Mission Trip 2017

Martin, South Dakota

The Work
We are partnering with an organization called Youth Works. Youth Works vision is:
Providing life-changing Christ-centered mission trips is our way of serving
Gods multidenominational Church. We want to help empower every
teenager to know God and be like Jesus in the ways they love and serve
others, and our desire is the same for churches, families, staff and
communities. We aim to create experiences that broaden perspectives,
ignite passions, expose possibilities and inspire pursuits.

Serving in Martin

YouthWorks marked its first summer in Martin in 2001. Over the years we have created good
relationships with the community, especially at the Bennett County Schools, where we have
stayed for the majority of our time in Martin. It is not uncommon for community friends to
drop by throughout the day and interact with teenagers and adults.
Serve through painting, cleaning, yard work or other simple work projects.
Plan and lead kids programming for children in the community, including Bible lessons,
games, crafts and reading.
Students will have the opportunity to participate with each of the above service sites during
the week.
Home improvement projects serve both the residents of Martin and the nearby tribal housing
development. Kids Club serves children from those same neighborhoods and is hosted just
one block from our housing site. Various activities allow for fairly relaxed evenings. Activities
might include an in-town scavenger hunt, hearing from a local speaker, a small pow-wow put
on by community friends, and community cookout.

Martin offers a mix of a small town South Dakota community with Native American heritage.
With the Pine Ridge Reservation wrapping around to the north and west and the Rosebud Sioux
Indian Reservation just east, the location of the small town provides a unique perspective on the
Lakota culture. The history of this area is a somewhat painful one: under the Homestead Act of
1863, the land in Bennett County was deemed to be good farming land, so it was taken from
the native people and sold to individuals who were moving into the newly established Dakota
Territory (now North and South Dakota). This created deep tension and frustration that still exists
today between whites and natives in the area. Martin boasts a Native American population of
nearly 50%. It is also the county seat of Bennett county, in which about 35% of the population
lives below the poverty line nearly three times more than the South Dakota state average.

Attendee Requirements
Mission Trip attendees and their parents must agree to make trip related events a priority in their family
schedule. Youth have the best experience when they have ownership over trip planning and earn their way
by participating fully in fundraising events. The planning and fundraising events we have are important
group bonding experiences and also allow trip chaperones to get to know the youth who will be in our care
and youth to develop leadership skills.
In addition to fundraising, there will be at least three Mission Trip meetings. The first will be Sunday,
January 21st for fundraising planning. The second will take place in March or April and will be education
about Native Americans history with the United States. The third will take place in May or June and will be
final details.
Attendees are expected to behave in ways that exemplify the ministry and mission of First
Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead.
Attendees are expected to contribute financially to the trip. This commitment begins with paying a nonrefundable $100 deposit at the time of registering for the trip. All youth and chaperones (who are not church
staff) pay this deposit. Attendees will participate in fundraisers to reduce the overall cost of the trip. Should
the fundraisers not meet the projected budget, trip participants will be asked to make up the difference
between what is raised and the projected budget.
It is our intention for each person to work within their own physical limitations without injury. Please do
your best to inform other trip attendees of ways that they can be affirming of your needs. For example, if
you are prone to heat stroke, let us know so we can remind you to rest in the shade and drink water. We
build care-taking into the culture of the trip as a way of helping each person work to their limits, without
crossing them.
Our Mission
Honoring Tradition, Seeking Justice and Embracing Diversity, we express Christ's Love through
Worship, Word, and Deed

Trip Itinerary
Sunday, June 25th, leave Moorhead @ 6:30am and travel to Martin, SD
Monday, June 26th-Thursday June 29th, work through YouthWorks in Martin, SD
Friday, June 30th, travel from Martin, SD, arrive in Moorhead about 9:00pm

How to Sign-up for the Trip

1. Fill out and return the registration form and permission slip to Michelle.
2. Submit a $100 deposit to the church clearly marked with your name and Mission Trip

3. Let Michelle know what fundraiser you want to lead.

First Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead

406 8th St. South, Moorhead, MN 56560

Youth Registration Form1

FCUCC 2017 Youth Mission & Justice Trip
Name:_________________________

Birthdate: _________________________

Phone #: ______________________

email: ____________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________
Parents Name(s): #1___________________

#2 _________________________________

Phone #(s) :___________________________ Phone #(s): ___________________________

email: _______________________________

email: _______________________________

Address: ____________________________

Address: ___________________________

Relationship: _________________________

Relationship: __________________________

In case of emergency:
Name of Doctor: _______________________ Phone #: __________________________
Location: ____________________________________________________________________
Health Insurance Provider: _______________ Name of Primary Insured: ______________
Medical Record # _____________________________________________________________
Please list allergies, medical conditions, and medications: ____________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Name of Dentist: ______________________
Phone #: ___________________________
Location: ____________________________________________________________________
Health Insurance Provider: ______________

Name of Primary Insured: _____________

If parents cannot be reached, please call: __________________________________________

Phone #: __________________________ Relationship: _______________________________

During the trip copies of this form will be kept in the church office, with the trip director, and in the car in which you travel. The trip
director, Camp Nurse, Chaplain, and Church Administrator will have access to this form. After the trip this form will be shredded.

First Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead

Youth Permission Slip2

FCUCC 2017 Youth Mission Trip
I give permission for my son/daughter, ____________________, to participate in the First
Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead mission trip to Martin, South Dakota.
Such participation might include car travel, physical construction work, serving in a
food pantry, working with children, and participation in other reasonable activities. I
give permission for my child to be driven by a duly licensed adult volunteer or paid
staff of First Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead who is over the age of 21.
I agree to support my childs participation in this trip by making it a priority in our
family schedule and by making myself available to assist in the planning and
fundraising activities.
In case of emergency due to injury or illness, I give my permission for staff and
volunteers of First Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead to authorize any
necessary medical or dental treatment. I have listed all pertinent medical conditions
on this form in the section titled, allergies, medical conditions and medications. If
new medical conditions arise that may affect emergency medical treatment, I agree to
inform First Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead by filling out an updated
registration Form.
Please check here to authorize us to use photos or videos of your youth in publicity

I authorize First Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead to use photos

and/or videos of my child for internal and external publicity, including on their
webpage and Facebook.
Print name

Signature

Date

I, the undersigned, agree to participate in the First Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead 2017
Mission and Justice trip to the best of my abilities. I agree to help plan and lead a fundraiser prior to the trip
and to make myself available to report back to the church about my experience on the trip. I agree to fill out
and return all necessary forms by their due dates and to be responsive to the leaders of the trip whenever they
need to contact me.

Print name

Signature

Date

Please list any special dietary needs here:

During the trip copies of this form will be kept in the church office, with the trip director, and in the car in which you travel. The trip
director, Camp Nurse, Chaplain, and Church Administrator will have access to this form. After the trip this form will be shredded.

Mission Trip Fundraisers 2017

Each youth participating in the trip will lead one fundraiser with the help of a parent or trip chaperone.
The budget for the 2017 Mission trip is $4300. This includes a donation to YouthWorks, transportation to
and from Martin, SD, and all programming costs for the trip. A non-refundable $100 deposit is due from trip
participants, which should cover about $1000 of the cost. Our fundraising goal is $3300. To this end, we
will plan one fundraiser a month. Each fundraiser will have a goal of $550. We will set the fundraiser
schedule at our planning meeting on January 15th. Our first fundraiser will be a bake sale on January 22nd.
All participants should bring baked goods to sell.
Last years fundraisers were:
Selling Shares $1125
Easter Breakfast $615
Taco in a Bag $610
Flamingo Flocking $315
Pizza Ranch $302
Bake Sale $267
Valentines Party $130
Please come to the planning meeting with an idea of what fundraiser you would like to lead and what month
you would like to have it.