A SPECIFIC MISSION TRIP EXAMPLE

            While this example is with a larger youth group, it could also be done with as few as three people or a mixed intergenerational group.

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH OF SEBASTOPOL, UCC ANNUAL JUNIOR HIGH MINI-MISSION TRIP TO SAN FRANCISCO OVER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND TO WORK PRIMARILY WITH THE POOR AND HOMELESS COMMUNITY IN THE TENDERLOIN AREA

PREPARATION

Step one: setting up the trip

Each year a local church in San Francisco is contacted to make arrangements for the group to stay there during the trip.  The work sites are set up which include working at St. Anthony’s Dinning Room, and one or two other sites if the group is too big for St. Anthony's to accommodate the whole group.  Fundraisers are planned throughout the year to cover the costs.  The leaders meet and go over the Mission Trip checklist.

Step two: meetings and education

Meetings are held with parents and kids to go over all the details of the trip, where the group will stay, where they will work, what to bring, plus safety issues or concerns.  Sebastopol is a small town and both kids and parents often have anxiety about “being in the big city.”

Before the trip all participating youth must come to several mandatory meetings.  It is imperative that the adults going on the trip know all the kids fairly well and have developed a relationship with them.  At one of those mandatory meetings, the group plus their families play the “How to Become Homeless” game.

ACTION: THE TRIP SCHEDULE

Friday night

7pm    – arrive at the San Francisco Church where the group is staying.  Have each person grab the extra blankets and sleeping bag s they brought to give away and take public transportation downtown.

7:30 – Arriving downtown, walk several blocks along upper Market Street giving away blankets and sleeping bags.  Understanding and sensitivity to the wide variety of people on the street is important.  An adult should always go with a kid to give away a blanket.  Some people who live on the street are mentally ill,  drug or alcohol dependent, or simply stressed out by all the safety issues of living on the street.  Because of these realities, the adult and kid from the group should take care they don’t startle someone who appears to be sleeping or wrapped up in the security of their own world.  Make sure the street person knows immediately that you have a blanket to give away and that you are not going to hurt or arrest them.  For the street person’s sense of safety, make sure you approach them in a well-lit place and don’t make any sudden movements.  The community on the street is a tight one and people try to take care of each other.  I usually approach someone and say, “Hi, we have a blanket to give away, would you like it, or do you know someone else you could give it to who could use it?”  It’s a fairly good opening line. 

8pm – Finish the walk near a fast food restaurant cluster and give each participant $2.00 for dinner.  The challenge is to actually get dinner  for only $2.00 – some participants figure out they can eat more if they drink water rather than soda, some participants figure out that if they pool their money they may be able to get more etc.

9ish – Head back to the church on public transportation

10ish – after everyone is ready for bed, get into a group and process the experience using time to reflect on questions and write in their Spiritual Life Journals (or special Mission Trip Journals).

·       Have them think back to the start of the trip. 

·       What were their expectations? 

·       How was the trip to San Francisco? 

·       How was the walk and giving away of blankets? 

·       What was it like to only have $2.00 for dinner? 

·       Where did they see the face of Christ? 

·       Where did they reflect the image of God?

Invite them to write or draw.  When it looks like most of them are finished with their journals, have they go around the circle and share what they would like.  Allow people to pass if they don’t wish to share. 

End with prayer. 

Go to sleep!!!

Saturday

8am – Breakfast

8:30 – travel to work sites

9ish to 2ish – work sites

2:30 or so  - gather together and walk to Chinatown for sightseeing. 

4:30 – Dinner in Chinatown

5:30 – Back to church

6ish to 7ish – Free time

7ish – Gather together in the sanctuary and practice the scripture reading for worship the next morning (usually some kind of acting out of the text)

9ish -– after everyone is ready for bed, get into a group and process the day’s experience using time to reflect on questions and write in their Spiritual Life Journals (or special Mission Trip Journals).

·       Have them think back to waking up that morning.

·       What were their expectations? 

·       What was their first impression of their work site?

·       Who did they meet?

·       What did they do?

·       What did they learn about themselves?

·       What did they learn about other people? 

·       Where did they see the face of Christ? 

·       Where did they reflect the image of God?

Invite them to write or draw.  When it looks like most of them are finished with their journals, have they go around the circle and share what they would like.  Allow people to pass if they don’t wish to share. 

End with prayer. 

Go to sleep!!!

Sunday

8am – Breakfast

9am – practice for worship

10am – worship

11:30am –each person makes a sack lunch for themselves and another one for a homeless person.

12:00 – take the train to the Civic Center area and sit and invite a person who lives on the street to join you for lunch.

1pm – Attend an afternoon worship service in the City which offers a different style and tradition than our own. 

3pm –Head to the beach

5pm – go for pizza near the beach

7pm –back to the church

7-9pm  -Free time

9ish -– after everyone is ready for bed, get into a group and process the experience using time to reflect on questions and write in their Spiritual Life Journals (or special Mission Trip Journals).

·       Have them think back to the beginning of the day. 

·       What was it like to participate in worship?

·       What was it like to share their lunch with someone on the street?

·       What was the second worship service like for you?

·       What did you learn about yourself today?

·       What did you learn about someone else today?

·       Where did they see the face of Christ? 

·       Where did they reflect the image of God?

Invite them to write or draw.  When it looks like most of them are finished with their journals, have they go around the circle and share what they would like.  Allow people to pass if they don’t wish to share. 

End with prayer. 

Go to sleep!!!

Monday

8am – Breakfast

8:30 – travel to work sites

9ish to 2ish – work sites

2:30 or so  - back to the church to pack and load the vans. 

3:30 -–Get into a group and process the day’s experience using time to reflect on questions and write in their Spiritual Life Journals (or special Mission Trip Journals).

·       Have them think back to waking up that morning.

·       What were their expectations? 

·       What was their first impression of their work site?

·       Who did they meet?

·       What did they do?

·       What did they learn about themselves?

·       What did they learn about other people? 

·       Where did they see the face of Christ? 

·       Where did they reflect the image of God?

Invite them to write or draw.  When it looks like most of them are finished with their journals, have they go around the circle and share what they would like.  Allow people to pass if they don’t wish to share. 

End with prayer. 

Go home!!!

REFLECTION:

A Sunday worship at home soon thereafter

Deepening Faith:  Youth Ministry Resources and Some Miscellaneous Advice

Rev. Lizann Bassham, Front Porch Spirit Press

Copyright © 2001