June 11-16, 2024 | Mobile, AL
A Mission Trip On A Mission
This June, the Rise Youth Group will go with Alive in You to Mobile, Alabama! Over 200 young Catholics from around the U.S. will join us, all with one goal in mind: to serve others as Jesus did. For years, Alive in You has offered incredible opportunities for “participants to open their hearts and allow Christ to become the center of their lives.”
The Details
This year’s mission trip is open to students currently in 7th-12th grade. Young adults and adults are also welcome and encouraged to attend! To count as an adult chaperone, you must be 21 years of age or older.
COST: $515 (with options for payment plans and scholarships available)
If you are unable to pay at this time, please contact Antoinette at ahanning@stmatthewtn.org.
Registration will remain open until May 1st or until all Saint Matthew’s spots are filled. *Spots are limited and are first-come, first-served!
Chaperone vehicles will be used throughout the week to travel to and from Mobile and transport participants to work sites.
Spring Hill College will be hosting our group for the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
This year, Saint Matthew will be going on a mission trip with the incredible organization, Alive in You. A handful of these camps are hosted every summer in various locations. It is a mission trip, Catholic conference, retreat and adventure all rolled into one week. As with Servio Deo in previous years, it’ll consist of a rhythm between service projects, sacraments, evening programs with games, small group discussions, and a free day (spent doing a fun offsite activity). There will also be opportunities throughout to build friendships, faith, and your love for life as you serve others.
We wouldn’t be able to attend Alive in You without the impact Servio Deo has made on our parish! After last year, there was absolutely no doubt that we needed to continue to host annual mission trips; however, much prayer and long conversations helped us realize that Alive in You truly presented the best opportunity to make this happen. Which is why we’re so excited to be joining them!
Tuesday (June 11th): We’ll meet up at Saint Matthew’s, pack up the cars and hit the road! Around lunch time we’ll stop to grab some fast food then continue the journey. Once we arrive at Spring Hill College participants will have a bit of time to unpack. Afterwards we’ll dive into the opening session, dinner, Mass, Parish time etc. before we get some much needed sleep!
Wednesday – Friday (June 12-14): These days, we get to be out on work sites! Every morning starts with breakfast and a quick morning session before the groups split up to leave. After worksites are finished, the afternoons consist of free time, Mass, dinner, an evening session, parish time and more free time!
Saturday (June 15): Today, breakfast and the morning session are followed by an off-site activity just for Saint Matthew! Once we’ve had a sufficient amount of fun, we’ll switch into conference mode back at the college. There’ll be a special keynote speaker, workshops, Adoration, a concert and more!
Sunday (June 16): Smile, because you’ve been on camera all week! After breakfast, everyone will gather for a highlight video and closing Mass. Then, we’ll hit the road to return to good ol’ Tennessee!
One of Alive in You’s main goals is to help strengthen the parish community, so they’ll keep Saint Matthew participants together on work sites (we will NOT send your kids out without a chaperone from our parish). This also allows us to try to keep friend groups together; however, there is a chance we’ll be split into two or more groups. If this happens, teens will likely be divided by grades.
As far as the actual work goes, each worksite will look different. Typical projects include painting, working at low-income community centers, homeless shelters and soup kitchens, landscaping, and simple building projects. Alive in You has a work project coordinator responsible for vetting and selecting all the sites. Once locations are finalized, this person will be in close contact with Antoinette to ensure the projects are a good match for Saint Matthew participants.
There is absolutely no way we’d be able to go on a mission trip if it wasn’t for our amazing chaperones! As a chaperone, you’ll not only help us caravan to Mobile, Alabama and back, but you’ll also get the opportunity to truly participate in the experience with the teens. You’ll be at worksites, evening programs, meals, Mass, walking and guiding our group. The specific responsibilities day to day will look different: Tuesday, perhaps you’ll become the designated DJ; Wednesday might require some creative thinking on how to get kids to talk; Thursday, possibly keeping a joyful spirit of service; Friday, probably rolling kids out of bed; Saturday, you may be called to dust off your volleyball skills. The possibilities are vast. If you have any specific questions regarding this, please let me know!
Alive in You requires a 6:1 student-to-chaperone ratio from each participating parish. Chaperones must be 21 or older and cleared through the diocese’s safe environment program. Rules and expectations of these adults will be communicated towards the beginning of the week.
If your student worked at the Pancake Breakfast in February, they are automatically eligible for a scholarship. Since this event has already passed, there will be a few additional opportunities as we get closer to the mission trip. These will not be advertised, so make sure to contact Antoinette for more information.