GIVE A WEEK AWAY WORSHIP CENTER GUIDE TO MISSION TRIPS | 2018
ARE YOU ORDINARY? If so, this means you have the unique qualification to give a week away.
You might think you need a certain level of spiritual maturity to serve on a missions team. Maybe you feel unqualified in the construction trade or ill-equipped to minister to children.
The number one requirement for serving on a missions team is a desire to learn and grow. It might be true that skills are needed in long-term work. In shortterm missions work, anyone can go to another nation to learn different cultures, to love, to serve, and to gain awareness of a great world beyond the borders of their own community and country. By giving just one week, you can provide long-term missionaries with a much-needed helping hand while gaining a unique perspective of the culture and needs of the nation you served in. In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul describes the “ordinary” nature required to be used by God. He describes himself and the church as fragile clay jars. In this culture, clay vessels were a dime a dozen. Every household possessed these, and they were considered ordinary and common. Are you ordinary? Would you consider yourself as having “normal’ gifts? Paul says this qualifies you to be a carrier of God’s light! When people in these nations see us loving and serving, they do not see a bunch of Americans, but, rather, they can see the light of Christ in us. God loves to use ordinary people. The following pages provide information on mission teams that will serve throughout the world. Participating in one of these short-term trips may just be the catalyst God will use to launch you into a life lived with a different perspective–one where you see God accomplish extra-ordinary things. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s Go! Chris Lautsbaugh, Missions/Community Outreach Pastor
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JANUARY
FIJI
with Andrew & Anne Taylor January 27–February 6 4-6 people, $2,200 per person Level of Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Construction and Bible teaching This team will partner with Andrew Taylor. They will engage in construction and teaching. Moderate carpentry and plumbing skills will help to upgrade facilities in this South Pacific island destination. Join the team in Fiji to bring the life and love that Jesus has imparted with you to APT Bible College students, as well as younger Christian school children.
TEXAS
with MercyWorkers (YWAM Tyler/Houston) January 2–16 15 people, $1,000 per person Level of difficulty: Moderate Focus: Construction/Hurricane Rebuilding This trip was organized in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. The team will restore a family’s home and interact with the owners. It will cost approximately $5,000 to rebuild the house. A portion of the trip cost goes towards this, and the rest will come from fundraisers.
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FEBRUARY
GUATEMALA with Jose & Mayela Davis
February 22–March 3 4-6 people, $1,300 per person Level of difficulty: Moderate Focus: Construction and Church ministry This team, led by Emmanuel Hoffer, will work with two churches. The team will pour a concrete floor in one and help install a roof on the other. There will be opportunities to preach and share testimonies at the same churches in the evenings. The cost of the floor and roof are $4,000 together. A portion of the trip cost goes towards this and the rest will come from fundraisers.
MEXICO
with Mary Beth Mayfield & YWAM Juarez February 16–23 15+ people, $850 per person Level of difficulty: Beginner Focus: Construction, Maintenance, Kids Ministry Worship Center has a nearly 20-year partnership with YWAM El Paso/Juarez and their children’s home, Rancho los Amigos. This trip is well suited for families to experience together. Ministry includes basic construction and maintenance, kids ministry, and basic interaction. This is the perfect missions trip for those who have never gone before!
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FEBRUARY
SOUTH AFRICA with Henry & Diane Fisher
February 15–27 10 people, $3,200 per person Level of difficulty: Beginner Focus: Construction and Church ministry While in Shigamani, South Africa, this team will work together to construct a multi-purpose building for the community. The building will be used to teach individuals a trade and give them a self-sustaining skill. This facility will also serve the community as a center for outreach, such as feeding programs for orphans and other educational programs for underprivileged people.
MARCH
TEXAS
with MercyWorkers (YWAM Tyler/Houston) March 1–15 15 people, $1,000 per person Level of difficulty: Moderate Focus: Construction/Hurricane Rebuilding This is the second trip to be organized in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. The team will help restore a family’s home and interact with the owners. It will cost approximately $5,000 to rebuild the house. A portion of the trip cost goes towards this, and the rest will come from fundraisers.
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ARE YOU ORDINARY?
Maddie Armstrong “Going on the missions trip to Sierra Leone definitely opened my heart to be more like Jesus. Only being 18 really worried me as to how much I could truly offer on this trip, but God uses everyone and their gifts to further the kingdom. I cannot wait for the day I can return to all of those loving souls in Sierra Leone.�
Tim Shreiner “I’m pretty much a “homebody,” so I did not want to go to India. But through God’s leading I went. Looking back on it, I am very thankful I did. I could fill pages with stories of people I met and how I saw God working.”
ARE YOU ORDINARY?
APRIL
HAITI
with Ricky & Sarah Allegretto April 20–27 4-15 people, $1,800 Level of difficulty: Moderate Focus: Construction and Kids Ministry Led by Jason Greenly, the team will join Worship Center missionary Ricky Allegretto and Children’s Relief International (CRI) in Haiti. Plagued by poverty, a lack of sustainable housing in Haiti is the norm. This group will participate in the construction of several homes—laying brick, building walls, and putting on roofs. They will also minister to children at CRI’s local tutoring center and worship alongside rural pastors in CRI’s Bible school.
MOLDOVA
with Jorgen & Maria Lindberg April 6–16 6-8 people, $1,900 per person Level of difficulty: Moderate Focus: Outreach and church ministry The Republic of Moldova still suffers from the long-lasting effects of communism, and the misuse of the corrupt government, resulting in deep poverty and human suffering. This team, led by Vanessa Rucker, will partner with People to People International and the Holy Trinity Church in Glodeni, Moldova, a small community of about 10,000 citizens. The team will visit homes, distribute food packages, and work with kids during the Easter week vacation Bible school. The team will also be involved in repairs and minor construction around the church premises.
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JUNE
TEXAS
with Keeps Kamp, Emily, John, and Elaine Allegretto June 18–July 1 2-9 people, $550 per person Level of difficulty: Beginner Focus: Ladies between 15 and 29 years old Ladies between the ages of 15 and 29 years old will join Emily Allegretto on this trip. The experience will consist of some basic orientation and leadership training, followed by two three-day camps working with teenage girls in foster care. The goal of the camp is to instill Biblical values and identity, alongside good ole summer camp fun.
AUGUST
INDIA
with Mark & Vijeta Taylor August 11–21 Up to 12 people, $2,200 per person Level of difficulty: Moderate Focus: Kids ministry and human trafficking prevention This team will support Worship Center’s missions initiative in Kolkata and Siliguri, India. The team will travel first to Kolkata to witness the conditions in some of the brothels from which children are rescued. The second part of the trip will be in the town of Siliguri, where the children are educated and given a chance to have a different future than their mothers.
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SEPTEMBER
ROMANIA
with Jorgen & Maria Lindberg September 6–15 8-12, $1,500 per person Level of difficulty: Moderate Focus: Construction and Kids Ministry This team, led by Barry Badger, will partner with People to People International and Caminul Felix Family Villages. The project focuses on providing homes for young adults who have physical and mental challenges. The team will help with the construction of a multipurpose house called, the “Assisted House Project.” Work could include construction around the exterior of the house, along with installing drywall inside the house. Throughout the week there will be opportunities to interact with the kids living with the families. Each evening, the team will be invited to dinner with one of the families.
INDIA
OCTOBER
with Andrew & Anne Taylor October 12–20 4-6 people, $1,500 per person Level of difficulty: Moderate Type of Trip: Kids Ministry If you have a compassionate heart and would like to experience what it’s like to share that heart of love with underprivileged children from the slums, then this trip would be ideal for you. While in Bangalore, India, this team will partner with Door of Hope to minister to children between the ages of 18 months and 4 years.
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NOVEMBER
SIERRA LEONE with Osman & Barbara Kamara
November 8-18 6-10, $3,100 per person Level of difficulty: Moderate Focus: Church Ministry, Service, and Children This trip supports Worship Center’s missions initiative to see training and ministry occur in the war-torn nation of Sierra Leone. The team will partner with missionary Osman Kamara to assist in projects equipping and encouraging the people for a brighter future. Team members will serve various developing business projects, and there will be opportunities to minister to churchgoers, both young and old alike.
FLORIDA
with Dale & Tracy Weaver November 3-10 5-10, $600 per person Level of difficulty: Beginner Focus: Landscaping, grounds maintenance This team will serve Youth With a Mission Orlando by completing landscaping and grounds maintenance projects. In addition, there will be opportunities to engage with the life of a thriving YWAM campus. If you want to know a bit more about the life of a YWAMer and the opportunities the world’s largest missions organization presents, this trip is for you.
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DECEMBER
INDIA
with Mark & Vijeta Taylor December 3–13 Up to 12 people, $2,300 per person Level of difficulty: Moderate Focus: Kids ministry and human trafficking prevention This is the second trip this year supporting Worship Center’s missions initiative in Kolkata and Siliguri, India. The team will travel first to Kolkata to witness the conditions in some of the brothels from which children are rescued. The second part of the trip will be in the town of Siliguri, where the children are educated and given a chance to have a different future than their mothers.
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:7
ARE YOU ORDINARY?
THE SIERRA LEONE INITIATIVE 2017
Worship Center committed to doing what we could to provide support to Sierra Leone, a country devastated by civil war, followed by a crippling Ebola outbreak. These two events deprived the country of leadership. We chose to work with Horizons of Hope, a ministry in Sierra Leone founded by Worship Center missionaries, Osman and Barbara Kamara, to raise up leaders in villages throughout the nation.
Accomplished • Two life training centers were established • Helped to begin a farming project in Fiama, a thrift store in Freetown, as well as the beginnings of a taxi service that will provide ongoing funding for training centers • Helped to provide funds for training more than 80 training center teachers across the country • A total of $20,020 was given toward this initiative, and an additional $11,000 was given towards mudslide recovery efforts
Next Steps • Funding to help purchase 10 motorcycles to start ($1000 per motorcycle) for the taxi service • Complete the Thrift Store Project • Send business leaders from Worship Center to train business leaders
To learn more about how you can be involved with this initiative, visit worshipcenter.org/sierraleone. More details on an upcoming trip to Sierra Leone to help with this initiative is on page 12.
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HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER MISSIONS
CREATION
June 23–July 1; cost: $300 The Hub will be taking a team to the four-day Creation Festival and making it a week-long mission trip. Students will experience all the great concerts, speakers, food, and fun times with their friends, doubled by serving all the people that attend Creation. First, the group will help turn Agape Farm into a huge concert venue, then they will serve alongside the staff all week until teardown that Sunday.
MEXICO
July 7th-14th; cost: $1,200 Students will be a part of the restoration of a city God is rebuilding. Our primary focus on this trip will be at Rancho los Amigos, a children’s home that brings hope to kids of families that have been crippled by fear and violence. A major project of this trip will be to help facilitate a VBS for 200 – 300 kids!
NEW YORK CITY August 4-11; cost: $750
Students will be involved in urban ministry through NYSUM on the streets of all five NYC boroughs. We will partner with local churches, hospitals and group homes and share laughter in Times Square and on the Metro. This trip will change the students’ outlook on evangelism and provide students with the tools to impact their own community!
JUNIOR/SENIOR TRIP July 21–28
The Hub gives Junior and Senior students opportunity to determine their trip destinations, which have not been selected yet. Watch for details online.
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THE LIVING ROOM TRIPS
INDIA
with Michael Esh January 9-23 20 people, $2,600 per person Level of difficulty: Difficult Focus: Kids Ministry This trip is for young adults who love children and do not mind getting hot, sticky, and dirty while ministering with children. For One Life has done a children’s retreat annually for the past five years, and it is one of the most anticipated weeks of the entire year for the children of the community. They show up eagerly waiting for the day’s songs, stories, drama, games, and refreshments. The members of this team will be involved in leading songs, teaching, games, dramas, and serving refreshments to the thousands of children who come.
NEW YORK
with New York School of Urban Ministry (NYSUM) November 9–11, 2018 November 16–18, 2018 10–15 each, $300 Level of difficulty: Beginner Focus: Urban Ministry Approximately 3.3 million New Yorkers experience difficulty in providing food for themselves and their families, an increase of 60 percent since 2003. During Operation Drumstick, the team of young adults will be involved with providing Thanksgiving meals to 5,000 people in need throughout New York City. These hurting people will receive a good old-fashioned Thanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings. The team will also do two nights of homeless ministry on the streets of New York City.
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Nathan Graves “It is not about whether or not you have the skills or the money to go on a mission trip, but whether or not you have the heart that is willing to serve...�
ARE YOU ORDINARY?
THE INDIA INITIATIVE 2017 Worship Center committed to doing what we could to provide a much needed refuge for women and girls who were caught up in the world of sex trafficking. We chose to work with Changing Destiny, a ministry in India founded by Worship Center missionaries Mark and Vjeta Taylor.
Accomplished: Kolkata • • •
45 girls and 9 boys have been rescued and are in safe homes Established two education centers in Kolkata Teaching 40 children and 8 women who live in brothels to read and write
Accomplished: Siliguri • • • • •
Started a school in Siliguri in a rented facility 20 children are being taught currently The school will be self-sustaining by 2019 Began construction on a new school building Began constructing a compound wall around the property
Next Steps: Kolkata • • • • • •
Sponsorship for 20 children Fund 3 more education centers to train children and women Funding for Kolkata Job Training Project A beauty salon training center for former prostitutes who have come to Christ Job training located near a red light district with a beauty salon attached To include a prayer room for teams to meet, talk, and pray with women
Next Steps: Siliguri • Funding for Phase 1 of the Siliguri School Project • Residential home for 100 girls and 50 boys to include dining hall and kitchens, staff quarters, 8 guest rooms for teams to stay, 10 classrooms, and sports fields
To learn more about this initiative, go to worshipcenter.org/india. More details on upcoming trips to India connected to this initiative are on pages 10 and 13. 18 | GIVE A WEEK AWAY
Ronni Sakamoto “I would have not signed up had I known it was a construction trip....it was the most rewarding trip I have ever been on.”
ARE YOU ORDINARY?
WHAT’S YOUR NEXT MOVE? giveaweekaway.org
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