2024 Mission Trip Information
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Details to the information below that are changed or updated will be noted here.
Before Signing Up
The following mission trip information must be read and understood by youth, parents, and adults before signing and submitting the Covenant during registration.
Our Mission
Thank you for your interest in volunteering to be a part of the 2024 Countryside Christian Church ASP Youth Mission Trip. Our group will be working with the organization Appalachia Service Project (ASP) for the 2024 Youth Mission Trip. The success of this trip relies on your generosity of time, talent, and treasure. Our mission is to offer meaningful service, connected to our Christian faith, in order to build and sustain community both during the trip and back at home. At all times, the goal is to live out our faith. As a participant of the CCC Youth Mission trip, you will help ensure that we follow the proper guidelines of our church and simultaneously those from the ASP organization so that we can achieve our goal.
Participants
This mission trip experience is open to all youth age 11 or older who have completed sixth grade up through youth who have just completed high school. Adult leaders must be at least 19 yrs+.
Communication
Both youth and adult participants must be involved in understanding the expectations and commitment of participating in an ASP Youth Mission Trip. Email is the primary method used to communicate information to participants and their parents. When registering, please provide an email address you check regularly. Secondary methods of communication include the mission group’s website (www.countrysidecc.org) and facebook page (www.facebook.com/groups/countrysidechristianchurch). You can contact the mission team’s leadership at cccportbyron@gmail.com.
Relationship Building
This is an electronics-free trip for the youth. This includes, but is not limited to, cell phones, audio devices, gaming devices, and internet connected devices like smart watches. This is so youth can focus on building relationships with homeowners, staff, and fellow missionaries. Past participants can attest that this decision allows the trip to be a more rewarding experience because it allows for increased growth and relationship building. Parents and adult leaders will support this rule on the trip. Adult leaders will have cell phones for communication and safety.
Positive Behavior
All trip participants are expected to represent CCC, ASP, the Port Byron community, and themselves in a positive light. Participants must not negatively impact ASP’s ability to return to the service area. Youth or adults who possess or use substances including but not limited to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, vaping or partake in any type of illegal activity will be asked to leave the trip immediately. Parents will be responsible for making arrangements and picking their youth up from the trip wherever the ASP team is located.
Safety
Trip participants are expected to follow all safety precautions set in place by CCC, ASP, and local, state, and federal governments. These will be enforced by adult leaders during pre-trip events, during travel, on the worksite, and at the ASP center. Specific safety precautions may be fluid due to changing circumstances. Details can be found on the ASP website (https://asphome.org/covid/) and the mission group’s website (www.countrysidecc.org).
Full Week Participation
Every missionary who commits to serving must be able to attend every single aspect of the trip. This includes attending all pre-trip training days, van packing, and the full week of the trip including travel days. Full-week participation is a critical part of the mission experience and no exceptions will be made to this rule regardless of when the conflict might be. If you have a conflict that cannot be resolved, then that means that you cannot attend mission this year. If you cannot attend, there are still other ways for youth and adults to assist with this trip. Please contact us at cccportbyron@gmail.com for ways to assist with planning, fundraising, and cleanup.
Mandatory Attendance Dates
Attendance at these events is mandatory. Everyone on the trip is counting on you to be present so that you can be a successful part of the team. If you have a conflict, please let us know. Make-up dates can be scheduled for training days if it conflicts with work schedules.
Sunday, January 28, 2024
12:00pm: Registration Opens
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
5:00pm – 6:00pm: Parent/Guardian Meeting (parents)
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
First deposit of $50 is due
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
5:00pm – 6:00pm: Safe Gatherings Informational Meeting (adults)
6:00pm – 6:30pm: Sensitivity Training and Paperwork Collection (youth and adults)
Friday, March 1, 2024
Second deposit of $175 is due
Sunday, March 17, 2024 – FIRST FUNDRAISING EVENT
Pancake Breakfast 10:00am
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
5:00pm – 6:00pm: Mandatory Team Training
Sunday, July 14, 2024
Final payment of $150 is due
Sunday, July 21, 2024
10:45am-12:00pm: Trip Commissioning and Worship Service
Friday, July 26, 2024
6:00pm – 7:00pm: Van Packing (youth and adults)
Saturday, July 27, 2024
6:00am: Meet at CCC to leave for ASP (youth and adults). (Stay at a church TBA Saturday evening – arrive at Mission Center on Sunday)
Sunday, July 28, 2024 to Friday, August 2, 2024
Mission in Appalachia with ASP
Saturday, August 3, 2024
Travel and return to Port Byron late evening
August 11, 2024 – Testimonies and Mission Presentation during Worship Service
Trip Registration
Youth and adults complete the same registration process. The deadline to complete registration is February 15, 2024. Registration and additional details can be found below.
Click the link above to register for the trip. This should take you to the quick group member sign up. See the picture to the left. You will want to input the group number: 15485
Make sure it pulls up Countryside Christian Church as shown to the left and click “Join this group”.
A pop-up window should appear and fill out the “Are You New?” section to set up a new account.
They will next ask you for week preference and state preference. Please input the following information:
1st week preference: Wk8 7/28/2024
2nd week preference: Wk7 7/21/2024
1st State Preference: KY
2nd State Preference: WV
Max Drive Time Preference: 10
Most Important Factor: Date
Your confirmation should look like the screen to the left.
Financial Responsibility
Each youth and adult is responsible for fundraising to cover their cost of attending the mission trip. There are fundraising goals that need to be met during the months leading up to the trip. The fundraising goals have been set based on the expected 2024 budget to cover expenses such as van rentals, gas, meals, t-shirts, supplies, and ASP fees. This year, ASP raised their volunteer fees by $25. We are passing the increase on to our volunteers to ensure we have enough money in our operating budget to meet the group’s travel needs, including van rental, gas, overnight stays, and meals along the way.
Participants are encouraged to use a variety of methods to meet their fundraising goals. Explain to family, friends, church members, neighbors, and coworkers the nature of the mission trip and the need in Appalachia and ask them to contribute donations. Resources are available here to assist participants in collecting donations. Included are fundraising templates that can be filled out and sent by mail or email. Participants can also contribute to their goals with personal or family funds. CCC plans to offer several group fundraisers prior to the mission trip. A portion of the funds from the group fundraisers will be split equally among the participants who volunteer to partipate in the fundraiser while a portion will be used to cover general trip expenses.
Fundraising Goals and Deadlines
We have set the following required fundraising deadlines to help participants pace their fundraising and allow for expenses to be paid during pre-trip planning. Missionaries can exceed these goals and submit funds early. Participants who wish to meet the total goal in one lump sum may send it with their deposit.
Youth Total Fundraising Goal: $375
Adult Total Fundraising Goal: $375
Due on or before Youth / Adult
February 15, 2024 $50
March 1, 2024 $175
July 14, 2024 $150
Checks are the preferred method for fundraising. Make checks payable to “Countryside Christian Church.” Write “Youth Mission Trip” and the name(s) of the missionary on the memo line. Single checks can be written that include fundraising for multiple family members. Cash is also accepted. Electronic fundraising using a debit or credit card can be made online at
When submitting funds to the trip registrar, please include the Fundraising Form with the funds. This form needs to be sent for all types of fundraising (checks, cash, electronic) and it can be sent by mail or sent by email to cccportbyron@gmail.com. The main purpose of this form is so that missionaries have the mailing addresses of their donors when writing thank you postcards during the mission trip. An incomplete, incorrect, or missing form can make it difficult or impossible to identify the source of the donation or the missionary it is intended to support. In these cases the money will still be used to support the mission trip but the individual missionary may not get credit for the fundraising. Also, there may be no way to identify the donor so that they can be thanked for the support, and, if the trip is cancelled, there may be no way to return the donation.
Funds can be mailed or dropped off. Primary address:
ASP Youth Mission Trip
c/o Countryside Christian Church
3817 230th St. N
Port Byron, IL 61275
Cancellations
ASP is a charitable organization that is highly rated for its efficient use of funds. The work they do is essential and life-altering for both the missionaries and the families that they serve. Because of this, the CCC ASP leadership team feels passionately that, to the extent possible, funds raised by missionaries should support ASP’s service, even if the trip has to be cancelled for any reason.
At the same time, we do not want donors to feel that their donations are being held hostage or used in an unintended manner. With this in mind, the following cancellation policies are currently in place:
Personal Cancellation
If a participant has to cancel their attendance for personal reasons, their deposit and any funds raised are not refundable and cannot be transferred to another missionary or future mission trip. Those funds will stay with ASP and go to help the families of Appalachia.
If a participant has to cancel their attendance for personal reasons, their deposit and any funds raised are not refundable and cannot be transferred to another missionary or future mission trip. Those funds will stay with ASP and go to help the families of Appalachia.
ASP or CCC Cancellation
In the event that the trip is cancelled by ASP or CCC, all fundraising will ideally be donated to ASP as if the trip were to continue. Even if we aren’t there, ASP and their contractors will use the money to complete projects with the spirit of making homes warmer, safer and drier for the people of Appalachia.
We recognize that individual circumstances vary and some donors will request refunds. In the event that ASP or CCC cancels the trip, we will accommodate refund requests and will work with each donor individually. Refunds should be requested by contacting cccportbyron@gmail.com. Depending on the date the trip is cancelled and the date the return is requested, portions of the funds may have already been spent on the behalf of the participant or forwarded to ASP and will not be available for refund. Our promise is that we will respond with full transparency and work to return whatever portions are available to you.
Adult Leader Responsibilities and Requirements
1) Adult leaders must be at least 19yrs+.
2) Complete a background check to be on file with CCC within the last 3 years from the date of the trip.
3) Complete the Safe Gatherings training for the protection of both youth and adults.
4) Safely drive a 12-passenger van to Appalachia with one other adult and 5 youth (if needed).
5) Share your faith, as best you are able, and be willing to grow in your own faith and learn from the Christian-based experience.
6) Be a positive leader who enforces proper behavior (at all times) and draws youth together to build community to create a more fulfilling week.
7) Enforce all CCC and ASP rules/standards of behavior as laid out within the Covenant agreed upon by all youth and their parents, during all aspects of this experience and most especially on the trip.
8) Follow and help others follow and be aware of the 3 S’s: Sensitivity, Safety, and Stewardship.
9) Be familiar with the safety manual for ASP and make sure that you and all youth volunteers are secure in the policies, procedures, and expectations of how to work safely on a construction site.
10) Respect the ASP staff and follow the ASP guidelines for building. Sometimes the directions given to you will not be how you think something should be done. ASP staff decide the nature and direction of the work on your site at all times and what they say goes. Your job will be to ask questions, seek guidance from them, and follow their lead.
11) All volunteers (youth and adults) are expected to participate in the programs including, but not limited to, meals, chores, meetings, and evening gatherings. Your presence and participation at every CCC-led event and ASP staff-led event is required and will be a great part of your experience as a volunteer. Enjoy every moment!