Week of Hope is packed with practical acts of love and service. Students build meaningful connections as they serve people through our strong partnerships with local ministries and nonprofit organizations. They'll learn Christ-like empathy and compassion for others as they meet the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of disadvantaged children, youth, and adults.
As students serve in the name of Jesus, they’ll develop friendships with the people being served, with other teams, with their own youth group, and, most importantly, with Jesus. Denominational differences disappear as like-minded youth work together for a common purpose.
Here at Group Mission Trips, we’re always looking for ways to enhance our trip experiences & create more opportunities to better serve you, our partner organizations, and the communities we serve in. We’re excited to launch these new changes this summer at each Week of Hope location:
Week of Hope meets the needs of all age groups—wherever those needs exist. Projects might include: providing meals to the homeless, tutoring struggling children from low-income families, helping to lead a day camp for kids, working with disabled children, or sharing stories with a lonely elderly person in an assisted-living facility. Your team’s acts of kindness will mean the world to the people you serve. But the impact on your students will go even deeper.
6:45 AM | Rise and shine |
7:00 AM | Hot breakfast |
8:00 AM | Morning program |
8:30 AM | Depart for projects |
12:00 PM | On-site lunch and devotions |
3:30 PM | Return to camp |
5:30 PM | Dinner |
7:30 PM | Evening worship |
9:00 PM | Youth group devotions |
9:30 PM | Free time |
11:00 PM | Lights out |
Every year, the Group Mission Trips team dedicates extensive time and energy to create a new Jesus-centered program experience through morning and evening programs, crew devotions, and youth group devotions (included in participant handbooks). Programs are designed so that you don't just look
Our well-trained staff leads programs daily. Plus, you and your youth have the opportunity to serve by leading parts of each worship program through music, drama, Scripture reading, and other hands-on experiences. Feel free to bring guitars, drums, harmonicas, banjos, and great voices!
This summer at Group Mission Trips your group will experience a fresh look at the idea of worth through the parable of the prodigal son.
Through each powerful, transformational mission trip experience, your group will see how Jesus wants each of us to know we are valuable, loved, accepted, and worth it to him.
You can find additional information on specific locations by visiting this page.
We normally split groups up into work crews. But, we are willing to work with your group on how you’d like to split into crews. Our work crews are made up of six people with usually one or two adults and four or five youth--typically each person from a different church. If you’d like to have your youth meet new friends and develop friendships outside of your youth group, then allow us to split up your group. If you have specific church safety rules that require your group to be together, we are more than happy to arrange that for your group as well. Our top priority is to partner with you to arrange the best experience for your youth group and help you meet your ministry goals.
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Jr/Sr High trips: Must be at least 12 years old OR entering the 7th grade in the fall of 2020.
Sr High trips: Must be at least 14 years old OR entering the 9th grade in the fall of 2020.
Yes, you must have 1 adult (21 years of age or older) for every 5 youth (20 years of age and under). If both boys and girls are registered in your group, you must have at least one male adult and one female adult registered for supervision at night.
Yes, Group Mission Trips requires that all participants 18 years of age or older be screened and background checked by their church prior to attending.
Sunday
3-4 p.m. Check-in
4:30 p.m. Adult meeting
5:30 p.m. Dinner gathering
6:30 p.m. Kick-off program (everyone gets to meet their crews and find out their service projects!)
8:00 p.m. Chapel, followed by youth group devotions
11:00 p.m. Lights-out
Monday
6:30 a.m. Breakfast crew begins
6:45 a.m. Wake-up call
7:00 a.m. Breakfast and pack lunches
8:00 a.m. Morning program
8:45-3:00 p.m. Serve at project sites, have on-site lunch and devotions
3:30 p.m. Return to lodging facility, free time, and camp store open until 5 p.m.
5:00 p.m. Dinner crew begins
5:30 p.m. Dinner gathering
6:30 p.m. Hospitality tasks
7:00 p.m. Chapel team practice
8:00 p.m. Chapel, followed by youth group devotions
10:30 p.m. Bedtime stories (optional)
11:00 p.m. Lights-out
Tuesday:
6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Same schedule as Monday
3:30-10:30 p.m. Free time (dinner and devotions on your own)
8:00 p.m. Lodging facility is back open
8:30 p.m. Movie night (optional)
10:30 p.m. Bedtime stories (optional)
11:00 p.m. Lights-out
Wednesday
6:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Same schedule as Monday.
Thursday
6:30 a.m. Breakfast crew begins
6:45 a.m. Wake-up call
7:00 a.m. Breakfast and pack lunches
8:00 a.m. Morning program
8:45-3:00 p.m. Serve at project sites, have on-site lunch and devotions
3:30 p.m. Return to lodging facility, free time, and camp store open until 5 p.m.
5:00 p.m. Dinner crew begins
5:30 p.m. Dinner gathering
6:30 p.m. Hospitality tasks
8:00 p.m. Chapel, followed by youth group devotions
9:30 p.m. Lip-sync battle
12 a.m. Lights-out
Friday
7-8:00 a.m. Breakfast
7-9:00 a.m. Youth group check-out, hospitality tasks, and depart for home
Be ready to tackle any project and expect to interact each day with local residents from the community. Crews typically serve at the same organization for the entire camp (or at the most 2 organizations), creating an environment where meaningful relationships develop.
Projects could include working with children at a day camp, serving at a food bank or homeless shelter, leading a Vacation Bible School, improving the homes of people in need, assisting the elderly, tutoring struggling kids, working with disabled children, facilitating a sports camp, and/or serving churches and other human service organizations in different ways. If there are any minor repair projects, we may ask your group to bring a few small hand tools and paint brushes.
Supplies: Groups are asked to bring 1 5-gallon water jug and 1 family-size cooler (preferably on wheels) for every 6 people in your group. All other supplies are typically provided, but small items may be requested.
Personal Items: The full Packing List is located online for every registered group on their Group Page, under the Schedule, Menu, Packing tab. It’s pretty much what you’d expect. A twin-size air mattress and bedding for sleeping, work gloves, and modest swimsuits and clothing appropriate for a Christian mission trip.
Fun theme days: Bring fun stuff for our theme days during camp!
Safety is our top priority!
A Week of Hope can hold up to 100 participants and we house them all typically at a local church. Group Mission Trips' staff transforms the facility into a home away from home–there will be a separate boy’s hall and girl’s hall, a space for meals, adequate bathrooms and showers, and a space for the programs.
Participants need to bring twin-size air mattresses, pillows, sleeping bags or other bedding to sleep on floors. Youth groups are assigned to sleeping rooms together, gender separate. Sleeping rooms may be shared with other youth groups, depending on the size of groups and the size of the room.
Registered groups can see more information about their lodging facility online on their Group Page under the General Lodging tab. Trip Leaders are given the lodging facility’s address.
Meals will consist of hot breakfasts, picnic-style lunches, and hot dinners. All meals are prepared by participants on a rotating basis supervised by staff. Picnic-style lunches will be assembled in the mornings and brought to project sites. The first provided meal is dinner on Sunday and the last meal will be cold breakfast on Friday morning. IMPORTANT NOTE: Dinner is NOT provided on Tuesday, youth groups have free time this day and dinner is on their own.
For registered groups: If you have a participant that has to eat gluten-free--please let us know. We can have a few gluten free options at camp but need to have an accurate number to plan for. The sample menu is located on Your Group Page under the Schedule, Menu, and Packing tab. Share this with your participants so they can start planning. Participants with special diets or allergies are welcome to bring their own food items to fill in as needed during the week. Please know that we do have peanut butter on the menu. Group Mission Trips is unable to guarantee there will not be any cross-contamination during meal preparation by kitchen staff. There will be a staff member available at camp who will be able to answer any questions about food. Click here for a visual on accommodations for dietary restrictions.
Focused on Jesus. Our goal is to point people to Jesus. Programs focus on Bible passages and daily themes that challenge us to respond to Jesus in ways we will never forget.
Interactive. People learn better by doing. Participants will be involved in sharing, speaking, acting, reflecting...not just sitting and watching.
Relevant. Through creative multimedia, thought provoking sound and video, our programs are designed to reach everyone.
Fun. Relationship-building activities, games and having fun are part of every program. Expect to have a great time!
Register at any time. No payment due until October 31, 2019.
Payments can be made here online, by phone, or by mail.
Call us! If there’s space available in your camp, we’ll ask for necessary payment. If you have a cancellation, and you’ve exhausted all efforts to re-fill spaces, call us to make cancellations. We’ll adjust your balance accordingly. If you cancel a space before May 15th, 2020 you’ll just lose the $50 deposit. The entire fee is forfeited for cancellations made after May 15th, 2020.
Cancellations have a huge effect on the people we serve, it is devastating news to them when we have to cancel. Based on the number of registered participants, we plan for lodging, food orders, supplies and staffing–just for starters. Also, depending on the time of year, it is simply impossible for us to re-fill cancelled spaces.
We also recognize that unexpected events happen that can pull participants away from their original commitment. Please give us a call, we are happy to talk through ideas to recruit other participants and keeping your group intact.
If there is no other option but to cancel your group, call us by May 15th, 2020 to let us know. As long as you cancel by May 15th, you’ll only lose $50 per spot. All mission trip fees will be forfeited for any cancellations after May 15th.
We request modest clothing choices in our Code of Conduct. While Group Mission Trips doesn’t have a formal dress code, we serve local organizations that do have specific requirements for volunteers. Don’t be turned away from your assigned project due to inappropriate dress!
We ask that all participants arrive on time and stay for entire time. Every part of the program is valuable and helps guarantee a life-changing experience. We really try not to make too many exceptions to this because it does effect other participants, partners, and work projects--so please check the schedule and make travel arrangements accordingly. Contact us if a situation arises.
All trips are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so register early. However, if you register for a trip that’s full, we’ll give you a choice: Join the waiting list for your first choice, or register for your second-choice camp. Call us. We’re eager to help!
Yes! There are many ways participants can be more involved in the camp:
Absolutely! Don't just take our word for it. Give us a call (1-844-258-9616) and we'd be happy to connect you with other youth leaders who have served with us.