing week in Costa Rica!
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🇨🇷 COSTA RICA DAY 5 🇨🇷

Day five brought our crew even more opportunities for conexión: with one another, the community, and with God.
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🇨🇷 COSTA RICA DAY 4 🇨🇷

Today's vlog is all about conexión!

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🇨🇷 COSTA RICA DAY 3 🇨🇷

We've got one full workday under our belt, and Rev Kev and crew are here to share with you about what we're doing and why we're doing it.

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🇨🇷 COSTA RICA DAY 2 🇨🇷

Yesterday was our first full day in Costa Rica--here's Rev Kev to tell us all about the day!
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Costa Rica-DAY 1

Rev. Kev has all the details from Day 1 of our Costa Rica Mission Trip, sit back, relax, and take a look at our journey so far!

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July 19, 2025

🛫🇨🇷 AND THEY'RE OFF! 🛫🇨🇷

Our Youth are on their way to Costa Rica right now for a week of service and growing in faith together.
Please keep this group in your prayers, and stay tuned here for regular updates on their trip!

HSP 2025

HSP (Highland Service Project) is a 40-year tradition at Highland UMC, giving our high school youth the opportunity to serve on a week-long mission trip each summer. This year, we returned to Wilmington, NC to partner with WARM NC building ramps, installing flooring, and completing other household tasks for low-income, elderly, and/or Veteran homeowners, allowing them to age gracefully in place.

The group also took advantage of their time to have tons of fun and fellowship together, creating lifelong friendships and memories while serving as the hands and feet of Christ to the world.

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