The Tailor-Made Experience

This summer marked the beginning of our first churches going on Tailor-Made Mission Trips. Tailor-Made Trips are a new, slightly different way that we are serving both churches and communities. By adjusting different aspects of the mission trip experience, we are able to facilitate trips that better fit our churches and communities.

As our 2015 summer wraps up, we wanted to briefly share the story of some of these customized trips:

1. In Red Lake this summer, Treehouse, one of our groups that has been coming with us for years, wanted to bring a larger group than we normally have in Red Lake, and they wanted to have small group processing in the afternoon instead of only having Church Group Time at the end of the night. So, we worked with them to shift our schedule around to give them small group time in the afternoon and got everything ready to have their larger group there.

2. Another couple of churches who have been coming on YouthWorks trips for years, came to Duluth with us this summer. Being from the Twin Cities and having already been to Duluth with YouthWorks, the churches wanted to shift the evening schedule, shorten the large group gathering time and change some of the Evening Activities. Making these few adaptations helped to make the week a better flow and fit for these adult leaders so they could focus even more on ministering to their students.

3. Not all churches who went on Tailor-Made Trips have been serving with YouthWorks for years. For example, one church who went with YouthWorks for the first time last summer, wanted to come back to Louisville again to serve this year. They really liked all that YouthWorks did, but preferred to lead their own worship time in the evening; so YouthWorks staff ran the ministry day normally but handed over worship time to the church in the evening.

These are just a few of the examples of Tailor-Made Trips from this summer. At YouthWorks, as we continue to grow and improve, we always seek to better understand the needs and assets of the communities and churches we are serving and working with. We’re excited to see how Tailor-Made Trips will help churches – perhaps yours – have even more meaningful mission trip experiences next summer.

Want to learn more about Tailor-Made Trips? CLICK HERE.

Jordan currently works developing and piloting new ministry opportunities for YouthWorks, churches, and communities. This gives him an opportunity to use his passion for communities, education, learning, and innovation to benefit churches and communities. Previously, Jordan served for four summers and two years full-time on Native American Reservations, primarily in South Dakota, with YouthWorks.  Jordan occupies himself with fashion, good books, travel, conversations, friends, and adventures.