Yes, extra adults are encouraged and welcome to attend.

Project Coordinator: You will have the most communication with this person. He or she will be your main point of contact for the project – coordinating lodging, food, and more. This person works all year to prepare for your project. He or she can answer all of your questions to prepare you for your Mission Serve project. This person works with National Staff to prepare for your arrival.

Construction Coordinator: This Construction Coordinator does all the preparation necessary for the construction that will be done at your project. He or she works with our local partners to pick the worksites, select the Construction Captains that will lead each individual worksite, and ensure the delivery of the correct building materials to the site prior to your arrival. He or she will directly supervise the construction on each site during the project.

Summer Staff: There will be at least two Summer Staffers at each project. They will help the Project Coordinator in the day-to-day tasks as well as work with the praise band and speaker to be prepared for worship. There is an Administrative Project Specialist (APS) and a Technical Project Specialist (TPS) for each team. The APS works with registration, paperwork, and money while the TPS is taking pictures and recording video for social media as well as the Mission Cam they will make to show at the end of the week.

Construction Leadership: (Each of these are applied for and, if chosen, come free of charge.)
Construction Captains: These are adults that have applied and been chosen by the Construction Coordinator. They are at the site for the duration of the workday leading and teaching their squad how to complete the task at hand.

Supervisors: These are also chosen by the construction coordinator to help make sure that each project is running smoothly. They will come to the site at any point of the day and stay as long as needed.

Runners: Make sure that each site has the materials that they need. Runners have direct contact with the construction coordinator and can keep them updated on the sites as well.

Yes, Mission Serve requires and performs a background check on all participants and leadership 18 years and older prior to attending.

Groups must provide their own transportation to and from the project as well as daily to and from the sites.

All vehicles must be available for transportation to and from the sites. (Mileage or fuel costs are not reimbursed, with the exception of qualified construction personnel in their personal vehicles.)

Adult drivers will be assigned to each squad and will be responsible for getting their squad to and from the worksite.

7 Day Saturday Start Project:

Saturday:
2:00-4:00pm Registration
4:30pm Orientation & Adult Meeting
6:00pm Dinner
7:30pm Worship & Group Devotions
10:45pm In Rooms
11:00pm Lights out

Sunday:
8:00am Breakfast
9:00am First Squad meeting
10:00am Attend Local Church Service
12:00pm Lunch with Local Church
1:00pm Visit Worksite
3:00pm Evangelism Training
4:00pm Group Photos
5:00pm Squad Position Training
6:00pm Dinner
7:30pm Worship & Youth group devotions
10:30pm In Rooms
11:00pm Lights out

Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday:
6:00am Breakfast
7:00am Great Send-off Monday Only
7:15am Departure for Worksite
4:00pm Return to lodging facilities
6:00pm Dinner
7:30pm Worship and Group Devotions
10:30pm In Rooms
11pm Lights out

Wednesday:
6:00am Breakfast
7:00am Departure for Worksite
1:00pm Return to Lodging Facility
2:00pm Afternoon Off
10:30pm In Rooms
11pm Lights out

Friday:
6:00am Breakfast
7:00am Departure for Worksite
4:00pm Return to lodging facilities
6:00pm Dinner
7:30pm Worship/Closing Celebration
10:30pm In Rooms
11pm Lights out

Saturday:
8:00am Head for Home

Six Day Projects – Sunday Start

Sunday:
2:00-4:00pm Registration
4:30pm Orientation and Adult Meeting
6:00pm Dinner
7:00pm Group Photos
7:30pm Worship and Group Devotions
9:30pm First Squad Meeting
9:45pm Squad Position Training
10:45pm In Rooms
11:00pm Lights out

Monday – Saturday: Same as 7-day project

Five Day Projects – Monday Start

Monday:
2:00-4:00pm Registration
4:30pm Orientation and Adult Meeting
6:00pm Dinner
7:00pm Group Photos
7:30pm Worship and Group Devotions
9:30pm First Squad Meeting
9:45pm Squad Position Training
10:45pm In Rooms
11:00pm Lights Out

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday:
6:00am Breakfast
7:00am Great Send-off Monday Only
7:15am Departure for Worksite
4:00pm Return to lodging facilities
6:00pm Dinner
7:30pm Worship and Group Devotions
10:30pm In Rooms
11pm Lights out

Friday:
6:00am Breakfast
7:00am Departure for Worksite
4:00pm Return to lodging facilities
6:00pm Dinner
7:30pm Worship/Closing Celebration
10:30pm In Rooms
11pm Lights out

Saturday:
8:00am Head for Home

Your participants will provide home repairs at no cost for the elderly, disabled, and other individuals living in substandard housing. Squads typically serve with the same resident all week and are able to create lifelong relationships.

Most projects are designed to be completed during the trip, allowing your group to experience the satisfaction of a job well done. You’ll serve the needs of others through projects like re-roofing homes, exterior painting, building or repairing porches and wheelchair ramps, building or repairing steps, and other home repairs. No skills are needed!

At most projects, participants will also have an opportunity to serve in non-construction-based ministry.  This can include children’s ministry and other social-related ministries.

Our squads are made up of ten to thirteen people with at least two adults (male and female) and eight to ten youth–typically two people from each church. Most Mission Serve squads are mixed among the churches, however, we are happy to keep your group together if requested, just let us know.

Tools:
Each group is asked to bring painting and construction tools including rollers, gloves, hammers, circular saws, electric drills, ladders, etc.

Personal Items:
The full Packing List is also located online in the Group Leader Manual. A twin-size air mattress and bedding for sleeping, work gloves, and small tools, as well as modest clothing, are the typical items needed.

Safety is our top priority!

We require groups to bring 1 adult (21 or older) for every 5 participants that are under 21 years of age. We require participants that are 18 and older be screened and nationally background checked. Every staff member has been screened, background-checked, and reference checked by Mission Serve.

We review safety procedures at orientation—appropriate close-toes shoes/boots, gloves, and goggles are recommended. Participants are not required to do any work that they consider unsafe.

Although we do serve in needy areas, we require work crews to stay together at all times. No one should ever be left alone, and all participants are back at the lodging facility by their designated check-in time.

Local Coordinators and other Mission Serve Staff visit work sites daily, so they are aware of any issues in the area.

Every squad has the direct phone number to the Mission Serve staff and directions to the closest hospital. If an injury occurs on the worksite, and is not serious, Mission Serve staff will contact the youth leader and coordinate any transportation needed. If the injury is serious, the adult on site will call 911 and Mission Serve staff will offer support and ensure needed medical forms are delivered to the hospital.

Each squad will have a small first aid kit as well with them while they are at the worksite.

Every project is different, but lodging is typically at a local school or a church. Mission Serve staff clears each room to accommodate the personal bedding each participant brings –there will be a separate boy’s hall and girl’s hall, a cafeteria for meals, adequate bathrooms and showers, and either a gym or auditorium for programs.

Participants need to bring twin-size air mattresses, pillows, sleeping bags, or other bedding to sleep on classroom 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.

Meals will consist of hot breakfasts, lunches provided by local churches or made by each participant before leaving the lodging facility, and hot dinners. All meals will be prepared for participants by kitchen staff. Picnic-style lunches will be assembled in the mornings and brought to work sites. The first provided meal is dinner on the first day and the last meal is breakfast on Saturday. Dinner is NOT provided on Wednesday (for six- and seven-day projects), youth groups have free time this day, and dinner is on their own. Special dietary needs should be communicated to the Project Coordinator. Mission Serve will work directly with local staff and Project Coordinator to meet these needs.

January 15: $50 (non-refundable) per space.

The remaining balance for June projects is due by April 15 and for July projects is May 15. Any balance postmarked more than 15 days after the due date is subject to a $15 per person penalty.

Please contact us.  If there’s space available at your project, we’ll ask for the necessary payment. If you have a cancellation, and you are unable to re-fill spaces, call us to make cancellations. We’ll adjust your balance accordingly. If you cancel a space before 15 days prior to your project start date, you will just lose the $50 deposit. The entire fee is forfeited for cancellations made after 15 days prior to your project start date.

Cancellations have a huge effect on the people we serve. Many times, when groups cancel, that means that we have to let homeowners know we will be unable to work on their home. Based on the number of registered participants, we plan for lodging, food orders, work materials, and staffing–just for starters.

We recognize that unexpected events happen that can pull participants away from their original commitment. Give us a call, we are happy to talk through ideas to recruit other participants and keep your group intact.

If there is no other option but to cancel your group, contact us by 15 days prior to your project start date, to let us know. As long as you cancel by 15 days prior to your project start date, you’ll only lose $50 per spot. All mission trip fees will be forfeited for any cancellations after May 15th.

• Planning logistics
• Project leadership
• Lodging
• Project meals
• T-shirt for each participant
• Secondary accident insurance
• Program materials
• Praise Band
• Speaker
• Worksite preparation

We ask that all participants arrive on time and stay for the entire time. Every part of the project is valuable and helps guarantee a life-changing experience. We really try not to make too many exceptions to this because it does affect other participants, residents, and work projects–so please check the schedule and make travel arrangements accordingly. Contact us if a situation arises. No discounts will be given to any individual who must leave early or arrive late.

All projects are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so register early. However, if you register for a project that’s full, we’ll give you a choice: Join the waiting list for your first choice or register for your second-choice project.

Personal health insurance is not required to attend, although highly recommended. If you carry personal health insurance, bring your info to camp. It is needed if treated at any health-care facility.

All health-care costs are the responsibility of the participants or his or her parent/guardian. If you have participants without adequate medical insurance and/or you desire to purchase trip protection insurance, you can purchase from any insurance provider of your choice.