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AGE GROUP:Sr. High & Up
TRIP SEASON:Summer
COST:$420/person (6-Day Trip)
Community Overview
Atlanta mission trips give your team the opportunity to experience life and hope in some of the city’s toughest neighborhoods. You’ll be struck by the harsh realities of homelessness, human trafficking, and broken families but also inspired by local people and organizations who are making a difference. As your team serves together, you’ll be the hands and feet of Jesus—reaching across racial and cultural barriers to connect with neighbors.
Your college, family, adult or teen mission trip team will have the opportunity to be bold as you lead children’s programs for immigrant families, serve meals to those experiencing homelessness, and help clean up low-income apartment complexes.
Will you partner with EM on a 2022 mission trip to Atlanta and help the local church and ministries continue reaching their community?
Meet our Local Partners
Local Partners
The Kroc Center is a community gathering place operated by the Salvation Army. The church body here serves their neighborhood in a variety of ways including food ministry, children's programs, wellness programs, and so much more.
Details & Logistics
Activities & Opportunities
Projects/Outreach Ministry
During the trip, you'll spend much of your time supporting local ministry partners as they work to renew their own neighborhoods. You may find yourself serving food to the homeless, working in community gardens, packing meals in a food pantry, praying for neighbors, or other neighborhood beautification projects. The work fluctuates day to day depending on the local partner's needs, but in each experience, we hope you'll be given opportunities to build relationships with local people and extend the work of the local church.
Children's Ministry
In this community, connecting with the local children through children's ministry is an important part of what we do each day. Teams coming to this community must expect to participate in Kids Club. Experience Mission will provide the curriculum for your teams use. This Kids Club curriculum will be sent out to Team Leaders in the spring via email. Your team may be asked to participate in multiple Kids Clubs and avenues of ministering to children.
Teams will be responsible to bring the craft supplies needed for their specific crafts and should budget appropriately. While we do our best to make sure the craft materials are cost-effective, teams may feel free to augment any materials to make them more suitable for their budget. Experience Mission will supply scissors, staplers, and paper hole punches. There are plenty of opportunities to connect with local children through games like soccer or Frisbee. Tuck in a hackysack, football or jump rope as they are sure to come in handy.
*Experience Mission works closely with local leaders to identify work projects and ministry opportunities that address authentic needs within the community. We ask that you come with a servant's heart and willingness to adapt to the unique qualities represented in each location. Opportunities can vary significantly from one week to the next. Your team may work at one location or serve at multiple locations each day. Due to the changing needs of our community partners, we cannot confirm your specific activities until your team arrives.
Additional Waivers
Experience Mission partners closely with the Salvation Army in Atlanta. Due to the nature of working with so many children, the Salvation Army requires additional paperwork including a background check to be run on everyone over the age of 18. Additionally, each participant will need to complete a 20-minute training on working with children. Experience Mission will e-mail the team leader the waivers & information early Spring. They are due back to Experience Mission 45 days before your trip starts.
Spring Break Trips
Due to staffing limitations and varying school schedules in our community locations, Kids Club and Evening Gathering are not offered during spring break trips. We do encourage teams to come prepared to spend some casual free time with the local children playing games etc. Teams should plan to prepare their own worship and devotional materials for trips from February-May.
Curious about EM's Covid Guidelines? Check out EM's current guidelines for 2022 Trips
Typical Schedule
Each morning, there is time set aside for devotions and quiet time. This is a valuable time and we strongly encourage all team members to spend it with God, journaling their thoughts and experiences as the days unfold. EM will provide a physical or printable devotional journal.
Our staff will lead a time of debriefing and a short devotional in the evening (what we call "Evening Gathering") and it is always a great addition to have musical worship. Our programming does not include musical worship as we can't guarantee that our our staff will have this ability. Please let us know if you have anyone who sings or plays guitar on your trip so that we can help to coordinate the musical aspect of worship when able. If teams aren't able to help in the area of music, it may not be a part of the trip.
AVERAGE DAILY SCHEDULE
Day 1
3-6pm Groups Arrive
5pm - Leader's Meeting
6pm - Dinner
7pm - Orientation Meeting
8:30pm - Team Time (a time for your group alone)
11:30pm - Lights Out
Day 2-5
7:15am - Breakfast
7:45am - Devotions and Quiet Time
8:15am - Group Prayer
8:30am - Teams leave for Sites
12pm - Lunch
3:30pm - Finish work for the day
4pm - Break and Clean-up
5pm - Leaders meeting
6pm - Dinner
7pm - Evening Gathering (as a whole group)
8:30pm - Team time
Day 6
7am - Breakfast
7:30am - Cleanup/ Packing
9am - Pictures and Good-Byes
Lodging, Food & Transportation
Lodging
Teams in Atlanta stay at a local church in the city.
Sleeping
Teams will be sleeping on the floor and should plan on bringing mats or air mattresses as well as a sleeping bag or light bedding and a pillow.
Showers
There will be limited shower facilities at the church where teams will be staying.
Bathrooms
There will be bathrooms at the church where your team will be staying. Most work and outreach sites will have bathrooms as well. For those that do not, teams will need to take mid-day breaks to use a public restroom.
Water
Teams will have access to water at the church and at their work and outreach sites. Everyone should plan to bring refillable water bottles to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Electricity
There is electricity available to teams at the church where they will be staying, as well as at most work and outreach locations.
Security
Though the church where teams will be staying is in the heart of the city, it is a secure facility. Doors are locked at night with an alarm system in place. However, team members are discouraged from bringing valuables.
This is an extreme inner-city mission trip, which will put you and your team in the center of inner-city life as you take part in work and outreach projects during the day. During your time of service in this location, people in various stages of drug and alcohol addiction, and those possibly involved in local gangs, prostitution, etc. may cross paths with your team. Their personal need for Christ is extreme. Please come prepared to step out of your comfort zone as you share the love of Christ with the people of the city.
Food
A wonderful team of local cooks, alongside your Experience Mission Summer Staff, will be preparing and serving your meals. Breakfast and dinner will be served buffet-style, and your team will pack your lunches. Team members should plan to bring their own plate, bowl, cup, and silverware for meals.
Transportation
Your team's transportation to, from, and while in Atlanta is not covered by the cost of your trip. You will need your vehicles throughout the entire week to transport your team to various locations for work and ministry.
NOTE: Using a school bus as your main mode of transportation while in this community is NOT an ideal option. 15-passenger vans or smaller are your best choice for transportation in Atlanta.
Health & Safety
EM's Health & Safety Plan
Staff Certification
All EM Summer Staff are certified in First Aid and CPR.
Medical Kits
Medical kits that include first-aid supplies for general accidents and ailments are provided for each site. In domestic communities like Atlanta, we ask that teams supply their own medications like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benadryl, and Imodium as they deem necessary.
Emergency Response Plan
Based on the severity of each emergency, EM has a plan for appropriate response.
- If a team member becomes seriously ill, they will be taken to a local doctor to receive appropriate medical attention and medications. If they are a minor, their Team Leader along with our staff will accompany them to the clinic. If needed, their parents will be contacted. Their recovery will be carefully monitored by our staff.
- If there is an accident that requires a doctor, but is not life-threatening and does not have the potential to cause permanent damage, Experience Mission staff will locate the Team Leader, contact parents or guardians (providing the injured is a minor), and provide safe but quick transportation to a local clinic.
- In the event that an accident occurs which is life-threatening or has the potential for permanent damage, emergency 911 services will be contacted immediately. The family will be contacted to assist in guidance for appropriate response.
All medical care is the sole responsibility of the team member. Experience Mission requires every team member to be covered by domestic medical insurance and recommends that team members traveling abroad carry additional international travel insurance to cover any medical needs their domestic medical insurance may not cover.
Curious about EM's Covid Guidelines? Check out EM's current guidelines for 2022 Trips
Registration & Payment
Experience Mission has specific policies regarding team registration and withdrawal. Please refer to the document below for specifics.
View EM's Mission Trip Registration Policy
INDIVIDUALS
All volunteers on a week-long EM mission trip must be part of a team of at least six (6) people, with at least one team member age 21 or older to serve as the Team Leader. Not part of a group? All young adults ages 18-30 are eligible to apply for EM's IMMERSION program.
Atlanta Trip FAQs
What age group can you accommodate in Atlanta?
Atlanta mission trips are open to high school-age students and older. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate jr. high-age students. Check out the list of communities where we are able to take jr. high students.
How much do Atlanta mission trips cost?
The cost for this trip is currently $420/person. This includes lodging, food, staffing, and all trip-related expenses.
What seasons do you offer Atlanta mission trips?
Because of limited staff availability, these trips are predominantly available in early summer.
Do you offer spring break trips in Atlanta?
We do not currently offer spring trips to this community. Call 888-475-6414 to inquire about custom options or check out all our spring break mission trip communities.
What will I do on an Atlanta mission trip?
Teams in Atlanta split their time between local ministries with a focus on building relationships. You can expect to work with children's outreach, food ministry, homeless ministries, and minor home repair projects. In addition to this, your team will spend time learning about the history and context for ministry in Atlanta, including a trip to the MLK museum.
Will we work with children in Atlanta?
Most likely, yes! Kids Club is typically an integral part of the ministry in Atlanta. Once registered, your support person will provide you with resources to prepare.
What paperwork is required for this mission trip?
In Atlanta, each team member will need to fill out a team member registration form and liability waiver and all adults are required to pass a background check. Additionally, some of our partners require their own waivers for volunteer opportunities. These will be available once you register your team.
Where will my team stay in Atlanta?
Teams will stay in classrooms at a local church. Plan to bring air mattresses for added comfort. Showers and meals will also be at this location.
Are meals provided for Atlanta mission trips?
Yes! Meals will be provided by Experience Mission staff for the duration of your trip. Our mission trip food policy outlines the details of what we can accommodate for dietary restrictions and more.
How does transportation work during Atlanta mission trips?
You will arrange your own transportation in Atlanta. We recommend 15-passenger vans and smaller. We don't recommend relying on buses as a mode of transportation for this trip.
What time can I arrive in Atlanta?
Check-in is between 3pm and 5pm on the first day of your selected trip. Our staff will be awaiting your arrival. Dinner is provided, followed by an orientation meeting to get you ready for the week.
What should I pack for an Atlanta trip?
A suggested packing list will be available once you register for your trip. Generally, you'll only need clothing, personal items, bedding and potentially some Kids Club lesson supplies! We'll have the necessary materials for projects and outreach opportunities on-site.
Does EM offer any other urban mission trips?
Yes! EM also has opportunities to bring groups to serve in Chicago and New York City.
Have more questions about Experience Mission trips? Check out our general FAQs, or call our support team at 888-475-6414.
Upcoming Trip Dates: Atlanta
We’d love to connect with you!
Dont hit a snag in your mission trip planning! Fill out an interest form or call (888) 475-6414 (Tue-Thu, 9am-5pm ET) to ask questions and learn more about upcoming EM mission trips.
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Make your Mission Trip a reality!
1
Fill out a Group Interest Form
Only takes a minute! Simply choose the community and trip dates you’re most interested in—no commitment necessary.
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We’ll personally follow up with you this week
Answering your questions and walking you through the process of finding the best trip, registering your group, and preparing to serve together.
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You and your team serve on a cross-cultural mission trip!
Organized and led by EM field staff or local partners, your trip will bring encouragement and light to people in difficult circumstances, as you learn what it means to care for all people, whoever and wherever you are.
Read our Mission Trip FAQ and Registration Policy. If you have additional questions or don't see the dates you're looking for, fill out an interest form for the trip closest to what you're hoping for and let us know the needs of your group.
Don't let fundraising slow you down!
Download the free EM Fundraising Guide for all our best tips and ideas for making fundraising for your next trip fun and easy.
Don't let fundraising slow you down!
Download our free Fundraising Guide for all our best tips and ideas for making fundraising for your next trip fun and easy.
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