‘All Thy Works’: Students Embrace Purpose at Soul in the City 2025

Soul in the City 2025 brought together youth from across the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida for a week of community service, worship and spiritual formation in St. Cloud. But more than that, it was a chance to live into the truth of Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Rooted in the theme “All Thy Works,” drawn from both the scripture passage and the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” (No. 362 in The Hymnal 1982), this year’s Soul in the City reminded those present that all of creation (including us) is made to reflect God’s glory. And when youth gather to love, serve and grow together, something sacred happens.

Hosted July 21–25 at the Church of St. Luke & St. Peter, St. Cloud, Soul in the City 2025 welcomed over 70 youth and leaders for a weeklong mission experience. Youth groups came from churches across the diocese, including All Saints’, Lakeland; Good Shepherd, Lake Wales; Holy Trinity, Bartow; Our Saviour, Okeechobee; St. Barnabas, Deland; St. Edward’s, Mount Dora; the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando; St. Mary of the Angels, Orlando; and St. Michael’s, Orlando. Together, they lived in community, served the city by day and gathered each night for worship, teaching and fellowship.

Mr. Brandon Phelps, youth director at the host church, reflected on the week as both demanding and transformative. “It brought challenges that tested me, but it also brought me closer in my relationship with both the youth and Christ,” he said. “The friendships and memories we made are the kind that last a lifetime.”

Throughout the week, youth teams spread out across St. Cloud to serve in a wide range of community projects, living out the final words of Ephesians 2:10, “that we should walk in them.” Service sites included various city parks, Bette’s RV, A Place for Grace, The Club at St. Cloud, AMVETS Post 33, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Osceola Food Pantry and the American Legion. Some teams helped with yard work and cleaning projects at private homes, while others packed sandwich bags for those in need or created handmade cards for nursing home residents.

Whether they were hauling brush, painting fences or pressure washing a memorial garden, the youth served with joy and purpose. “To see the youth … serve with love in their heart … is a joy you can’t replicate just anywhere,” Phelps said.

These weren’t just service hours. They were moments of sacred generosity, shaped by a shared desire to reflect God’s goodness in tangible ways.

Each evening, the group gathered in the sanctuary for worship, music and teaching, also centered on Ephesian 2:10. The week’s teaching walked through that verse one phrase at a time:

• “For we are his workmanship” – The Rev. Dan King, St. Edward’s, Mount Dora.
• “Created in Christ Jesus for good works” – Mr. Mike Beam, The Russell Home.
• “Which God prepared beforehand” – Mrs. Heather Palumbo, Jesus Film.
• “That we should walk in them” – Mr. Adeemir Dacenay, Church Together.

Each night built upon the previous one, helping students explore what it means to be created, called and commissioned by God. Mr. Mark Cole, youth director at St. Michael’s, summed it up well, saying, “Soul in the City is an excellent mission trip to experience the wonders of God in our own backyard. With evening lessons and sermons, I found out how just a small bit of good can change many lives. … This is a not-to-miss experience for all youth and chaperones.”

The messages were simple, honest and rich in grace, inviting students to see themselves as part of God’s design, with work prepared just for them. But beyond the teaching and service projects, something just as powerful was happening among the youth: real friendship and deep connection. Shared meals, late-night laughter and quiet conversations created space for students to be fully seen, not just as volunteers, but as beloved children of God.

“I met people who made me feel happy in a real way,” said Declan Tice, who belongs to the St. Michael’s youth group. Others spoke of lasting friendships that made them feel loved, supported and appreciated.

For some, the impact ran even deeper. “I was able to open up and express my views on life and feelings I’ve kept bottled up,” said Andrew Ghiloni, also from St. Michael’s. “It felt like God telling me everything is OK.”

These moments, tucked between sandwich-making and worship, are what make Soul in the City more than a mission trip. They are sacred reminders that we were created not just for good works, but for life together.

“Soul in the City is quickly becoming my favorite week of the year, said Mr. Garrett Waldron, director of youth and young adult ministries, All Saints’, Lakeland. “I love seeing teenagers from all over Central Florida come together for fellowship, worship and service. I really admire their willingness to give their time and energy during the summer break.”

“Soul in the City 2025 was a beautiful and profound display of the gospel in action,” said the Rev. Garcia Barnswell-Schmidt, one of the three diocesan youth ministry coordinators and chaplain at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Melbourne. “The youth went out into the greater community … not only sharing the message of God’s love and hope, but also with intention and grace.”

The Rev. Kevin Bartle, also a diocesan youth ministry coordinator and rector, St. Mary of the Angels, Orlando, agrees. “This was a chance for students to live out the focus of our diocese: Gospel, Church and Mission,” he said. “Students stepped away from their normal comforts by sleeping on floors and showering in trailers; they spent their days serving others through physical labor, connecting with the forgotten, and feeding the hungry; they gathered in the evenings for true connection, fellowship and worship. At the end of the week, they all were ready to do it again.

“Why?” he continued. “Because when we invite students into authentic relationships and provide them with the opportunity to hear and know the truth of God’s love for them, they are changed by it. They want to live it out. So much so that a week after the event concluded, students from three of our churches gathered again for a day of service. Approximately 15 students filled over 800 backpacks for their peers in need.

“I believe I can speak for all the leaders who attended the week and served alongside our youth – we, too, were changed,” Bartle said. “What a blessing to witness the gospel in action.”

The week may be over, but the impact continues. Youth are invited to reconnect with one another and with God at the upcoming New Beginnings Retreat at Camp Wingmann Sept. 19-21. And with plans already in motion for Soul in the City 2026, the call to love, serve and grow together carries on.