Chicago Mission Camp

Everything you love about mission trips and summer camp combined into one –
Chicago Mission Camp!

chicago-sent

Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

McCracken Co. churches come together to serve and support the mission of North American Mission Board (NAMB) church planters in Chicago.

Each day students will be immersed in new cultures, great worship, biblical-teaching by our camp pastor, and have a variety of opportunities to serve on the front-lines for the Gospel in Chicago.

Why Chicago? In a city where 8.7 million people speak more than 100 languages, you can find most anything; anything, that is, except a lot of evangelical churches. Southern Baptist Church planters in Chicago are trying to change that. In this video, see how you can help them bring the gospel to one of the most unchurched cities in North America.

Eat, Sleep & Meet

Loyola University

Image result for loyola lake shore campus

We’ll stay on the beautiful and prestigious Loyola University Lake Shore Campus, located just north of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. The Lake Shore Campus (LSC) is conveniently located off the CTA Red Line – Loyola “L” station at 1032 W Sheridan Rd.  We’ll use the CTA each day as we travel to our church planter partners, where we will serve to strengthen the mission of their church.

Lake Shore Campus is the largest of Loyola’s four campus’. It serves as main residential and undergraduate campus; home to more than 3,000 students, and set along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Recreation Options

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For recreation options, we’ll use Halas Hall, Loyola’s state of the art fitness center. It has multiple basketball courts, a swimming pool, and an indoor climbing wall. Just steps outside, you’ll find the quad, which can be used for ultimate frisbee tournaments and other awesome games! Don’t forget to pack a swimsuit because there is even a beach just next to campus.

Worship and Teaching

Camp Pastor – T. Alan Lusk

T. Lusk and his wife Rebecca have three kids: Cooper, Quinn, and Kate. They live in Prairieville, LA a suburb of Baton Rouge where T. serves as the Campus Pastor at The Grove Church in Prairieville, LA.   T.  has a passion to preach the Gospel and desires to see students cross over from death to life. Listen to some of T’s sermons.

 

FAQ’s

How much does it cost?

$369 per person (all-inclusive)

Includes a t-shirt, all printed material, meals, travel while in Chicago, lodging, and activities.

When is it?

June 26 – 30, 2017 (Mon-Fri)

What does a typical day look like?

Each day students will start with opening celebration. Opening celebration is filled with worship, high energy games, and a message from our camp pastor that goes along with the daily theme. It’s the best way to start the day. Then students will head off to serve.  Using the on-campus CTA, students will travel as a group to their mission-site. Mission-sites are run in cooperation with our NAMB church planters. Students will serve in a variety of ways; from backyard bible clubs, to light construction, to neighborhood mapping. Everything they do will serve to see the Gospel proclaimed and the mission of the church strengthened.  Lunch will be served on site. Returning back to campus in time for some recreation and dinner, students will end the day in evening worship. Worship is the culmination of the day, here we will sing praises to God and be challenged by His Word. Afterwards, students will come together as a youth group for church group devotions. Late night activities will include basketball tournaments,  ultimate frisbee on the quad, swimming, and climbing the indoor rock wall.  Go to bed, wake up, and do it again!

Is there a theme?

Yes! The theme this year is SENT.

As God’s chosen instrument for the redemption of humanity we are all SENT. John 20:21 says, “Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” Each day we will look at a different daily theme. The daily themes are:

sent-shirt

Day 1 – God SENT His Son

Day 2 – God SENT His Spirit

Day 3 – God SENT His Word

Day 4 – God Sent You

These themes will be reinforced each morning at Morning Celebration and each night during Worship.  They will also be reflected in students daily devotionals.

Will there be college staff there?

Yes! NAMB has a new program called GenSend, short for Generation Send.  GenSend is designed to be one of the most exciting, intense and unique student missionary experiences in North America. It immerses young adults into an urban context to gain a practical knowledge of the realities of missions and leadership. Participants will spend their time learning to live their life on mission under the guidance of urban ministry leaders. Along with reinforcing gospel foundations and simple missiological practices, the intention of GenSend is to be an extension of the local church’s church planting and mission efforts.

These students will serve as our staff during our week in Chicago. They will travel with us to the mission-sites and serve as “experts” in the field. These students are excited about getting to know students and invest in them.

Find out more about GenSend here: Generation Send

What should we pack?

See the Chicago Mission Camp packing list

Chicago Mission Camp packing list

What about my middle-schooler?

If you are worried that your middle-schooler might be too young for a trip like this, think again. There will be special middle school friendly service opportunities that limit city travel and have greater oversight and boundaries.  Middle-schoolers will most definitely get the same challenge and fun, but in an atmosphere where they can best succeed.

Is it safe?

While complete safety can never be guaranteed, we can assure you that students will only serve in neighborhoods deemed safe by the NAMB Send City Coordinator.  Loyola University has a dedicated campus security team and students will never be allowed to leave campus unsupervised by an adult.  The area that Loyola University is located is one of the wealthier and safest parts of Chicago. Chicago is a BIG city. The crime that you are accustom to hearing about is far from where we will be. Not convinced? Don’t just send your students, come with them and see for yourself.