Photo provided by Second Baptist Church
Tatum Larochelle of the Second Baptist Church sits with a group of youngsters during a previous mission trip to the Dominican Republic.
Second Baptist Church is looking for High School kids to join us on our mission trips.
For over 15 years Second Baptist Church has been traveling to the Dominican Republic. We have seen our mission trips play a crucial role in the lives of countless teenagers and we continue to believe every teenager should experience a mission trip.
If you’ve ever been on a retreat, you know how that experience can build community. We travel together, play together, eat together, stay up late together, get up tired together… “Together” is a powerful word. Our mission trips apply “together” to students’ sense of adventure, their desire to serve, their relationship with God, their daily experiences and their broken comfort zones.
Teenagers might be more connected than ever with what’s happening around the world, but have they seen what it’s like to live below the poverty line? Or experienced the energy and exhaustion of a hard day’s work? Pulling teenagers from their typical context helps them understand that the world is larger than their daily lives would have them believe.
Beyond broadening perspectives, mission trips demand that teenagers participate. Painting a house, playing with kids, serving a meal, experiencing a new culture – these are a few examples of ways comfort zones are crossed. But when coupled with intentional processing and worship, mission trips have the unique ability to challenge students’ comfortable perceptions of God and the world. Faith steps beyond the doors of the church and demands to be applied to real-world living.
God is doing incredible work through Second Baptist Church. The energy, authenticity, fresh perspective, and passion teenagers bring are a vibrant part of our church. Mission trips help students take ownership and initiative. Eyes are opened. Passions are ignited. Possibilities are exposed. Pursuits begin. Mission trips help teenagers see what they are capable of.
For many teenagers, mission trips represent a time and a place when God worked in and through their lives. More than a mere mountain-top high, a mission trip can both anchor students in their faith and propel them forward in their relationship with God. Even in times of trouble, teenagers often point toward their mission trip experience and say, “That signifies God’s faithfulness in my life.”
Quality Experiences – We want mission trips to be much more than something students are supposed to do. We want our mission trips to be something students want to do. We care about teenagers, and we want them to love serving others as much as we do.
Affordable Options– We work hard to keep mission trip prices as low as possible because we don’t want finances to be any teenager’s excuse for staying home. Our average youth mission trip cost is about $1300.00 which includes flight, food, lodging and an awesome experience.
Scholarship Opportunities – When we hear about a specific student who is struggling to make it on a mission trip because of financial restraints, we do our best to work with them to find a solution.
If you’re interested in participating in a mission trip, call Second Baptist Church at 860-668-1661 and join us for an informal meeting. It’s not too late!