When: January 5-11, 2025
Where: Back Bay Mission, Biloxi, MS
Registration and Deposit Due: September 15
Cost: $750 per person, or $350 for those not flying with the group
What is First Church’s Intergenerational Mission Trip?
It’s an amazing week of community, love and service where we live out our faith.
Who can go?
Adults of all ages attend, from college students to senior citizens. Because sleeping capacity at Back Bay Mission is fixed, we are limited to 30 work campers.
How much will it cost?
The trip will cost $750 per person, or $350 for those who will not be flying with us.
How do I sign up?
Complete the registration form on the reverse side and return it to the church office by September 15, along with a check for $100, to confirm your commitment. Names will be added to the roster in the order in which deposits are received.
Who benefits from these mission trips?
We all do: people who live on the Gulf Coast, mission trippers, and all of First Church. There is an ongoing need for volunteers to help build and rehabilitate homes for elderly, disabled and impoverished people in the poorest state in the U.S. Participating in a work trip is deeply satisfying and truly transformative, and campers return with a deeper sense of Christian fellowship, community and service that enriches our life as a family of faith here at First Church.
What kind of work will we do?
Sometimes we work on new construction, other times on renovation. We could be installing insulation, hanging, taping and mudding drywall, installing exterior siding, roofing or painting. Their housing restoration program helps low-income families stay in their homes by making necessary renovations and repairs. We will also help staff the food pantry and soup kitchen, as well as volunteer at the Micah Day Center, which serves homeless clients with laundry and showering facilities.
Do I have to be skilled in construction work?
Not at all. There are a number of experienced campers who serve as crew leaders and patient teachers, and they match jobs with skills. People who’d rather not operate a nail gun or a table saw still have the opportunity to contribute by serving at a local soup kitchen, organizing the food bank, helping keep the work sites tidy or preparing meals for our group.
What is the history of these mission trips?
Back Bay Mission is a social service agency of the United Church of Christ, serving the poorest citizens of the Biloxi, Mississippi, area since 1929. First Church sent a senior high work camp group there in February, 2005 – six months before Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. In January, 2006, alumni members of the 2005 trip, along with a number of adults, went to Biloxi to assist with recovery efforts, and the intergenerational mission trip tradition was born. BBM has now expanded its efforts to help house homeless veterans.
Can’t go but want to help out?
You can make a donation or help underwrite the trip for someone else; please contact Kate VanDerzee-Glidden.
Want more information?
Please contact Diana Ruddick at 860-463-3049 or dianakate525@gmail.com.
Registering for the Mission Trip
To get signed up for the mission trip, start by filling out the permission form.
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