Missions 2026
Sr. High: Back to the Start
Tuesday, July 28 - Thursday, August 6
Friends are always welcome!
This will be a combination of work, cross-cultural experience and personal faith discovery.
Work in Black Mesa, AZ alongside the Navajo People. You’ll discover Navajo culture, experience life among the people and learn about their history and traditions.
Serve the community: Work with Navajo pastors and community members on home repair projects and church outreach programs.
Experience cross-cultural ministry: Build relationships and learn from the Navajo (Diné) people in a unique setting.
Explore some of the parks and sites of the American Southwest, including a stop at Zion National Park to hike The Narrows.
Cost: $1500 + WMSTR Shift
Registrations Due: January 7, 2026
To Register: Registrations due January 7 @ 8:00 p.m. Fill out your registration form online. Turn in your $300.00 non-refundable deposit to the Church Office by January 7 @ 8:00 p.m.
Questions? Contact Pastor Andrea.
Jr. High Quest
Sunday, June 14 - Friday, June 19, 2025
Friends are always welcome!
Midwest Quest is an intentional, short-term, mission designed with junior high teens (grade 7 - 8) in mind. By keeping the mission in our region, teens get a taste of mission, without having to venture too far from home. Teens also learn about opportunties to serve, right in our backyard. Junior HIgh missions are a great way of introducing mission now. They create a level of comfort, so that when High School missons (more intensive) come, teens can say “Hey, I’ve done this before!“
Junior High missions focus on an intentional balance between service and fun. Devotionals and worship are part of the deal, but the emphasis is on building our faith community!
Cost: $350 + WMSTR Shift
Registrations Due: February 11, 2026
To Register: Registrations due February 11 @ 8:00 p.m. Fill out your registration form online (Scan QR). Turn in your $150.00 non-refundable deposit to the Church Office by February 18 @ 8:00 p.m.
Questions? Contact Pastor Andrea.
Missions 2027
Catadupa, Jamaica Intergenerational Mission
Jamaica Coordinator, Pastor Leroy Gordon, oversees the Christian Fellowship Church network of churches in various cities across the island of Jamaica. Mission teams partner with the two church communities that Pastor Gordon pastors directly in Catadupa and Cambridge. Christian Fellowship Church is very active in their local community and they are committed to preaching the gospel and assisting with the practical needs of their neighbors.
In October 2025, the island of Jamaica was devastated by Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 hurricane bigger than Hurricane Katrina and the 3rd strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. This is a community that Pastor Andrea and family have served in many times.
Immediately, Experience Mission staff were in touch EM's longtime ministry partners at Christian Fellowship Church in Catadupa, Jamaica who communicated the massive nature of the damage to their community and those around them, with nearly every home and building broken, damaged, and in need of repair. As the Jamaican government begins to rebuild basic infratructure (like roads and access to electricity), it is our great desire to mobilize relief and recovery mission trip groups to help with the rebuilding and recovery process in Catadupa and beyond that will take many months. The hurricane damage is everywhere and the needs are great!
We will be continuing to share information, but if you feel called to a life changing mission as an adult, family, college ager or teen, begin praying now about how God may be leading you to experience a life changing mission in 2027.
Sr. High Mission FAQ’s.
What’s the time commitment?
Once registrations are in, we will hold our first team meeting (roughly second week of November). At this meeting, we will go over team expectations, fundraising and the calendar. You can expect required activities once a month through March, then a few times a month as we get closer to our trip. We’ll work as a team to determine best meeting times. It is expected that all team members value team preparation as much as mission. And remember: you get out what you put in. Your time will be worth it!
Can I invite friends?
Yes! Always. But please keep in mind, all mission participants will be expected to put in the time to make it an amazing mission.
What group will I be in? Will I be with my friends?
That will vary based on work projects, interests and what you want to do on the mission. Keep in mind, even if you’re not in a small group with your friends, you’ll have a lot of time to hang out together while on mission.
Who are the small group leaders?
Small group leaders (chaperones) are determined once final registrations are in and we know how many teens are going. We run a 1 : 5 ratio and will need 1 adult for every 5 teens. We will have leaders in place by our first team meeting in November. Small group leader trips are paid for as a thank you for their time and commitment to our teens.
How do you determine small group leaders?
Small group leaders are determined based on the number of males and females, as well as specific gifts and needs for the mission. Pastor Andrea intentionally and prayerfully considers the make up of the group, dynamics, needs and personalities / personal stories of teens on the mission in determining small group leaders. The oppportunty for the leaders to grow in faith is considered as well.
Interested in being a small group leader?
Keep in mind, leading a teen mission team is about guiding faith development more than anything. Pray about this! Visit with Pastor Andrea to learn more. Are you an adult who wants to go to abut not lead a group. Contact Pastor Andrea.
What’s the total cost?
Total cost of this mission is approximately $1,500 which includes all trip expenses: travel, meals, lodging, team materials, excursions, etc. WMSTR funds and fundraising opportunities will offset much of the cost!
We will be looking at flying as a travel option. Please note that if we do fly, the cost of your teen’s flight will be your family responsibility. The initial deposit in January will go toward the flight cost. Because funds to airlines are non-refundable, Hawley Lutheran Church will not be responsible for flight costs. However, flight expenses are figured into the total. Thank you for understanding.
Don’t let cost hold you back! If you have concerns about the cost, need assistance, or if you are a Church Member who would like to financially support a teen on mission, contact Pastor Andrea.