2023 MONTANA MISSION
2023 montana mission information
Location: Wabash will be serving the town of Noxon, MT, in partnership with Baptist Mountain Church (BMC) and pastor Jim Webley.
Dates: Our team will leave Saturday morning, July 22, 2022 and return Friday, July 28, 2023. We will recap our mission experience at Wabash Church the following Sunday, July 30,.
Who Can Go: This mission trip is designed for students who just finished 6th through 12th grade. You do not need to be a Wabash church member in order to come, but you must be involved in fundraisers, preparation activities, and the Montana church service after the trip. You must also understand that this is a Christian mission trip and it is essential to support the mission and ministry no matter where you're at in your walk with God.
Supervision: All aspects of this trip, from travel to free time to housing to discipleship, are under experienced adult supervision. There is typically a 1:5 adult-student ratio. Adults are assigned to students for all activities. All adults have passed background checks.
Cost: Cost is $150 per person. That covers all aspects of the trip except lunch on the trip to and from Montana, so please bring money to cover two fast-food lunches. It is also recommended each student bring some money for snacks, etc..
Lodging: Our team will be staying with host families from Baptist Mountain Church in and around Noxon. We have done criminal background checks on host moms and dads and most host families have successfully hosted our students in past summers. All students will be placed in groups of three to five with an adult leader.
Transportation: Transportation to and from Montana will be provided via church vans, and personal vehicles.
Ministry Preparation: We have meetings and trainings before the trip begins. It is essential to do these because otherwise one will be very unprepared for the ministries we are doing in Montana.
Food: Meals are planned and prepared by our volunteer adults in the church kitchen or at the park. Allergies are accommodated if you tell us in advance on the registration form.
Water: Each student must bring a water bottle that is labeled with their name. It’ll be July and quite hot so carrying water in your backpack is required.
Safety: We will review specific safety procedures with students at each of the work project sites. Besides this we do not permit students to walk around town without an adult leader. We have full first aid kit with us and an air-conditioned church for overheated team members to rest. The closest hospitals are in Sandpoint, ID and Plains, MT.
Medical Needs: Participants must take their regular medications while on this mission trip. If kids have daily medication, parents should discuss and arrange this with the head leader. If kids have dietary restrictions, again parents should discuss this with the head leader in advance. We can accommodate most things if we know in advance. No surprises and no taking a break from your medications please.
Backpacks: Each person must carry a backpack with daily essentials in it – water, sunscreen, gloves, swimsuit, etc. We cannot return to our host homes mid-day, so these day packs are vital.
Phone Fasting: Students are not permitted to use phones or other such communication devices. The Montana Mission is a full immersion experience and we have found that permitting social media, calling, texting, music, images, videos, and other such things are a huge distraction to the ministry in Montana and a barrier to student growth.
We've seen students have a terrible start to their week and then have a complete spiritual revival within 10 minutes of giving over their phones. These devices can be such a stronghold in the lives of students. Parents, if you're curious about how your kid is doing on this trip, you may call or text the trip leader at any time. Adult leaders will have phones on them at all times in case of emergency.
Dating Fasting: We permit dating couples to sign up for the Montana mission, but we require that they refrain from touching each other for the duration of the trip. Our standard is that boyfriends and girlfriends treat each other as "just friends" for the week. When couples put aside their romantic relationships, it frees them to develop their spiritual relationship during the mission trip.
Modest Clothing: Montana is a bit more traditional than the Pacific Northwest and we try to respect their culture. One of the ways we respect the culture there is by dressing modestly. This can be a difficult subject for students because there's no clear definition of what is modest and what isn't. But our leaders are great at coaching students of the same gender and helping them pack appropriately for the trip. Just let us know of you have any questions about packing clothing.
THE MONTANA STORY
Pastor Jim Webley began at Baptist Mountain Church in Noxon, Montana fifteen years ago. The church had about six regular attenders, which is not bad for a town of 200 people. The community was tough – lots of crime and lots of people who wanted nothing to do with Jesus or any religion. And the church wanted nothing to with outsiders either. The ministry was going nowhere.
Pastor Jim forced a ruthless change onto his church: no more potlucks until we get some new people at this church. He knew that the church could not afford to focus solely on itself. It must focus on the community and lost people.
Pastor Jim began accepting a mission team from Federal Way to help BMC run summer outreach in Noxon. He was skeptical at first, as most Montanans are when it comes to accepting outsiders. However, after one summer, he saw the incredible fruit that comes as a result of the energy and manpower a mission team and provide. They ran daily work projects, children's programs, and evening BBQs to reach the community. It was slow at first, but each year, the ministry grew. So did the church.
Six years later, Pastor Jim's church averaged 60-70 attenders on Sunday mornings – a megachurch by Noxon standards. Crime was way down in the community. Children filled the church pews. The church that the community saw as dying and irrelevant had become known for its care for the area people.
In 2015, the Federal Way church that initiated this ministry reached out to Wabash, asking us if we could begin the process of keeping this mission going while they start a new ministry in a new rural town. 2021 will be the 7th year that students and adults from Wabash go to serve in this mission with Pastor Jim, the people of Baptist Mountain Church, and the people of Noxon, Montana. The ministry continues to deepen as we build relationships and lasting partnerships with the people at this church and in this town.
On our end, we've noticed changed hearts in our students and we've noticed students who are timid and afraid transform into powerful leaders and servants in one short week. We've seen students' faith develop rapidly and in ways that simply aren't attainable unless they're out of their hometown and away from their comfort zones. The Montana Mission is the best bang-for-your-buck ministry and growth opportunity for teens that we've seen and we would recommend it for any student willing to put in the preparation and effort.
WHAT WE WILL DO
Our ministry might include the following aspects:
Vacation Bible School: There isn’t a VBS at many small churches since they don’t have the resources to pull it off. Our VBS in Noxon draws 25-35 kids daily. To us, this isn’t a huge number, but for a town of 200 people, it’s a huge participation ratio. Expect our VBS ministry to include skits, music, crafts, games, and Bible lessons. Students running VBS should expect to attend a few extra planning meetings at Wabash before the trip.
Worship: The worship team will play at park nights, Sunday church, and team meetings. The whole town likes to participate on park nights.
Youth Ministry: A primary objective is partnering with youth. This means you will likely be working alongside local teens and developing new friends. In 2021, we led field games that drew dozens of teenagers to play with us.
Church: We will be attending the local church on Sunday and getting to know the people there.
Work Projects: There are many work projects you may be assigned to. You will find out day by day where you are to report to and training will be provided. Types of work include painting, building projects, yardwork, woodcutting and stacking, and whatever else the Lord provides for us to help the community.
Community Park Nights: In late afternoon, we will setup a community BBQ, blowup big toys for children, enjoy music, and deliver testimonies for the entire town. Many people will come to all of these evenings. On the last evening, we usually do a traditional pig roast.
Chill Time: Sometimes, we’ll be rushing everybody to hurry up and go. Sometimes there will be downtime. Let the leaders stress and worry about the schedule. Students can relax, hang out, and enjoy each other’s company while we wait.