Rural & Native American Mission Trips

What are rural mission trips?

Rural mission trips send a team to serve alongside small-town churches and ministries across the U.S. Experience Mission (EM) hosts rural mission trips, including Native American mission trips on the Diné/Navajo Nation, in five communities across Arizona, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Each trip lasts 6 days, and every team needs at least 6 people, including one leader age 21 or older.

Rural community partnerships are built on long-term relationships, and mission trips here are planned and run in tandem with local leaders working in their communities year-round. As you compare rural mission trips, look for these marks of healthy service:

• Local hosts - A church or ministry that invites in volunteers and helps set the vision
• Work sized for 1 week - Projects, outreach, and ministry support chosen by the host that a visiting team can support well
• Time to learn - Meeting neighbors, hearing local history, and sharing meals outside of simply working on a project
• Honest expectations - Plain details about housing, travel to work sites, and the skills a team needs to be helpful and connect well
• Built-in reflection - Worship and debrief time that helps team members process what they see and hear during their trip

For a wider view of U.S. options, read about mission trips in the United States.

Which EM communities host rural mission trips?

EM hosts rural mission trips in five communities in 2027. Each community page lists current weeks, local partners, and details about what a team may do, and the mission trips page gives an overall view of every EM mission trip opportunity for groups.

Teams can currently serve in these rural communities:

• Navajo Nation, Arizona - 6th grade and up, $495 per person for 6 days
• Pikeville, Kentucky - Late Elementary and up, $550 per person for 6 days
• Marion, North Carolina - 6th grade and up, $495 per person for 6 days
• Newport, Tennessee - 9th grade and up, $495 per person for 6 days
• Central Texas - 9th grade and up, $495 per person for 6 days

Teams serve alongside long-term local partners, including Pastor JR Wilson Jr. and the Tse ee gai - House of Joy Church on Navajo Nation, Rob Musick and Pikeville Presbyterian Church in Pikeville, the Ark of Highland Lakes in Central Texas, and local ministries in Newport such as Breadbasket, Feed My Sheep, Options Pregnancy Center, Isaiah 117 House, and Cornerstone Baptist Church Ministries.

Newport and Central Texas are available for middle school students on a case-by-case basis. Youth groups can compare every community on the high school mission trips and middle school mission trips pages, and EM staff will confirm each trip's current grade range before you register.

What are Native American mission trips with EM?

EM's Native American mission trips take place on the Diné/Navajo Nation in Arizona, where teams serve alongside Pastor JR Wilson Jr. and the Tse ee gai - House of Joy Church in Black Mesa. EM has had the joy of partnering with the church since 2009. Teams come to listen, learn, and serve in the Diné Nation, meeting practical needs and building authentic relationships with those who call the Navajo Reservation home.

Native American and indigenous peoples are many nations, not one community, and the Diné Nation has its own history, language, and leadership. During the week, team members learn about Diné history and traditions, build cross-cultural relationships, and may attend a local tent revival if one is taking place nearby.

EM's local partners set the vision for mission trips, as teams help neighbors with home repair projects and work alongside local ministry leaders on tiling, drywall, roofing, framing, and cement work for the host church and local families. Students in 6th grade and up, college students, and adults can serve here. Summer trips cost $495 per person. Spring break teams (February through May) need at least 20 people and cost $100 more per person to cover additional off-season setup costs.

Read more about Navajo Nation mission trips in Arizona, or find out what Navajo mission trips are like.

What are Appalachia mission trips like?

EM's Appalachia mission trips pair a team with local churches and ministries in Pikeville, Kentucky, and Marion, North Carolina. Teams spend 6 days on home repair, outreach, and time with neighbors, while local partners help guide where teams spend their time.

In Pikeville, Rob Musick, a local chaplain, connects teams with work projects and outreach across Pike County, and Pikeville Presbyterian Church hosts teams. Teams may repair homes, clean yards, and garden, with a focus on older and disabled residents. They may also visit neighbors, sing at a nursing home, or help at a food pantry or a pregnancy center.

In Marion, teams may lead a daily Kids Club, support a children's home, make home repairs and accessibility modifications for older neighbors, or serve alongside shelter staff, depending on what the community asks for that week.

Compare every option on the Appalachia mission trips page.

Can a team serve in a rural community recovering from a disaster?

Yes! Newport, Tennessee, and Central Texas host teams that support long-term recovery after massive flooding in recent years, with local residents and organizations leading the work. Newport communities continue to rebuild after damage from Hurricane Helene, and Central Texas communities continue to recover from the July 2025 flood.

In Newport, projects range from debris cleanup to rebuilding whole houses, and EM strongly recommends that each team bring at least one or two members with building experience. In Central Texas, teams serve with the Ark of Highland Lakes on community events and outreach, warehouse support and donation distribution, and small building projects. Work sites sit 10 to 60 minutes from lodging in both communities.

Learn how EM supports communities after a disaster on the Disaster Relief & Recovery page.

What do teams do on a rural mission trip?

Teams spend most days on hands-on service, outreach, and learning, shaped by what each local host asks for that week. Depending on the community, your team may have the opportunity to serve in:

• Home repair and construction - Tiling, drywall, roofing, and cement work on Navajo Nation; repairs, yard cleanup, and landscaping in Pikeville; accessibility modifications in Marion; rebuilding in Newport
• Kids ministry - Daily Kids Club in Marion, and an optional Kids Club on Navajo Nation for children ages 2 to 10
• Neighbor outreach - Visiting older neighbors, singing at a nursing home, gardening, and helping at food pantries in Pikeville
• Donation and warehouse support - Sorting and distributing donations with the Ark of Highland Lakes in Central Texas
• Learning from the community - Diné history and traditions on Navajo Nation, shared meals, and daily worship and reflection with your team

Construction skills help on many projects, but in most cases team members only need to bring curiosity and a willingness to serve and learn from the people they serve alongside.

Are rural mission trips safe?

Yes! EM builds a safety plan into every group trip, and the same safeguards apply in rural communities. Your group's adult leaders stay responsible for the team all week, while EM field staff and local hosts guide the work on site.

Four safeguards matter most:

• A team leader age 21 or older - Required on every team
• Background checks - Completed by every participant age 18 and older under EM's background check policy
• Trained field staff - EM field staff hold First Aid and CPR certification and carry medical kits
• Medical insurance - Every team member needs domestic medical insurance

Rural work sites can sit 10 to 60 minutes from lodging, so leaders plan drivers and routes with EM before each daily trip. Read the full Health & Safety Plan to see how EM and team leaders share responsibility in an emergency.

How much does a rural mission trip cost?

In 2027, EM rural mission trips currently cost $495-$550 per person for 6 days.

Trip cost covers lodging, meals, all project materials, and field staff to lead your trip. Plan separately for transportation, since teams travel to the community and to work sites in their own vehicles, along with background checks for adult team members.

Teams can raise support through church-wide efforts and family fundraisers. EM's Mission Trip Fundraising Guide offers ideas for teams, and EM's registration and payment policy outlines deposit and trip payment due dates.

When do rural mission trips take place?

Most rural communities host teams in Summer. Central Texas hosts teams year-round, Newport hosts them in spring and summer, and Navajo Nation offers a spring break option for teams of 20 or more.

Open weeks vary by community and change as teams register. Each trip page lists its current weeks, and an interest form lets EM know your group's dates.

How does a group plan a rural mission trip?

Your group leader registers your team, and EM support staff help along the way. Start early so you have time to recruit leaders, arrange vehicles, and fundraise. Follow these steps:

1. Choose a community - Pick one that welcomes your youngest team member and fits your dates and budget
2. Submit an interest form - Share your group's size and dates through the interest form before registering your team online
3. Arrange transportation - Reserve flights or vehicles and drivers early, since transportation is not included and some work sites sit up to an hour from lodging
4. Recruit leaders and prepare your team - Confirm a leader age 21 or older, complete background checks, and use EM's cross-cultural training resources to help prepare your team to serve

EM's guide on how to plan a mission trip walks leaders through each step in detail.

What is EM's approach to a rural mission trip?

We believe how a team serves matters as much as what it accomplishes. EM's 7 Healthy Service Principles ask every team to approach their mission trip as guests and learners rather than tourists.

Churches, pastors, chaplains, and neighbors already carry the work all year, and EM teams join what is underway. On an EM trip, team members are invited to ask questions, listen to their hosts, and notice what the community already does well. They learn that people matter more than projects, that every person bears the image of God, and that they are joining a community in motion.

Read all 7 principles on EM's approach to missions.

Rural Mission Trip FAQs

Find a rural mission trip for your group!

Explore rural and Native American mission trips and find a community that fits your group's grade range, dates, and budget. Browse group mission trips to compare communities, service focus, and per-person cost.

Written and reviewed by Experience Mission Staff - Updated: October 2026