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STM 2016 Boston

An adventure awaits you in Boston!

One of the oldest cities in the United States, Boston played an important role in the American Revolution and the early events that formed our nation. Known as the “Athens of America”, many of our nation’s famous writers, poets, and philosophers lived and taught there – shaping education and thought for centuries to come. Today, it’s the seat of some of the greatest minds in the country, from the halls of Harvard to the podiums of MIT. 

Known for its food, tourist attractions like the iconic Fenway Park and Boston Harbor, and the unmistakable accents of its citizens, Boston is a mix of history and modern American culture, all within city limits.

It’s also a city in need of Christ.

While 57% of the population claim Christianity as their faith, only 25% attend church regularly. Most citizens are Irish Catholic, living with a nominal religion that is more tradition and culture than faith. And most telling of all, 33% of Bostonians don’t claim any religion. This is a city of the mind, of great intellect and brilliant ideas, but without the influence of the heart relationship that comes through faith in Jesus.

Boston needs to reconnect with the heart.

Ministry:

Part of its unique culture is a city-wide day called “Moving Day”. With over 25 major colleges and universities within the city, over 200,000 college students are renters with leases lasting September 1 – August 31. Every year on August 31, students move out of their lodging and then move back in on September 1.

Imagine a city jammed with one way streets, all full of furniture, boxes, clothes, and decor waiting to be moved into an apartment the next day, not to mention the renters themselves who are homeless for a night. Every van and truck is rented out and literally everyone is moving, hence the name: Moving Day.

While in Boston, you will:

  • Relational Evangelism: Share your faith in the secular environment of Boston. This could be doing religious surveys at Harvard or other major universities, or hosting a sporting even with a dinner afterwards.
  • Community Outreach: Local churches see Moving Day as a great opportunity to connect with the community, organizing vans to help people and even providing assistance where possible. You’ll reach out to those “homeless” for a night, maybe even help them move, and hopefully connect them with a local church.
  • Urban Plunge: From the Boston Harbor to Fenway, visiting Paul Revere’s statue or visiting the National Historic Park, you can use your off day to enjoy the city while living missionally and looking for opportunities to share your faith through interactions on the street, in restaurants, or buying souvenirs.

In a city resistant to evangelism and organized religion, simply being a Christian is living out-of-the-box. Bostonians they need to see faith with feet. 

While you help someone with a practical need like moving, you can open the door to further conversations about Christ. And every step you take through the streets of this historic city will be as a light in the darkness.

While in Boston, you can live in such a way that everyone you meet will ask what makes you different.

Will you go be a light in this dark city? 

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