New Orleans (Northwest, South, West)

Mission Lab's Story

"MissionLab is passionate about seeing lives changed through short-term missions. We’ve been loving and serving the city of New Orleans in the name of Jesus since 2000, and we want to help you engage your group in missions. We plan custom mission trips for groups of all sizes and ages throughout the year. We believe that anyone can be a missionary, and New Orleans is the perfect training ground."

The team will get to engage in the following types of ministry:

• Homeless Ministry
• International Ministry
• Food Bank
• Prayer Walking
• Kids Ministry

Application Information

• Please create an account for you and your student. Then apply for the trip under the students name.
• There are questions the student will need to fill out in the application.
• The application will take between 15 and 20 minutes.
• If you are a family that has multiple people applying for trips, check out the ServiceReef How To Guide.

Trip Leaders

• Northwest: Katie Lytle
• South: Coming Soon
• West: Josephine Sheng

Support Raising

We encourage all of our students to support raise for their trip. It is an opportunity to invite them to see how God provides. Part of the first training will be going over how to support raise. We will also send out the information following that training.

Financial Notes:

• Budget: The cost of the trip is based on traveling to and from Austin and includes all trip insurance, transportation, supplies, lodging and meals for the duration of the event. You can see the estimated breakdown of the budget here to learn more.
• IRS Guidelines: Gifts to the For The Nations Fund are used to support the church's global mission initiatives. You may preference the use of your gift, and we will endeavor to use the funds as you desire, but in order for the contribution to be tax deductible, the church must have ultimate control/discretion as to how the money is spent. This means that any gifts towards trips are non refundable.
• If a trip is canceled due to unforeseeable circumstances (including Covid-19), refunds will not be issued in compliance with the IRS guidelines. In some cases, it may be determined to allow raised funds to be applied to future trips.
• Student Drop Deadline: Any student that has to drop out of the trip after April 7 for any reason is required to raise the full amount of $150 to cover the trip expenses incurred by the church on their behalf. Any charitable contributions received that exceed $150 are not legally refundable.‍

Logistics

• Travel: The team will be traveling in two 15-passenger vans driven by Austin Stone approved Trip Leaders.
• Lodging: The team will be staying in dorm-style spaces (bunk beds or twin-sized air mattresses; bringing their own linens and towels) owned by MissionLab.
  

Training #1 - Support Raising & Ministry Information

April 14, 2024 | 1-3pm

Vision: Student will learn about support raising, and we'll send all information to parents post-training. We'll spend time learning The Gospel and how it's the foundation for our serving! Students will also learn more about the ministry we're working with and the ways they can serve.

Logistics: St. John Campus - The Garage (2nd Floor). For those who don't go to St. John, we encourage you to either attend the 9am service at your congregation or the 11am at St. John.

Training #2 - Parent Logistics & Ministry Planning

April 28, 2024 | 1-3pm

Vision: Parents will meet with a couple of leaders and members from the For the Nations team to review all the trip details and answer any questions. Students will spend the time brainstorming and preparing ideas for VBS.

Logistics: St. John Campus - The Garage (2nd Floor) for students and Georgian Acres for parents. For those who don't go to St. John, we encourage you to either attend the 9am service at your congregation or the 11am at St. John.

Training #3 - Packing & Final Prep

June 23, 2024 | 1-3pm

Vision: We'll pack supplies for VBS and do any final practice for it. The team will finish by spending time in prayer together for the trip.

Logistics: St. John Campus - The Garage (2nd Floor). For those who don't go to St. John, we encourage you to either attend the 9am service at your congregation or the 11am at St. John.

Prerequisites

1. Participants have a desire to grow in their relationship with God.
2. Participants have a heart to serve with selflessness and joy.
3. Participants agree to serve Restoration Initiative for Culture and Community and abide by their policies.

Responsibilities

1. Plan and prepare for the ministry program.
2. Support raise for your trip.
3. Complete all required forms.
4. Agree to review and practice established trip protocols while on the trip. These will be available in the trip participants account.

Restrictions

1. Middle school (6th through 8th grade) during the 2023-2024 school year

Preparation

1. Complete application.
2. Invite friends to join.