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I’m Not From Philly and He Could Tell

Adventures short term teams in Philadelphia partner with our long term missionaries and churches in local communities. In a city where the street you live on and family is everything, Adventures Staff Melinda Gute saw the work God is doing there firsthand.


“You’re not from Philly, are you?” a man in the park said to me on our last night in Philly.

Our host church was hosting its weekly cookout in the park across the street. I stood in line for burgers and hotdogs, when the man nearby spoke to me.

I responded with a small smirk and said, “No, how can you tell?”

He leaned towards me, “You look too nice to be from Philly. There’s a light in your eyes that’s different from everyone who lives here.”

From philadelphia.myadventures.org

That was probably the nicest compliment I have ever received. Seeing an opportunity to share the Gospel, I told the older man that what made me different was Jesus.

He smiled and said he knew, that he found God while in prison, and now attended the church across the street.

Then I recognized the light in his eyes.

Philly might have a reputation of being a “tough town”, but God is at work in this city. It’s evident in his people – the ones with light in their eyes.

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Help the City of Brotherly Love live up to its name.

Where history and modern architecture meet, Philadelphia’s reputation for art and culture is unmatched. The city offers more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other American city, and life is returning to some gentrified neighborhoods.

But many areas of Philadelphia continue to struggle.

Close to half the city’s population lives below poverty level. Vast stretches of industrial areas remain abandoned as the area’s economy shifts to focus on financial and information services, moving businesses into the more affluent areas of the Delaware Valley.

The local church, stretched far too thin, remains the last hope for the homeless and urban poor.

Ministry:

While in Philadelphia, you will partner with our long term missionaries who are deeply involved in family ministry throughout their community. As a family, your focus will be helping families find healing and hope in a city of brokenness. This will look like:

  • Kids Ministry: Your team will have afternoon VBS with local children, teaching them about the love of Christ while having fun at the same time.

  • Relational Ministry: Visiting local parks, meeting families, playing with children, and sharing Christ wherever you are.

  • Family Ministry: Encourage local families by investing in them, showing them the power of a family restored and living the love of God. This could look like conversations at Family Movie Nights, VBS, and conversations at the park.

  • Urban Plunge: Spend a day enjoying the tourist sites of Philadelphia – see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, eat a Philly cheesesteak, walk through the oldest operating church in America, or run up the steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art like Rocky – all while looking for opportunities to share Jesus with those around you.

The City of Brotherly Love desperately needs the love of Jesus. Will you go?


Start a new tradition and carry out the great commission in your family; spend six days in Philadelphia next summer serving the least of these. Click HERE for more information!