Changing Lives Through Hands-on Compassion!

Transcription

1 Changing Lives Through Hands-on Compassion! Dear friends, Transformation of our beliefs, attitudes and actions is a challenging journey. While the Holy Spirit is the author of such change, there are certain experiences and discussions that are influential for bringing a fresh new insight, openness and involvement in God s work. We want to provide these unique missional servicelearning opportunities for groups of all ages, sizes, and denominational backgrounds. For over twenty-five years, we have offered poverty simulations and group immersion experiences that engage orthodoxy (right beliefs) and orthopraxis (right actions) together around the issues of poverty. We have watched God s transforming process turn the light on for many students and adults by destroying old myths and creating new ways to understand the realities of poverty and the biblical call to action on behalf of the poor. As we have expanded our groups overnight opportunities in recent years, our reason is not to make room for more participants, but primarily to offer deeper transformative experiences and discussions around critical social issues which everyone needs to face. In doing so, we wish to integrate you into the story, work, and impact of what God is doing through Mission Waco, Mission World. While spending time with us, your group will encounter issues and themes like poverty, homelessness and empowerment, racism, Christian Community Development, incarnational living, global missions and worldviews, church renewal & spiritual gifts, calling, economic and social justice, missiology, social services, and alternative expressions of Christian community. Come be immersed in our missionary family and serve with us to get better ideas for improving your own underprivileged communities to places of health and stability. Join us as we learn together how we can better exemplify God s love and grace, with words and actions, to reduce the suffering experienced by the poor and marginalized in our city and throughout the rest of the world. Visit our website missionwaco.org/groups and submit the Inquiry Form with your date preferences and questions. After we confirm date availability, we ll send you a link for Online Registration. Before you arrive we will work with you to create a learning experience for you and your group s interest. In Christ, Mission Waco Mission World Staff

2 2019 GROUP INFORMATION Scroll down for a description and pricing of the various schedules, availability, what to expect, and payment/refund policies. DESIGNED FOR: INCLUDES: Content/Experiential Learning as described above (1-2 sessions depending on group preference) Plan and Lead chapel/devotional at My Brother's Keeper homeless shelter (If there is an opening when your reservation is confirmed) Plan and lead Street Camp (backyard bible club) in low-income neighborhood or apartments (curriculum and planning guide provided; your group provides snacks and craft materials) Participate in Volunteer Service Projects Participate in cross cultural worship (Church Under the Bridge, and one other if available) Mission Waco/Mission World T-shirt included for each participant (needed for Street Camp and/or King's Club) Lodging Schedule A Schedule B Schedule C Schedule D Schedule E Adults Adults Adults Adults Adults College College College College College High School High School High School High School High School Middle School Middle School Middle School Families Families Families Yes - 3 days Yes - 3 days Yes days Participate in King's Club. Optional to help with planning. Yes Yes Yes - CUB only Yes - CUB only 4 nights (Sun/Mon/Tues/Wed) Pov Sim plus 4 nights (Sun/Mon/Tues /Wed) 3 nights (Thurs/Fri/Sat) 2 nights (Fri/Sat) Yes - 3 days Yes - CUB only Pov Sim plus 1 nights (Thurs/Fri/Sat) Meals Sunday lunch through Thursday breakfast Pov Sim through Thurs breakfast Thursday lunch through Sunday breakfast Sat Bkfst through Sunday breakfast Thurs Lunch through Pov Sim Information and Planning Handouts with all the details POVERTY SIMULATION! Completed 8 th Grade and older. Minimum Group Size: No Yes No No Yes Mission Waco/Mission World may assign more than one Group to dorm/dates based on space available, but each Group must have (or pay for) minimum of 12. Group can be made up of more than one church or organization as long as one church/org takes lead for contact with Mission Waco/Mission World and is responsible for deposits/payments. Cost: $220/person $270/person $162/person $97/person $168/person Arrive: (See notes on Early Arrival options below) Depart: Sunday by 10 am Thursday by 10 am Friday by 8pm Thursday by 11am Thursday by 11am Sunday after CUB (worship service is usually over by 12:30pm). Lunch not included, but can be provided for extra fee. Friday evening Sunday after CUB (worship service is usually over by 12:30pm). Lunch not included, but can be provided for extra fee. Thursday by 11am Sunday by 3pm (at conclusion of Pov Sim)

3 Availability current as of 10/26/2018. We will update availability on this page as group reservations are confirmed with completed Registration and Deposit. Our dorm holds 48 people and we have some overflow housing available at our children s center, so if you see a group confirmed for less than that number, it is possible that we can take an additional group depending on group size and other factors please contact us if you have questions about availability. Two reminders: 1. Space sometimes opens up several months before dates as group deposits become nonrefundable and confirmed groups adjust their numbers so check back with us around that time if you are looking for specific dates. January 10 is the drop/adjust date for spring break groups, and March 1 is the drop/adjust date for summer groups. 2. Occasionally groups do cancel for various reasons, so contact us if you would like to be on a waiting list for certain dates. Spring and Fall: Contact us regarding available dates and pricing. Pricing will be similar to summer schedule below and can be adapted to agreed-upon length of spring or fall trips. Prime spring break weeks in March will use Schedule A, B or C as fits Mission Waco schedule. For other general use of training center dorm, lodging only is $12/night/person, or $35/night/person for lodging and breakfast/lunch/dinner. This is for use of space only and does not include service projects or other types of training offered with regular Group schedules. Spring and Fall Groups: Dates Schedule Status Group Reservation Info 2018: Oct 12-14, Nov : Jan 25-27, Feb 22-24, Mar 22-24, Apr 12-14, June 7-9, June 21-23, July Poverty Simulation using dorm. Contact us about alternate housing if interested in these dates. Oct 1-5, 2018 Conference Housing Available No Need Among You conference - bunk housing inquire if interested Nov 30-Dec 2 Schedule D Pending Christian School group March 10-14, 2019 Schedule A Pending Christian School group March 14-17, 2019 Schedule C Pending Church children s group March 17-21, 2019 Schedule A Confirmed Church youth group March 29-31, 2019 Schedule D Confirmed Church children s group April 4-7, 2019 Schedule C Pending Christian School group April 26-28, 2019 Schedule D Pending Church family group Summer 2018: Schedules A, B and C are given priority during summer months scroll down for details. Dates Schedule Status Group Reservation Info June 2-6 A Available June 6-9 C Or Sch E incl Pov Sim Available June 9-13 A Confirmed Church youth group June C Available June A Confirmed Church youth group June C Or Sch E incl Pov Sim Available June A Or Sch B June Available June C Available Jun 30-Jul 3 C Available July 5-7 D Available July 7-11 A Pending Church youth group July C Or Sch E incl Pov Sim Available July A Or Sch B July Available July C Available July A Available July C Available July 28-Aug 1 A Available Aug 1-4 C Available Aug 4-8 A Available For dates when Schedule B is avail (includes Poverty Simulation), if more than one group in the dorm, we will go with the Schedule choice of the first group with confirmed reservations for that time frame. In other words, both groups will either be on Sch A or Sch B not a mix.

4 What to Expect Lodging Our training center is located in a racially diverse and lower income neighborhood. The dorm has simple accommodations for 48 people. There are two sleeping areas, each with bunk beds for 24 and toilets, sinks, showers. The first floor also has a meeting room and kitchen. The fenced back yard includes space for parking. We usually host one group at a time, but will allow more than 1 group to share the dorm sometimes. If that is the case, the meals and sleeping areas are shared, but we can provide separate meeting space for the evenings as needed. With our current format, the first group of a given week with confirmed reservations will select the topic for that week. In 2018 our children s center expansion was completed and now allows us to host groups in that overflow space when the dorm is in use and the children s center is available. The children s center has private shower rooms, nice cots and plenty of space for your own air mattresses, etc. Meals Meals are provided by Mission Waco. Our restaurant, World Cup Café, opened January 2006 at the corner of 15 th and Colcord and has added more capacity to take care of work group meal needs and the café quickly became a favorite of our work groups. They will provide catering for work group food in most cases, with other meals provided from neighborhood restaurants. Visiting our Fair Trade Market (we are the only certified Fair Trade retail store between Dallas and Austin great selection of items from around the world) or taking an afternoon coffee/smoothie break at the café can be arranged for your group for an additional fee. Continental breakfast at our housing is the norm, with availability of adding specific breakfast items as requested by your group (no additional charge). (Groups who are staying in other housing or are with us just for one day projects are encouraged to eat at World Cup or other neighborhood restaurants we need your business and our neighborhood has several options of great food within blocks of Mission Waco.) Volunteer Service Projects Some churches and groups have additional funds to help offset some of the project costs at Mission Waco or with local homeowners in our neighborhood. What a blessing! Though not required (we ll have projects for you regardless of funding), if your group would like to help in this way or learn more about available projects in need of funding, we will say THANK YOU! Examples of projects funded through these extra donations from groups: new fence and basketball court for children s playground, new fence and basketball court for residential recovery house, new mural on exterior wall of training center, commercial freezer and fridge for training center, new picnic tables for various buildings, paint houses for local low-income home owner, remodel kitchen at children s center. Transportation It is helpful for your group to have your own transportation during your time at Mission Waco. Many of our buildings are within 5-15 min walking distance, but Street Camp site assignments are often further away. If you are not planning to have your own vehicles with you during your stay here, please discuss this with us during the reservation process. General Schedule Upon arrival Mission Waco staff provides a brief orientation to the week, the neighborhood, and the facilities. Church Under the Bridge meets at 11am on Sundays (yes, it s under I-35!), but groups must arrive by 10am Sunday to learn about CUB and visit with some of the regular attendees. (Church Under the Bridge is so essential to the week s experience as a whole that groups unable to be here early Sunday morning are asked to reschedule at a time when they are able to worship at CUB.) Groups who are with us on Sunday evening may choose to attend another cross cultural worship service (location varies depending on schedules; and availability of finding a church offering evening worship), or have free time on Sunday evening. Other days include a mixture of content/experiential learning, volunteer service projects and Street Camp. Groups also lead the informal chapel/devotional at My Brother s Keeper homeless shelter on one evening during their visit (if date is available when reservation is confirmed). Groups generally have free time after 6pm each night (with the exception of the MBK shelter night). If group leaders would like more interaction with Mission Waco staff in the evenings, please let us know and we can discuss options. Our staff members lead morning devotionals, organize the service projects, coordinate meals, lead content & experiential learning sessions, and are available for debriefing & problem solving during the week as needed. Your adult group members are asked to help supervise your youth and lead out in the service projects, and also one adult (not the group leader) will be asked to be our main kitchen contact to coordinate your group s

5 help with small tasks needed for meals set up and clean up. Leader Preparation Info is included in the packet ed to you prior to your visit. This information is required reading for all adult chaperones. Following cleanup and breakfast on your departure day, your group is free to leave. We usually plan service projects for groups of 5-10 people so each church group may not all be at same site. Groups in the spring/fall will have similar schedules based on our current needs, and when possible we try to include volunteer service projects and also some activities with participants. Early Arrival We understand that due to long distances travelled by some out of state groups, it is more convenient and restful for your group to arrive the night prior. It is likely that our dorm will be full, but in other buildings we have floor space for sleeping, showers and breakfast to offer your group. Cost for this is $17/person. Your group will move to the dorm per the schedules above. If the dorm is available on the early arrival night, your group will go ahead and move into the dorm at that time. Fees Our fees cover our expenses including facilities, staff, utilities (and food where relevant). Fees for each schedule are listed above in that section, and payment schedule is listed below. Each group will be responsible for additional costs for Street Camp supplies such as craft materials, snacks, etc. a list of suggested items will be provided with the Street Camp curriculum included in the packet ed prior to your visit. We have a 196-seat theater with big screen/projector at Jubilee Center (main office building), which are available to groups for an extra fee and require advance reservations (Jubilee Theater is an active community theater, so their productions/rehearsals have priority on the space). Basketball, playground and picnic facilities are available at no charge at our Jubilee Park. If you would like visitor information about Waco area attractions, visit the Convention and Visitor s Bureau website at for Official Waco, Texas Tourism Information - Hotels, Attractions, Restaurants and more. Ready to Look at Dates?? Go to and complete the Inquiry Form imbedded in the web page. One of our staff members will review your info and reply to you as soon as possible. If you are on a tight time table, feel free to us at groups@missionwaco.org and kwise@missionwaco.org for follow-up to your inquiry. After we confirm a date, we ll send you a link to Online Registration. You can pay by credit card at that time or mail a check. We ask that Online Registration and Payment 1 be completed within 3 weeks of date confirmation. Please read the agreement carefully regarding refund eligibility due to cancellation or reduced numbers. Here are the rates: Payments Per Person Payment #1 (due 3 wks from date confirmation) Payment # 2 Postmark ONE MONTH prior to arrival. Free Spots - request these when registering Schedule A Sun AM thru Thur AM For 12+ people For people $80 Schedule B: $120 Schedule B & E Includes Pov Sim Schedule E: $80 $140 B: $150 1 Free per 15 Paid E: $88 1 Free per 15 Paid For 21+ people Schedule B: $140 Schedule E: $100 B: $125 E: $68 1 Free per 15 Pd Sched C Thurs AM thru Sun AM For 12+ Sched D Fri PM thru Sun AM For 12+ ppl Refunds and Cancellation Guidelines people $80 $40 25% of Payment 1 is non-refundable immediately. $82 $57 1 Free per 15 Paid 1 Free per 15 Paid For the remaining 75%: Sched A, C & D: Full refund or apply to other payments IF cancel by Dec 1 for Feb grps, or Jan 10 for Mar/Apr grps, or March 1 for Jun/Jul/Aug grps, or 1 mo. prior for May & Sept-Jan grps. After that date, no refund & no applying to other pymts. Sched B & E: Full refund or applying to other payments only if cancel spaces by March 1 for summer dates, or 3 months ahead of arrival date for other months. Based on Final Numbers. Postmark 1 month prior to arrival. No refunds. Only applies per 15 Paid Spots based on Final Numbers. Online Registration and Payments #1 is due within three weeks of date confirmation. Estimating your reservation numbers: We are looking at total numbers for your group, not individual names. We recommend that you make reservations for conservative numbers, and then check back with us to see what is available if you need more spots. We also suggest you create a waiting list to fill any spots you have reserved. PLEASE READ THIS AGAIN! Minimum Group Size: 12 (Note: Your Group can be made up of more than one church or organization as long as one church/org takes lead for contact with Mission Waco and is responsible for deposits/payments.)

6 How are Payments computed? Example: You originally make reservations for 40 people (38 paid, 2 free) for Schedule A in the summer and send $3040 (Payment 1) with Agreement to confirm your reservation. Before March 1, you notify us by that you are bringing 32 total (30 paid, 2 free) and request refund of $480 (75% of Pymt 1 x 8 people). One month before you arrive, you notify us by that your Final Numbers are 28 (27 paid, 1 free) and send $3780 ($140 x 27). The point of this is that we prefer you to make conservative estimates on your numbers, and contact us to add more spaces if we have room instead of making reservations for big numbers and then dropping numbers if your trip doesn t fill up. This helps us with planning for your group and being able to respond to other group inquiries. Our goal is for your students to gain exposure and experience with urban missions so that they might be challenged and mobilized for a life of ministry within and for the Kingdom of God. I hope you will prayerfully consider joining us as we seek to mobilize students and touch the lives of the people of Waco. Let us know if you have any questions. For questions regarding program content or schedule, contact Dennis groups@missionwaco.org. For questions regarding payments or reservations, contact Catrina at thehub@missionwaco.org. Dennis Ellzey, Director of Groups and Volunteers Kathy Wise, Associate Executive Director of Operations and Mobilizing Catrina Gonzales, Admin Assistant