Serve together this Summer! Submit an Interest Form Now
Interest Form
DC mission trips

Washington, D.C.
Mission Trips

View Photos
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
DC mission trips
AGE GROUP:
Sr. High & Up
TRIP SEASON:
Summer
COST:
$420/person (6-Day Trip)

Community Overview

PLEASE NOTE: Experience Mission's local partners in Washington, D.C. currently require all incoming volunteers to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Washington D.C. is a symbol of power and opportunity in the U.S. and around the world. Each year, tourists visit to soak in the historical sites, but the city is also filled with immigrants who dream of a better future.

Your team will experience wealth and poverty living side-by-side in the nation’s capital as you engage with people from Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America who are making a new home for themselves in neighborhoods just outside the city.

Serve alongside local organizations making an impact year-round as they work with immigrant families, low-income apartment complex communities, and D.C.’s homeless population. You’ll serve food, clean up neighborhoods, visit nursing homes, and reach out to children as a way of meeting practical needs.

Will you bring your team on a 2022 mission trip to Washington, D.C. to serve those who are often overlooked in our nation’s capital?

Click to view EM's Covid Guidelines for Mission Trips

Meet our Local Partners

Local Partners

The Salvation Army
Mission teams that serve in the Washington, D.C. area come alongside the neighborhood ministry of the Salvation Army, serving in many ways that further the message of Jesus shared through hope.

Details & Logistics

Activities & Opportunities

Projects/Outreach Ministry

This is a highly relational mission trip, and there are many other potential opportunities. Possible activities include working with under-privileged youth and homeless people. You also may do lighter service projects such as minor repairs, cleaning and sorting, painting, and yard work.

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 to their budget. Experience Mission will supply scissors, staplers, paper hole punches and rulers. There are plenty of opportunities to connect with the local children through games like soccer or Frisbee. Tuck in a hackysack, basketball, soccer ball, 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 Washington, DC. Due to the nature of working with so many children the Salvation Army requires additional paperwork including a background check to be run on each participant. Experience Mission will e-mail the team leader the waivers early Spring. They are due back to Experience Mission 45 days before your trip starts.

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. Experience Mission has devotionals/journals that are available for purchase or teams can supply their own. This is a valuable time and we strongly encourage everyone to spend it with God journaling their thoughts and experiences as the days unfold.

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.

Each day, there will be a varying schedule of work and outreach.

AVERAGE DAILY SCHEDULE

Day 1
3:00-6:00 pm Groups Arrive
5:00 - Leader's Meeting
6:00 - Dinner
7:00 - Orientation Meeting
8:30 - Team Time (a time for your group alone)
11:30 - Lights Out

Day 2-5
7:15 - Breakfast
7:45 - Devotions and Quiet Time
8:15 - Group Prayer
8:30 - Teams leave for Sites
12:00 - Lunch
4:30 - Finish Work for the day
5:00 - Leaders meeting
6:00 - Dinner
7:00 - Evening Gathering (as a whole group)
8:30 - Team time

Day 6
7:00 - Breakfast
7:30 - Cleanup/ Packing
9:00 - Pictures & Good-Byes

Transportation

Your team's transportation to, from and while in Washington, DC is NOT covered. Parking is limited so please plan to bring as few vehicles as possible. 12 passenger vans are ideal. (We do not have locations to store buses or trailers!)

Health & Safety

EM's Health & Safety Plan:

Staff certification: All 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 international locations, we will also carry a Trauma Kit or First Responder Kit. In these remote locations, we will have medications like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benadryl, and Imodium on hand. We make these available to adult team leaders for their sole discretionary use with their team members. EM Staff will not dispense any medications. In our domestic and international locations, 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 medical care will be secured and arraignments will be made if necessary, to transport the injured person to the United States as quickly as possible providing they are serving in one of our International locations. In our domestic locations, local 911 services will be contacted immediately. The family will be contacted immediately to assist in guidance for an 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

D.C. Trip FAQs

Wondering what all goes on during our Washington, D.C. mission trips? You're not alone! Here's a list of frequently asked questions about this trip.

What age group can you accommodate in Washington, D.C.?
This trip is open for high school and older. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate junior high students. Check out our list of available trips for jr. high students.

How much do Washington, D.C. mission trips cost?
The cost for this trip is $420/person for 2022. This includes all lodging, food, staffing, and trip-related expenses. Transportation is not included.

What seasons do you offer Washington, D.C. mission trips?
Mission trips to Washington, D.C. are available during the summer. We are unable to offer regular spring break trips, but call 888-475-6414 to inquire about custom options, or check out our spring break trip options.

What will volunteers do on a mission trip to Washington, D.C.?
Teams in Washington, DC 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 work projects. In addition to this, your team will spend time learning about the history and context for ministry in Washington, DC.

Will we work with children in Washington, D.C.?
Yes! Kids Club is an integral part of the ministry in Washington, D.C. Once registered, your support person will provide you with resources to prepare.

What paperwork is required for this mission trip?
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 extra waivers for volunteer opportunities. These will be available once you register.

Where will my team stay?
Teams will stay in vacant classrooms at a local church. Plan on bringing air mattresses for added comfort. Depending on your team size, showers may be available on site or at a local YMCA.

Are meals provided during Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. mission trips?
Transportation is entirely up to groups to arrange. We recommend 15 passenger vans and smaller, as city parking is often limited. We don't recommend relying on buses as a mode of transportation for this trip.

When should I arrive?
Check-in is between 3 and 5 PM on the first day of your selected trip. Our staff will be awaiting your arrival. You can expect dinner and an orientation meeting to get you ready for the week that evening as well.

What should I pack for this trip?
A packing list will be available to you once you register for the trip, but generally, you'll only need clothing, personal items, and bedding.

Does EM offer any other urban mission trips?
Yes! We also currently offer trips to Houston, Atlanta, 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.

Registration & Payment

Experience Mission has specific policies regarding registration and withdrawal. Please refer to the document below for specifics.

View Registration & Payment 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.

Upcoming Trip Dates: Washington, D.C.

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.

Fill Out An Interest Form Call (888) 475-6414

Recent Blogs & Stories

Best Mission Trips: 15 Short Term Mission Opportunities
Join Experience Mission in 2022 on an adult or youth mission trip! Serve and grow together on one of these 15 short-term mission opportunities.
Read More
Best Urban Mission Trips
Urban mission trips can be a launchpad to helping you live your mission all year round, not just for one week during the summer.
Read More
View All From Washington, D.C.

Make your Mission Trip a reality!

1

Fill out a Group Interest Form for the trip you're most interested in

2

We'll help you find and plan the best trip for your group!

Fill Out an Interest Form

3

Serve together on a life-changing Mission Trip

Need to know more?

Read our Mission Trip FAQ and Registration Policy. If you have additional questions or don't see the dates you're looking for, contact us or inquire about a specific trip.

Make your Mission Trip
a reality!

1

Fill out a Group Interest Form for the trip you're most interest in

2

We'll help you find and plan the best trip for your group!

3

Serve together on a life-changing Mission Trip

Need to know more?

Read our Mission Trip FAQ and Registration Policy. If you have additional questions or don't see the dates you're looking for, contact us or inquire about a specific trip.

Browse All Mission Trip Communities
SERVE
1-2 Week Mission Trips
1-9 Month IMMERSION
Gap Year Programs
EM Missions Internship
Fill Out an Interest Form
DONATE
Trip Volunteers
EM Summer Staff
Where Needed Most
The EM Store
CONNECT
Contact Us
Meet the EM Staff
Job Opportunities
Sign In to MyMission
MORE
About Experience Mission
Our Missions Approach
Statement of Faith
Cross-Cultural Training
EM Blog
(888)-475-6414
×