The people in the pews are challenged by hard work among people who come from a very different part of the economic strata. Traveling away from home builds a special community among the group members and takes participants away from their busy lives so they can better hear God’s call to serve one another.
While mission work on the other side of the country or across a national border provides more opportunities for multicultural experiences, the economic reality of the church budget and the income of the typical family dictate that this kind of trip may be out of their price range. Many groups are opting for mission work in a neighboring state instead of the long van or plane ride. While they save money, they are also better stewards of God’s creation by creating a smaller ecological footprint.
During these times of financial insecurity, many Presbyterian camps and conference centers are offering economical mission trip opportunities for church groups. Our camps and conference centers have the unique ability to provide housing, meals, fun activities, and local contacts for mission work in the region. Church leaders find comfort in working with the same ministries that host retreat groups year-round and serve hundreds of campers each summer. These same church leaders can also look at the opportunities available at Presbyterian sites in nearby regions for future mission trips.
The Challenge to Change program at Cedarkirk Camp and Conference Center in Lithia, Fla., leads groups of middle school, high school, and college students on a journey of mission and personal transformation. This program is designed to combine hands-on missions with fact-finding opportunities that increase awareness of poverty and social justice issues. In cooperation with Beth-El Mission, a migrant farm workers mission, and Metropolitan Ministries, an inner-city family mission located in downtown Tampa, the Challenge to Change program provides groups with the full experience of service, study, worship, and personal growth. The typical work camp is for five nights and six days, however, the camp can tailor the experience to best fit a group’s needs.
John Reiter, Cedarkirk’s executive director, said, “The Mission Possible program at Crestfield Camp and Conference Center in Slippery Rock, Pa., has had a similar response. They work closely with local agencies to provide junior and senior high youth groups with mission opportunities such as house construction and repair and the processing of donations to food pantries. The demand for these projects has allowed Crestfield to expand the program to now include a mission trip to West Virginia. For this trip, the camp staff meets the participants at their church and provides all the food, project contacts and Bible studies that are needed for the mission adventure. These area churches only need to coordinate the transportation for the group.”
In a neighboring presbytery, Pine Springs Camp of Jennerstown, Pa., offers Mission EX for middle school youth groups. The camp provides housing, meals, and camp activities while working closely with agencies to provide mission opportunities in nearby towns. Greg Davis, executive director, said, “it was very moving to witness 40 middle school campers and their youth leaders working very hard serving three ministries in Johnstown, Pa. Camping has always been about transformation, and this was a visible sign of how God may be able to use Pine Springs Camp to not only touch the hearts of kids but help serve others and have a tangible impact on our area.”
Calvin Center in Hampton, Ga., has a mission work camp that uses an established connection with the Meals on Wheels program in its county. It is with the help of this agency that they identify elderly who need renovation to their homes. Unlike some other programs, these opportunities are open to youth groups and adult groups during all times of the year. Groups come from across the country to stay at the camp and to work on these mission projects.
This connection between a Presbyterian camp and its local community changes the lives of the participants and those they help. As one participant said after a week-long experience at Calvin Center, the “mission work camp is so much more than just hammers and nails.”
To learn more about mission trip opportunities available at Presbyterian camps and conference centers across the country, go to www.pccca.net/mission.htm.
Joel Winchip is executive director of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association (PCCCA) in York, S.C.
