In this episode, I talk with Tomy Cummins of Woodmen Valley Chapel. Tomy and I dive into what youth ministry trips look like at his church, from planning and fundraising, to details of where students are going and the mission work they are doing. He also shares what his team has done to help create a great volunteer culture, and walks through what their student programming looks like throughout the year.
Tomy Cummins
Connect with Tomy on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Email: Tomy.Cummins@woodmenvalley.org
Links Mentioned in This Episode
Josiah Venture – A missionary organization that partners with the local church to transform society in Central and Eastern Europe
Compassion International – A ministry that seeks to release children from poverty through child sponsorship and other missionary work
Cure International – An organization that serves children born with physical disabilities
ManagedMissions.com – Software designed to help churches organize short term mission trips
Growing Young (book)– Dr. Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Brad Griffin dive into the six essential strategies that help churches reach young people and create churches they love to attend
When Relationships Matter (book) – Reggie Joiner, Kristen Ivy, and Elle Campbell share strategies, best practices, training tips, and real-life stories that will help you create an effective small group culture at your church
Youth Ministry Trips: Woodmen's Annual 3
- Estonia: Partner with Josiah Venture to do English camps
- Peru: Partner with Compassion International to do service projects, clean-up projects, and building projects
- Kenya: Partner with Cure International to serve kids born with physical deformities
Youth Ministry Trips: Woodmen's Fundraising
- Students learn to write letters for support
- Host huge bake sale
- Sell themed baskets
- Students fundraise with local grocery stores and other businesses, selling goods that they receive a certain amount for
- Student ministry partners with senior adults in the church, pointing them to students for jobs around their homes
Youth Ministry Trips: Woodmen's Process
- October info meeting
- Close sign-ups December 1st
- First team meetings in January
- Six team meetings filled with paperwork, team building. country and trip-specific training, and testimony training
5 Volunteer Culture Statements
- We are warm
- We are consistent
- We are engaging
- We are generous
- We are hungry
Action Items
- Document your mission trip process from beginning to end, and use that as a checklist
- Check out ManagedMissions.com
- Think about creating values for your volunteers
Subscribe | Share | Rate | Comment
To make sure you never miss a post, hit the subscribe button in iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or Tune In radio. Keep your friends and co-workers up-to-date as well by sharing it with them via email or social media.
Leave a rating and a comment in iTunes to let me know how this podcast is helping you and your ministry. Also, let me know how we can make it better!
Next Episode: Gabe Boucher
In the next episode, I talk with Gabe Boucher from Worlds of Wow. Gabe and I talk about what their organization does to create engaging environments for kids, students, and churches overall. We have a great conversation about their process, what the outcome looks like, and cost. Then, he shares some practical tips for engaging families and creating welcoming environments.
