Woodcrest Christian Missions Trips 2022

What’s on your agenda for Spring Break? Vacation? Staycation? Or just a week of much needed rest and relaxation? This year at Woodcrest Christian, 71 high school students are giving up their Spring Break plans to travel across the country as part of our Missions program. They’ll be serving the homeless and teaching English classes in Florida, serving refugee and immigrant communities in Minnesota, doing home and property rehabilitation for those in need in Ohio, and doing children/youth ministry in two cities in Alaska.  These five teams of staff and students will be physically and mentally exhausted by the end of the week having slept only a few hours each day working and serving long hours, as well as having some fun along the way. How many high school students do you know are willing to give up their Spring Break to do that? As so many times before since our Missions program started in 1999, the blessings and benefits of sharing God’s love with others will be overflowing with abundance. Not only will those they serve be blessed, but our staff and students will be blessed as well as they follow the call to share the Gospel across the nation.

Will you join us this week in praying for our Missions teams?

Ways to Pray for our Missions Teams

• Teams to go with an open heart to hear, do, see, and receive all that God has in store for them
• Teams to be ready and willing to serve at all times.
• That they will be courageous, energized, flexible, and attentive to the needs of everyone around them.
• Teams to be fully focused on other’s needs before their own desires.
• Students to deepen their trust in God, and they will step out in courage when prompted to share their faith and the Gospel.

History of Missions

Woodcrest Christian Missions trips began to India and Mexico in the early 1990’s started the mission-minded focus of Woodcrest Christian. Since then, we have sent staff and students across the globe continuously for the last 22 years. More than 1,000 students have served on a missions trip giving their time and talents to service projects, sharing the Gospel, and bringing the love of Jesus all across the world.

This Year
This year we are sending five teams out of state, traveling to five different locations in the United States during our spring break. In years past, we have traveled abroad to places like Belize, Costa Rica, Chile, and many more, however this year we will be traveling to Ohio, Minnesota, Florida, and two trips to Alaska.

The Why Behind Missions

As a way to raise support our missions teams hosted for the first time our missions fundraiser and experience. This included a three stop walk through tour where guests were invited to hear from staff and students what our teams would be doing this spring break. This first stop included the video below showcasing testimonies from staff and students on the why behind our missions program. We hope you are encouraged and challenged by this video having heard from some students and staff about our goals for this program, as well as the love and passion we have for the work of the gospel. 

Read below to hear more about what each specific team will be doing this spring break on their missions trips.

Copper Center, Alaska

Serving in the communities around Copper Center, this team will join Ron and Jean Paul who have served the surrounding Native communities for several years. The ministry includes service projects, building relationships with youth, and partnering with Ron and Jean Paul to make connections with people in order to share about the ways of Jesus with them. 

Kodiak, Alaska

Serving in the town of Kodiak, Alaska, this team will be joining with the Kodiak Baptist Mission which has been serving the town and surrounding villages for over 120 years. This outreach began as an orphanage in 1893 and still serves the community through children’s ministries, preschool and family services in this remote island location. 

Miami, Florida

Serving in one of the least Christianized cities in America, this group will be joining the C&MA Envision Team in partnering with local churches in an effort to engage local communities. Our team will spend the majority of its time working with Envision leaders to support the ministry through serving the homeless, teaching English classes, as well as assisting in work projects. 

Twin Cities, Minnesota

Serving in the densely populated areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul, this group will be joining the C&MA Envision Team who partner with local churches to serve refugee and immigrant communities. Our team will spend the majority of its time working with Envision leaders to support the ministry through ESL, sports ministries, and evangelistic outreach. 

Cleveland, Ohio

Serving in the city of Cleveland, this group will be joining the C&MA Envision Team in partnering with local ministries and organizations in primarily urban contexts to serve neighborhoods in need. Our team will spend the majority of its time working with Envision leaders to support the ministry through local church ministry, home and property rehabilitation, and refugee engagement.

By Matt Messner, Woodcrest Christian Campus Pastor