2004 Mission Trips, Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ

2008 mission trips are sponsored by Boston Urban Outreach; a program of City Mission Society of Boston and facilitated by Carl McDonald.

This year the Massachusetts Conference will continue to partner with Boston Urban Outreach. In the past and continuing in the future, the MAUCC has sponsored opportunities for high school age youth to become involved in hands on mission trips. These trips are a practical way for churches and youth leaders to get involved in a mission trip without taking on all of the responsibility for preparation, planning, and programming. Experienced leaders from the Massachusetts Conference and Boston Urban Outreach will serve as Deans for the trip and will provide training for your volunteers and be responsible for all of the details of the trip. We have ongoing relationships with the organizations we partner with, so we are able to insure the safety of our group, that there will be plenty of work to do and that our groups will have a meaningful experience. If you wish to join these trips with your group, please contact Carl McDonald to request an informational/registration packet. At that time, you can indicate your interest in participating and then begin to recruit your group and send in your deposit. All groups are required to bring two adult leaders from the local church, and additional leaders are needed for every ten youth.

2008 MISSION TRIPS

April 20-25, 2008

Boston Mission Experience

$300 per person

Groups will be housed at local inner city churches and will serve at Greater Boston Area churches and agencies. Mission work will focus on serving those who are marginalized.

June 22-June 27, 2008

Habitat for Humanity

Tarboro, NC $450 per person

The focus of this trip will be to work on building new homes for Habitat for Humanity. This area was devastated in 1999 by

Hurricane Floyd and is still in need of relief workers. The group will be housed at the Franklinton Retreat Center. All youth are allowed to do construction projects and youth sixteen years or older are allowed to use power tools if they have parental permission.

August 2-8, 2008

Rebuilding in New Orleans

$325 per person plus airfare

Groups will be housed at New Orleans churches. Opportunities for service may include work at a children’s day camp, painting schools and rebuilding homes.

HOW DO YOU GET STARTED??*

You know you want to extend your youth ministry by providing a mission trip but are not sure how to begin. The easiest way is to recruit a group for one of the Conference mission trips. Read through this newsletter and then decide which trip fits the needs of your group. Contact Carl McDonald to indicate your interest and hold space for your group. Now is the time to be sure that you also have proper leadership from your church.

At this point you are not obligated to pay anything and you will have time to recruit your

group. Announce to parents and youth where

you are going, why you are going and what you will be doing.

Announce a deadline for registrations and ask for a deposit. Youth are not committed until they pay a fee! Now you can send in your registration with your deposits. Keep the ball rolling with your group by scheduling some fundraisers and get your church to support the group as well.

Continue to make your payments to the Conference so that the trip is all paid for prior to departure.

Prior to the trip, all leaders will meet at the Conference for a training session.

IMPORTANT DETAILS*

Who can go? All youth must be in high school or have just graduated at the time of the trip. This means that youth in eighth grade are eligible only for the summer trips and graduating seniors are eligible for all three trips.

How many leaders can go? Each group is responsible for providing two adults, a male and a female for their group. Leaders must be a minimum of 23 years old. If your group is larger than 10 youth, you will need an additional adult for each five youth. Please don't ask to take extra adults, these trips are for youth and we don't want to sacrifice their space for adults.

How much will it cost? Each group pays a one time $100 registration fee. Groups are encouraged to pay the fees for their leaders. This fee covers all costs of the trip, except for church offering and snacks for the youth.

Where do we leave from? Because we want to create the sense of one group, we leave from the Conference Center in Framingham . There are no exceptions to this policy.

Youth are never allowed to be without adult supervision. Adults are never allowed to be alone with youth. All adults must consent to a CORI. All adults must also be willing and able to drive a van.

2008 Mission Trips