2022 Family Mission Trip

Shining Light Outreach Center, 721 W. Marshall St., Charleston, MO 63834

Sunday, June 5 through Wed., June 8, 2022

Come join us for a mission trip that will change your life!  Charleston is a small town 2 ½ hours south of St. Louis. Much of the town lives below the poverty level. Shining Light Outreach Center reaches out to the people of that community by providing food, clothing, and a safe place for the kids to hang out. Dean Wallace is the on-site director. It is his dream to have teams come throughout the summer to give the kids fun adventures as an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with this community.

Mornings:

  • Construction, painting, cleaning at Shining Light or other sites in Charleston
  • Neighborhood projects and outreach
  • Sorting clothing, preparing food, preparing for Kids Club

Afternoons:

  • Continue some morning projects, down time for everyone

Evenings:

  • Kids Club from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. Everyone is needed to help in some way

Special Tuesday Project:

  • Clothing giveaway to the community; everyone helps with this project

Cost:

  • $90 per individual, $160 per couple, $200 per family for Sun-Wed.
  • OR $32 per adult, $10 per child per day for a partial week

Cost includes all on-site meals and snacks, a spot to sleep on the floor of an air-conditioned classroom at Shining Light, and a T-Shirt!  BYOB – bring your own bedding (cot/air mattress/sleeping bag).  You will need to provide your own transportation.

Benefits:  Sharing time with your Genesis family and never seeing your own life in the same way again:  PRICELESS!!

What you need to do:

  • Pray about going and encourage others to go; pray about taking on a leadership role
  • Start gathering prizes and candy for the Kids Club
  • Start gathering clothes for the clothing give away (NO WINTER CLOTHES)
  • Donate to the ‘Family Mission Trip’ fund for construction supplies, food for the kids, trailer rentals, carnival supplies, Bibles, etc.
  • Volunteer to help with preparation projects such as finding donations from businesses and friends for food, clothing, construction supplies, etc.
  • Pray for the Charleston Community as Shining Light Outreach works to meet their needs

Answers to important questions

Where exactly are we going?

Charleston, MO is a small town near the Mississippi River in Southeast, MO, about forty-five miles from Cape Girardeau.  Charleston is a town with a considerable amount of poverty and need, with multiple areas of low-income, government housing.  We will be working with the Shining Light Outreach Center, which is a center working with kids, single parents, and families in Charleston (www.shininglightoutreach.org). About 90% of the kids that Shining Light serves are African-American.

The Center was started by Dean Wallace.  About 14 years ago, a building and land were donated to Shining Light.  In past years, Genesis has worked on construction and clean-up projects at Shining Light and in the community.  We also provide an afternoon Kids Club for neighborhood children. We have had as many as 140 kids at the club and 200+ people attending the Friday Fun Fest.

Who should go?

Everyone!!!!  We design the Family Mission Trip so that every person can participate, no matter what their age, and will find a way for them to serve that they will enjoy. Whether you are a family with kids, have babies and toddlers, are single, or even retired, this is a great trip for you!  Those bringing children will be responsible for the care of their kids during the trip, but we also involve some other adults in watching children.  We have always allowed teenagers to attend this trip without their parents, if another family will “adopt” them and take responsibility for them during the week.

What does my payment cover?

Your payment covers the basic expenses for the trip, including on-site meals and lodging, as well as some supplies for the project. The price does not cover transportation (you are responsible for getting yourself there, although we will travel together) or any meals away from the Center.

How do I register myself and my family for the trip?

Complete the attached registration form.

Your payment can also be made through on-line giving (choose Family Mission Trip fund).

Send any questions to [email protected].

Online registration is closed.  If you can join the fun, contact [email protected].