Chattanooga, Tennessee is a city rich in history, natural beauty, and bustling activity. Located in southeastern Tennessee right along the Tennessee River and the Georgia border, this city has a definitive Southern flavor. You'll find many attractions and museums in the city as well as gorgeous landscape. The city is surrounded by ridges and lies at the transition between the ridge and valley of the Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau.
Chattanooga has big plans for camp! Many small homes owned by long term residents are still in need of paint, access via ramps, and porch repairs, which will allow folks to enjoy their home safely.
Date | Age | Availability | Price | Stay Informed | Register |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun 21 2020 to Jun 27 2020 | Senior High (14+) | Available | $468 | Keep Me Informed |
Check back for lodging specifics! Everyone will be sleeping on floors, gender-separate, so bring your air-mattresses.
*Subject to change.
Chattanooga, like many communities, is primed for a makeover. Many small homes owned by long-term residents need a face-life of paint, porch repairs, and access via ramps so that residents can enjoy their home safely.
Our partner is a faith-based organization centered right in the neighborhood you will serve. As a long-time anchor in the community, we are helping them meet their goal of stepping up service to folks with home repair needs. Now they can continue to expand this program with an influx of volunteers and continue to positively impact homeowners into the future.
The Lookout Mountain Attractions include three top rated, world-famous natural attractions that showcase the natural beauty of Lookout Mountain and views of the Chattanooga Valley. While there, you can tour Ruby Falls, America’s deepest cave and largest underground waterfall accessible to the public, and ride the Incline Railway, the world’s steepest passenger railway.
Also unique to this location are the cave tours at Raccoon Mountain.
When you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, don’t forget to check out the Chattanooga Bakery, home of the South’s most famous of snacks, Moon Pies!
Price: | $468 per person | ||
Deposit: | See Below |
Register June-October | Deposit of $50 per person is due October 31, 2019. |
Register November-March 15, 2020 |
Deposit of $50 per person is due upon registration. |
Register March 15, 2020-May 15, 2020 |
Deposit of $50 per person plus 50% of your group’s balance is due upon registration. |
Register after May 15, 2020 |
Your entire balance is due.** |
You can find additional information on specific locations by visiting this page.
We normally split groups up into work crews. But, we are willing to work with your group on how you’d like to split into crews. Our work crews are made up of six people with usually one or two adults and four or five youth--typically each person from a different church. If you’d like to have your youth meet new friends and develop friendships outside of your youth group, then allow us to split up your group. If you have specific church safety rules that require your group to be together, we are more than happy to arrange that for your group as well. Our top priority is to partner with you to arrange the best experience for your youth group and help you meet your ministry goals.
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Jr/Sr High trips: Must be at least 12 years old OR entering the 7th grade in the fall of 2020.
Sr High trips: Must be at least 14 years old OR entering the 9th grade in the fall of 2020.
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.
Yes, Group Mission Trips requires all participants 18 years of age or older be screened and background checked by their church prior to attending.
A "typical" day at Group Workcamp involves serving others, "God Sightings," daily devotions, and interactive worship programs. Your schedule will look similar to this:
Check-in: Sunday between 12-2 p.m.
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!
7:00 a.m. Breakfast, gather supplies and sack lunches
8:00 a.m. Morning program and then depart for work sites!
12:00 p.m. On-site lunch and devotions
3:30 p.m. Return to lodging for clean-up and free time
5:00 p.m. Dinner
7:30 p.m. Evening program
8:30 p.m. Youth group devotions
11:00 p.m. Lights-out
Wednesday:
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
11:00 p.m. Lights-out
Check-out: Saturday by 9:00 a.m.
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!
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 located online for every registered group on their Group Page.
Personal Items:
The full Packing List is also located online for every registered group on their Group Page, 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.
Safety is our top priority!
A Workcamp can hold up to 400 participants and we house them all typically at a middle or high school. Group Mission Trip 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 groups and the size of the room.
Registered groups can see more information about their lodging facility online on their Group Page under the General Lodging tab. Trip Leaders are given the lodging facility’s address.
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 know in advance to plan. The sample menu is located on Your Group Page under the Schedule, Menu, and Packing tab. 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. Group Mission Trips 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. Click here for a visual on accommodations for dietary restrictions.
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!
Register at any time. No payment due until October 31, 2019.
Payments can be made here online, by phone, or by mail.
Call us! If there’s space available in your camp, we’ll ask for 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, 2020 you’ll just lose the $50 deposit. The entire fee is forfeited for cancellations made after May 15th, 2020.
Cancellations have a huge effect 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 cancelled 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, 2020 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.
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 really try not to make too many exceptions to this because it does affect other participants, residents, and work projects. Please check the schedule and make travel arrangements accordingly. Contact us if a situation arises.
All trips are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so register early. However, if you register for a trip that's full, we'll give you a choice: Join the waiting list for your first choice, or register for your second-choice location. Call us. We're eager to help!
The majority of a Challenge Workcamp is the same as a regular Workcamp. We do recommend prior Workcamp or construction experience for these camps because projects will be more construction intensive. Groups are asked to bring additional tools.
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.
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