Each year the Christian Clubs at Coronado High School “Club Converge” and Coronado Middle School “Club Blank” come together for a fundraising service in partnership with Urban Youth Collaborative (UYC). Urban Youth Collaborative is a network of local churches that support student-initiated, student-led Bible clubs at middle and high school campuses throughout San Diego County.
Over 75 student-led campus clubs throughout San Diego County invite youth pastors to be guest speakers and provide support as they discuss faith with their friends during non-instructional time (lunch or after-school). 2,500 middle and high school students voluntarily join these discussions weekly with their peers.
One of the many opportunities of this partnership between Club Blank, Club Converge, (plus 48 other clubs around San Diego county) and UYC is a project called “Project 25”. UYC gives a mini-grant of $100 to all clubs who register for Project 25—and both Club Blank and Club Converge participated together.
Project 25 is based on the Parable of the Talents Jesus tells in Matthew 25:14-30. Each club is encouraged to use the mini-grant to bring students and their community together to make a difference in the world in Jesus’ name. This year, Club Converge and Club Blank chose to bless the Mowad family and hosted a fundraising dinner. Navy Commander, Matt Mowad, is retiring after 23 years of service and moving with his wife, Bethany, and daughters Marin (12) and Brooke (10) to Chiang Mai, Thailand this summer. The Mowad’s will be missionaries with Cadence International’s Foreign Armed Forces division and serving the foreign military families throughout Southeast Asia.
Both clubs, led by Margot Chesnut, Ellie Moiser, Jonah Haas, Nina Chesnut, Allison Thiss, Sadie Coburn and Caroline Chesnut, started planning for the project last year when they connected with the Mowad’s through their affiliation with Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church.
With great enthusiasm and leadership, the students thought it more than appropriate to host a Thai themed dinner—in honor of where the Mowad family will be serving—and developed a relationship with Tessna, the Chef and Owner of Swaddee Thai Restaurant in Coronado. With all the moving parts the students from CMS and CHS worked together, invested their $200 and returned over $4500.00!
We are truly blessed to have students in our community who see the big picture and more importantly want to make a difference. The prayers of Club Blank and Club Converge will continue to be with the Mowad family as they embark on a new adventure. For more information about the Mowad family and their work in Southeast Asia, visit www.cadence.org/mowad . To connect with the student clubs, CHS Club Converge and CMS Club Link, contact John Joseph at [email protected].
