Mission Possible began with a bold challenge to the confirmation students of First United Presbyterian Church of Fairbury, Nebraska: What if we trusted God enough to take on a mission that felt too big for us?
Rather than starting small, our youth chose a challenge rooted in the real needs of our rural community. In southeast Nebraska, reliable transportation is essential for daily life. Without it, families struggle to work consistently, get children to school, access medical care or even buy groceries. Recognizing this reality, Mission Possible committed to purchasing, repairing and giving away vehicles to local families in need.
The goal was ambitious, but with the support of our congregation and community, the youth have already given away four cars. Each one represents more than transportation. It represents independence, stability and renewed hope. For the families who receive them, these vehicles open doors to employment, education and everyday life that many take for granted.
Mission Possible is entirely youth-led, and in that leadership our congregation has been changed. As our church continues to thrive and grow, it has been our young people who are leading us boldly into the future, reminding us that mission is not about age or resources, but about faithfulness and trust in God.
This work has also grown out of a broader shift in our congregational life known as Connect. Through Connect., we have been learning to focus less on programs and outcomes and more on genuine human connection. Instead of asking how to attract people to church, we ask how to love our neighbors well — by listening, showing up, and responding to real needs with humility and care.
The Connect. movement is changing the way we see one another and the people beyond our walls. It is drawing us back into the slow, faithful work of knowing names, stories and lives. We are learning again that love cannot exist at a distance — we cannot love neighbors we do not know.
Mission Possible is one powerful expression of that culture. It embodies a church learning again that faith is lived in relationship, that service flows from listening, and that the gospel is made visible through love in action. Some connections lead people deeper into the life of the church. Others simply lead to stronger, healthier lives in the community. We trust God with the outcomes.
Our story is still unfolding. But through Mission Possible and Connect., we are rediscovering that the church does not exist to preserve itself, but to bear witness to God’s love in the world. We give thanks for a generation of young leaders, a congregation willing to follow and a God who continues to remind us that every mission truly is possible.
Dave Conde; Ministry Coordinator; First United Presbyterian Church; Fairbury, Nebraska
Let us join in prayer for:
Katie Carter, Manager, Faith-Based Investing & Shareholder Engagement, Presbyterian Life & Witness
Cole Sites, Facility Specialist, Building Services, Administrative Services Group
Let us pray:
Faithful God, we thank you for the courage of our youth and for the call you place upon your church to serve our neighbors with love and compassion. Bless the work of Mission Possible and the relationships formed through Connect. Teach us to listen before we act, to trust you boldly and to serve faithfully without fear. We also lift before you our brothers and sisters in Presbyterian churches and across every denomination. Lord, be with all who seek to follow Christ in every place and tradition. Strengthen your church wherever it gathers. Renew its witness. Unite us in love for neighbor and faithfulness to your gospel. May our lives and our congregations bear witness to your grace and may every mission we undertake bring hope to those in need. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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