How to find us...

DATES:   Immediately following the end of the 2011-2012 school year with departure scheduled Saturday, June 16, returning Saturday, June 23, 2012. Participants need to reserve Thursday evening, June 14, for last Mandatory Meeting.

PLACE: It is our custom to distribute this information sheet to those involved in the Youth Program at Westminster as early as possible so that you may begin planning for the commitments necessary to fulfill the requirements as outlined below. Several options for service are open to us as we look forward to choosing a project for next summer. In order to expedite the planning process, I need to know the exact number of participants by Dec. 4. Your completed “INTENT TO PARTICIPATE” form at the bottom of this sheet is due to me by DECEMBER 4.

PURPOSE: Both students and adults who have not experienced a Westminster Mission Trip wonder why the Senior High Group undertakes such a venture. I believe, having participated in three such trips myself in high school and 27 as an adult at Westminster, and from talking to Mission Trip alums, that the goals for Mission Trip 2012 as established by the Youth Committee and outlined below are consistent with the intent of such an event:
               (1) To serve those in need as Christ’s hands and feet, as Biblically mandated by Jesus.
               (2) To experience first-hand the needs of those around us, and to be open to the life-changing
                     effects that a week of giving sacrificially can have on us.
               (3) To build leadership and strengthen the sense of community within the Senior High Group,
                     and deepen our personal experience of the Christian faith through reflection and daily            prayer as we face unusual challenges in unfamiliar settings.
               (4) Not only to serve because we are called to do so, but to serve in order to fulfill vital           functions within communities which would not be readily accomplished without assistance.
               (5) To be challenged as individuals and as a group to witness both in our words and deeds to

                     the good news of Christ’s love for all persons.

REQUIREMENTS:   This event is open to any senior high student who has completed grades 9-12 in June, 2012, who is regularly attending Westminster’s Youth Group prior to March 1, 2012, who is able to earn the necessary points as outlined below, and who is available to attend Worship Services at Westminster both prior to our departure and upon our return. Participants must commit to complying with the guidelines for community life outlined in the Mission Trip Registration Form (mailed in May) in addition to those guidelines already in effect within the Policy Statement for Youth Ministry.   Adult advisors for Mission Trip 2012 are invited to serve by the Youth Committee based on the specific tasks to be performed, their ability to fulfill the responsibilities outlined in the Adult Advisor Job Description, and their demonstrated commitment to the Youth Program through teaching, advising, and/or planning on behalf of the Committee. Total participants for the 2012 Trip will be determined by our host site; the number of adults will be adjusted as needed.

POINT SYSTEM:   Points are earned through participation and planning of fund raising events, attendance at mandatory meetings & service projects prior to the trip, and serving on task groups from April-June. Fund raising, community building, and design of the trip are the tangible results of earning points. Just as valuable is the time invested together working as a group prior to our departure. A minimum of THIRTY points per participant must be accumulated by June 12. Failure to earn the 30 points results in additional duties (loss of free time) for that participant during the week of Mission Trip; the effect on the group as a whole is a lessening of the sense of community prior to the Trip, which detracts from the overall Mission Trip experience, as well as jeopardizing the financial viability of the trip itself. Mandatory meetings are critical; if you have a conflict and cannot attend a meeting, you need to notify me prior to the meeting. Participants are responsible for all material covered during the mandatory meetings.

POSSIBLE DESTINATIONS: In the fall of 1993, the Youth Committee recommended and the Sr. High Group approved a “two-year” planning cycle for Mission Trips. The intention was that every other year we plan a trip to a destination within driving distance; the following year we choose a destination further from Portland. The plan was to allow us to use “leftover” funds from the first trip toward the next year, and spread the load of fund raising for a more expensive trip over two years. Following that pattern, we have chosen as a group to undertake a trip in 2012 that will allow us to lease a bus to drive from Portland to our destination. We are considering a range of “immersion” experiences to compliment our ongoing commitment to Habitat for Humanity as possible Mission Trip 2012 projects. Please keep these goals in your prayers as we continue our work this fall.

FINAL NOTES: Fund raising events/meetings will be announced by mail & posted online, so STAY INFORMED!! Questions, call me (503-287-1289, x 16 or 503-284-2205.)   I covet your prayers as we prepare for this incredible, exciting opportunity to serve in the name of Christ!!       Faithfully, Lisa Stine, Director of Youth Ministry (cut below)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN SENIOR HIGH MISSION TRIP 2012 INTENT TO PARTICIPATE FORM
              (Return to Lisa Stine at Westminster Church by 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011)

I, ______________________________, am planning to attend the 2012 Mission Trip, & commit myself to working toward the requirements of the Trip as outlined above. If I determine after 4/30/12 that I cannot go, my bus deposit (due 1/31/12) is non-refundable.

_____________________________ __________ _________________________ _____________
Participant’s Signature Date Guardian’s Signature Date

As the parent/guardian of _______________________, I commit to supporting his/her efforts in this endeavor, and have read the information above prior to signing this form.

-----------------------------------------------------------------end---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Email this page