The following projects are recommended as family-friendly because the activities and lodging arrangements tend to be more easily adapted for small children.
Click on a project on the left and read about it here:
MTW short-term teams will partner with local ministries in reaching Birmingham inner-city youth and families for Christ.There will be two different one-to-two week project settings and dates: Camp Northstar and Family Worship Center.Both locations are part of an ongoing and overall strategy reaching specific neighborhoods within the city. For more details, please call MTW or visit the links above.
Cherokee Reservation, Cherokee, North Carolina
·Dates: Summer 2011 — June 4 thru Aug 6. All other dates, call for availability
·Recommended for ages: Junior Hi thru adult***
·Cost: $440-465 (not including transportation)*
·Lodging: Goose Creek Campground: RV sites with hook-ups, camp sites, cabins/ sleeping bag or bed linen req'd
type: construction, evangelism, vacation Bible school
level: 1
medical/political climate: low risk
Fairmont DVD available upon request. Email 2Wk@mtw.org
Shot on the Panasonic DVX100B Music by: Chris Rice - The Other Side of the Radio, Sigur Ros - Hijomalind, Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla, Point of Grace - Day by Day
Fairmont is an exciting and rewarding challenge for those who may have no previous missions experience and for experienced teams as well.In fact many churches send teams year after year.It is especially well suited for junior and senior high age groups, collage students, and families with children.Although many churches send all adult teams too.The work is set in West Virginia “coal country”, so the culture will be somewhat different then their own.The ministry is in partnership with Christ Community Church (PCA).The work is “mercy ministry”, teams will repair and work on homes in the community while developing close relationships.These relationships will lead to opportunities to share the Gospel.Additional ministry opportunities may include: backyard Bible clubs, VBS, and sports camps in local parks, working in the kitchen at camp, tutoring, and one-on-one evangelism.Team building and individual Christian growth occur as the gospel is demonstrated in both word and deed.Accommodations are provided at Dayspring Camp, in Fairmont West Virginia.Your day will conclude with an evening worship program which includes music and a dynamic message.Team members will need to bring their own tools, as well as towels, personal items and sleeping bags.
GA: Gainesville
type: Hispanic outreach
level: 1
medical/political climate: low risk
The Hispanic population in the United States is booming, and North Georgia is no exception, as it has one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the nation. MTW is partnering with Westminster Presbyterian Church, Gainesville, as it reaches out to the expanding Hispanic population with the gospel.
Teams will assist Alejandro and Beth Oropeza as they minister among the Hispanics in Gainesville, helping to conduct a summer day camp for the kids. Teams might also assist with a week of intensive English classes to adults in the community. These ministries to the Hispanic adults and children in the area will allow Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Oropezas to meet more families and expand their ministry.
Strait Gate Ministries (SGM) is an outreach to a low-income African-American neighborhood in Glen Allan, a small, rural area located east of the Mississippi River and 30 miles south of Greenville, Mississippi. SGM, started by the late Rev. James Piggs and his wife, seeks to minister to the needs of the community through weekly Bible study and children’s ministry. Mrs. Carrie Piggs lives and ministers in the community year round. MTW teams will have the opportunity to serve through VBS, tutoring, sports, and repair of local homes.
Serve in Church planting and mercy ministry activities alongside nationals and MTW missionaries. There is a need for teams from February through October. This site fills up quickly so contact the office early.
MTW teams will serve in partnership with Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf (CCCD). CCCD operates three schools in Jamaica. They are residential facilities that provide opportunity to the rural deaf who would otherwise not have access to the Gospel, a language, basic education or vocational training.
Teams can help with construction at one of three school campuses, (Knockpatrick, Kingston, Montego Bay), or at the Deaf Village. There are also opportunities for children's ministry to both deaf and hearing children.
Both one-week and 10-day trips are available. Project weeks run Saturday to Saturday. Dates are available in June, July and August. (June dates fill up extremely quickly.) Discounts are given to pastors, married couples, and children ages 2-10. Lodging and meals are provided in dorm style housing. Teams may need to bring some food/snack items. A passport is required for travel to Jamaica.
Project Orientation (April 26-29, 2010): Team Leaders are requested to attend a four day orientation trip held in Jamaica. This is an important time to establish relationships with the national hosts, catch the vision and understand the culture of Jamaica. All ground costs are covered.
type: deaf ministry, construction, evangelism, vacation Bible school
level: 2/3
medical/political climate: intermediate risk
MTW is partnering with Isaiah 55 Deaf Ministries to develop and evangelize the communities of Reynosa primarily through the education of the deaf population, who are largely left unattended.Through the leadership of Nolton (Nono) Beale, I55 plans to reach the deaf primarily through the construction of small schools which can accommodate 30-40 students. These schools will be scattered throughout the city so that they are able to serve the greater population without forcing students to find transportation. Mexican Sign Language (MSL) will be used to give the children a language, which will open the doors for learning the traditional subjects, and more importantly the good news of Jesus Christ.
Tips for Families with Young Children
• If your team includes families, especially families with young children, please consider and discuss the following with them and your project administrator. • Families tend to do better on one-week projects, rather than two-week projects. • Kids, especially "little" ones, are supervision-intensive, often better shared by two adults. However, we are glad to include single parent families. • Parents should realize that the MTW missionaries and staff on the project may advise parents if/when special discipline measures seem necessary. • In some cultures people are "late-nighters". Be aware that the schedule may keep your children out later than what they are accustomed to. • Often, some travel from lodging to work site is involved. How will parents handle nap times, bathroom breaks, etc.? • Are the children willing to eat different foods from what they are used to? Are they willing to eat at different hours? • It is rare that a project would include only families. Most projects will be a combination of families and youth/young adults. • Discuss the outreach/evangelism activities with your project administrator: - Can they be adapted to suit children, ex. Bible clubs, carnivals, family nights, community beautification, and light "construction"? • Discuss housing arrangements with your project administrator: - Will families be able to room together? - Will families have their own bathroom facilities?
1-junior high age and up; no language barriers; minimal cross-cultural setting; no missions experience required 2-junior high age and up; moderate language barriers; moderate cross-cultural setting; missions experience helpful 3-senior high age and up; some language barriers; challenging cross-cultural setting; missions experience helpful 4-adults (some mature senior high); increased language barriers; intense cross-cultural setting; missions experience required
L=LOW RISK (western country or major city in developing world) I=INTERMEDIATE RISK (developing country, travel outside city) S=SUBSTANTIAL RISK (few western amenities, marginal medical system, political unrest sometimes present, possible infectious disease) H=HIGH RISK (few western amenities, marginal medical system, travel to remote areas, environmental extremes/altitude, heat, etc, infectious disease) Pregnant women are not permitted to participate on projects rated as Intermediate, Substantial or High Risk.
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