Group Mission Trips Resources

Who can participate?

Jr/Sr High trips: Must be at least 11 years old OR entering the 6th grade in the fall of the year that you are attending camp.

Sr High trips: Must be at least 14 years old OR entering the 9th grade in the fall of the year that you are attending camp.

• Due to liability, under-aged participants will be sent home at their own expense (NO babies or any children under the required age).
• Only registered participants are permitted at the lodging facility and on the project sites.
• No special skills are required.
• 19 or 20 year-olds are welcome to attend as participants! Remember that only those that are 21 or older will be considered “adults” at camp and count in your 1 adult to 5 youth required ratio.

Is there a required adult to youth ratio? Can extra adults go? 

Yes, you must have 1 adult (21 years of age or older) for every 5 youth (20 years of age and under). If both boys and girls are registered in your group, you must have at least one male adult and one female adult registered for supervision at night. 

• If you have extra adults over your 1-to-5 ratio, they can be part of your group or, if staff positions are open at your location, they have the option of serving on staff without paying the registration fee. Information about staff positions can be found on GroupMissionTrips.com under Join Our Team. 

Are background checks required?

• Yes, Group Mission Trips requires that all participants 18 years of age or older be screened and background checked by your church before attending. 
• Background checks must be national and no older than two (2) years from the start of the mission trip. You may choose your background check organization vendor or we do have a recommendation. 
• 18-20 year-olds are not considered “adults” during camp, however, because of our commitment to safety, we still ask them to go through your church’s screening process and have background checks run. 
• GMT requires a digital pastor authorization for every participant 18 years old and older in order for them to attend the mission trip.
• You may use any organization to run your background checks, but if you are looking for a reliable one, we recommend Clear Investigative Advantage.  They can be reached at 1.888.242.2503. 

What about transportation?

• Groups must provide transportation to and from the mission trip, as well as daily to and from the sites. 
• All vehicles must be available for transportation to and from the sites. (Mileage or fuel costs are not reimbursed for any transportation costs.) 
• Vehicles with a minimum capacity of six passengers are requested, with seat belts. While adults will be driving their vehicles, they typically will not be transporting a crew that includes their own youth members. Typically, the youth from your group will be traveling in other vehicles with their crews. 
• Due to rough terrain and narrow roads, some locations are labeled “Not Bus Accessible”. If you are serving at one of these, you’ll need to plan on bringing smaller vehicles. 

What’s the schedule?

Sunday: 

12-2 p.m.: Check-in. 
3 p.m. First program, followed by the Adult Meeting 
5 p.m. Dinner 
7 p.m. Evening program, everyone will get to meet their work crews! 
8:30 p.m. Youth group devotions 
11 p.m. Lights-out 

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 

6:45 a.m. Rise and shine! 
7 a.m. Breakfast, gather supplies and sack lunches 
8 a.m. Morning program and then depart for work sites! 
12 p.m. On-site lunch and devotions 
3:30 p.m. Return to lodging for clean-up and free time 
5 p.m. Dinner 
7:30 p.m. Evening program 
8:30 p.m. Youth group devotions 
11 p.m. Lights-out 

Wednesday: 

The same schedule as the other days until 12:30 p.m. 
12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Youth groups have free time (dinner is on their own) 
7:30 p.m. The variety show and evening program start 
8:30 p.m. Youth group devotions 
11 p.m. Lights-out 

Saturday: 

7-9 a.m.: Check-out. 

What will we be doing?

Your participants will provide home repairs at no cost for elderly, disabled, and disadvantaged people who need your help. Work crews typically serve the same resident for the entire trip, creating an environment where meaningful relationships develop.

Most projects are designed to be completed during the trip, allowing your group to experience the satisfaction of a job well done. You’ll serve the needs of others through projects like interior and exterior painting, building or repairing porches and wheelchair ramps, building or repairing steps, weatherization, and other home repairs. No skills are needed! 

Will our group be working together?

Our work crews are made up of six people with one adult and five youth–typically each person from a different church. We are happy to keep your group together if needed, just let us know. If the goal of your ministry is to have your youth meet new friends and develop social skills outside of your youth group, then there is no need to contact us–we’ll mix your participants up to make crews.

What tools and other items do we need to bring?

Tools: 
Each group is asked to bring painting and construction tools including rollers, gloves, hammers, circular saws, post hole diggers, electric drills, ladders, etc. A cooler and water jug is also needed for every 6 people–these keep lunch and water cold for participants on their work site. The full tool list is available for the registered youth leader under their customer account.

Personal Items:
The full packing list is also located under the registered youth leader’s customer account but it’s pretty much what you’d expect. A twin-size air mattress and bedding for sleeping, water jugs and coolers for lunches, work gloves, and modest swimsuits and clothing appropriate for a Christian mission trip.

What about safety?

Safety is our top priority!

• We require groups to bring 1 adult (21 or older) for every 5 participants that are under 21 years of age.
• We require participants that are 18 and older to be screened and nationally background-checked by their church every 2 years. Their pastor signs off that they meet Group Mission Trips’ requirements and are approved to attend.
• Every staff member has been screened, background-checked, and reference checked by GMT.
• For overall protection, we have separate shower times designated for participants that are 17 and younger from those that are 18 and older.
• We review safety procedures at camp—appropriate close-toes shoes/boots, gloves, and goggles are recommended.
• Participants are not required to do any work that they consider unsafe. Participants may be using a drill for screws, but no one under the age of 16 can use a power tool or drill for drilling holes. No one under the age of 18 can use a power saw.
• Our staff visits each work site at least twice by the time of camp and the first thing a crew will do when they arrive at their work site is check for potential safety issues.
• Although we do serve in needy areas, we require work crews to stay together at all times. No one should ever be left alone and all participants are back at the lodging facility by their designated check-in time.
• Site coaches and other GMT staff visit work sites daily so they are aware of where a crew is working and any issues in the area.
• Every work crew has the direct phone number to the GMT office and directions to the closest hospital. If an injury occurs on the work site, and is not serious, GMT staff will contact the youth leader and coordinate any transportation needed. If the injury is serious, the adult on site will call 911 and GMT staff will offer support and ensure needed medical forms are delivered to the hospital.
• Each work crew will have a small first aid kit and a bigger one in each vehicle.

Where do we stay?

A Workcamp can hold up to 400 participants and we house them all typically at a middle or high school. GMT staff transforms the facility into a home away from home–there will be a separate boy’s hall and girl’s hall, a cafeteria for meals, adequate bathrooms and showers, and either a gym or auditorium for programs.

Participants need to bring twin-size air mattresses, pillows, sleeping bags, or other bedding to sleep on classroom floors. Youth groups are assigned to sleeping rooms together, gender-separate. Sleeping rooms may be shared with other youth groups, depending on the size of the groups and the size of the room.

Registered groups will have access to more information about their lodging facility under their customer account.

What is the menu? What if there are special dietary needs?

Meals will consist of hot breakfasts, picnic-style lunches, and hot dinners. All meals will be prepared for participants by kitchen staff. Picnic-style lunches will be assembled in the mornings and brought to work sites. The first provided meal is dinner on Sunday and the last meal is breakfast on Saturday. IMPORTANT NOTE: Dinner is NOT provided on Wednesday, youth groups have free time this day, and dinner is on their own.

For registered groups: If you have a participant that has to eat gluten-free–please let us know. We can have a few gluten-free options at camp but need to have an accurate number to plan for. The sample menu is available to youth leaders under their customer account and under Helpful Resources. Share this with your participants so they can start planning. Participants with special diets or allergies are welcome to bring their own food items to fill in as needed during the week. Please know that we do have peanut butter on the menu. GMT is unable to guarantee there will not be any cross-contamination during meal preparation by kitchen staff. There will be a staff member available at camp who will be able to answer any questions about food.

What are the programs like?

• Focused on Jesus. Our goal is to point people to Jesus. Programs focus on Bible passages and daily themes that challenge us to respond to Jesus in ways we will never forget.
• Interactive. People learn better by doing. Participants will be involved in sharing, speaking, singing, acting, reflecting…not just sitting and watching.
• Relevant. Through creative multimedia, thought-provoking sound and video, and moving contemporary worship, programs are designed to reach everyone.
• Fun. Relationship-building activities, games, and having fun are part of every program. Expect to have a great time!

When are the payment dates?

After you register by paying $50 (non-refundable) per space, there are 2 payment dates for the remaining amount due:

• March 15th, 2024: Half of what is remaining is due.
• May 15th, 2024: The final balance is due. (All payments are non-refundable after this date.)

What if I need to add or cancel a space?

Call us! If there’s space available in your camp, we’ll ask for the necessary payment. If you have a cancellation, and you’ve exhausted all efforts to re-fill spaces, call us to make cancellations. We’ll adjust your balance accordingly. If you cancel a space before May 15th, 2024, you’ll just lose the $50 deposit. The entire fee is forfeited for cancellations made after May 15th, 2024. 

What if I need to cancel my entire group?

Cancellations have a huge impact on the people we serve–it is devastating news to them when we have to cancel. Based on the number of registered participants, we plan for lodging, food orders, work materials, and staffing–just for starters. Also, depending on the time of year, sometimes it’s simply impossible for us to re-fill canceled spaces.

We recognize that unexpected events happen that can pull participants away from their original commitment. Give us a call, we are happy to talk through ideas to recruit other participants and keep your group intact. If there is no other option but to cancel your group, call us by May 15th, 2024 to let us know. As long as you cancel by May 15th, you’ll only lose $50 per spot. All mission trip fees will be forfeited for any cancellations after May 15th.

What’s included in the registration fee?

• Lodging during the camp. 
• All meals, except for dinner on Wednesday.
• Site selection and organization. 
• Supplies and project materials for each work site. 
• Bible-based thematic, fun, faith-building programs. 
• Devotions to do before, during, and after camp. 
• Director, MC, and up to 14 other highly-trained staff to handle all the details. 
• Custodians and cafeteria staff to take care of lodging cleanliness and meals. 
• An online customer account full of camp information and resources to help prepare you and your group for camp. 
• Unlimited customer support from professional and courteous staff. 
• T-shirt and Mission Handbook for each participant. 

What if someone in our group has to leave early or arrive late?

We ask that all participants arrive on time and stay for the entire time. Every part of the program is valuable and helps guarantee a life-changing experience. We try not to make too many exceptions to this because it does impact other participants, residents, and work projects–so please check the schedule and make travel arrangements accordingly. Contact us if a situation arises.

What if the camp I want is full?

All trips are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so register early. However, if you register for a full trip, we’ll give you a choice: Join the waiting list for your first choice, or register for your second-choice camp. Call us. We’re eager to help!

Do participants have to have insurance?

• Personal health insurance is not required to attend, although highly recommended.
• If you carry personal health insurance, bring your info to camp. It is needed if treated at any healthcare facility.
• All healthcare costs are the responsibility of the participants or his or her parent/guardian.
• If you have participants without adequate medical insurance and/or you desire to purchase trip protection insurance, you can purchase from any insurance provider of your choice.

Do you have references I can talk to?

Absolutely! Don’t just take our word for it. Give us a call (844.258.9616) and we’d be happy to connect you with other youth leaders who have served with us.