Urban Mission Inn
Are you seeking a hands-on mission opportunity for your youth , young adult , college or intergenerational group but not sure where to start or how to plan such a big project?
Please note: The following 2012 dates have already been reserved:
Feb. 18-23
March 10-17, March 19-23
All of June, July, and August 2012
If you are still looking for a mission opportunity in St. Louis for summer 2012, we recommend these other sites that offer housing and other assistance to mission teams:
Why not consider a trip to the inner city for an urban mission experience? Union Avenue Christian Church hosts its own Urban Mission Inn – dedicated space within our inner-city St. Louis church, designed to house 20+ people who have come to the inner city for mission work (or those groups who are passing through St. Louis on their way to do hand-on volunteer mission elsewhere and need a “port in the storm”). Why not partner with us in mission as we seek to be God's hands and feet in the inner city?
We are prepared to welcome groups of up to 25 people (though we can negotiate with slightly larger groups).
We provide:
- separate sleeping areas for males and females (or however you would choose to divide the group) including newly-built bunkbeds;
- bunk beds and inflatable mattresses (to save you a little packing space in the van);
- bathrooms (with three on-site showers);
- extra towels, washcloths, soap, etc;
- commercial-quality kitchen space for preparing meals and storing food; and
- community lounge areas suitable for meals, group worship or discussion time.
But wait … There’s more! In addition to providing space, we also offer help in planning your urban experience by assisting you, if needed, in setting up volunteer opportunities at local food pantries, homeless shelters, programs for inner city children, senior centers, community gardens, and other ministries and outreach organizations that might suit your group’s gifts. We can also offer suggestions for cultural activities unique to St. Louis to help enrich your urban experience. Groups are invited to stay for anywhere from a week to just a weekend. See below images of the mission inn sleeping space and images of youth at work out in the city. (Click on the images below to enlarge.)
“Great,” your thinking, “but what will this cost?” Though we welcome any donation a group might want to give to this outreach ministry, we only ask a “save-the-date” deposit of $100 per group, half of which is returned to you following your visit. Our main goal is to provide a welcoming space for those who are coming to help the “least of these” in the St. Louis area.
A Quick Word about Group Size: Unlike rural mission experiences where it might be great to have 40 people working together to build or paint one house, inner city ministry tends to work on a smaller scale. Many city organizations may only be able to work with a handful of volunteers at one time. Given that, the optimum group size for this sort mission experience is about 20 people or less.
So, if you are interested in offering your group an experience of the sights, sounds and challenges of the inner city while putting their faith into action, please feel free to contact Rev. Brian Kirk [brianskirk at yahoo.com] for more information. We would suggest you email or call us with your proposed dates for your mission work. If those dates are available, we will pencil you in on our calendar. We will then forward you a group registration form. Once we receive that form and the deposit, your group will be confirmed on our calendar.
See what some recent groups using the Urban Mission Inn have to say about their experience:
“Your accommodations were fabulous. Without your program we would not have been able to accomplish a mission trip out of our own small town.” Fredricktown Christian Church
"Thank you so much for your overwhelming hospitality through the Urban Mission Inn. The youth from FCC Paris were profoundly impacted by our experience. Because of your help, they encountered poverty in a new way and realized that they can make a difference. Plus, at the end of each day we could come home to a clean and spacious living area. Your ministry is so powerful and it is obviously not a coincidence, but the result of much intention." First Christian, Paris TN
"Everything exceeded my expectations. Our whole group wants to come back. Hospitality was shown to our whole group through all the resources you provided. Our group not only looked forward to the work assignments but all the downtime at such a comfortable and relaxing church. As a leader, I have never had so much time to just listen to how our kids were seeing God active because I am usually so busy planning the next event. Your staff did an amazing job setting up meaningful worksites for us to see what God is up to in the St. Louis area." Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Champaign, IL
“Way above what we would have expected for accommodations on a mission trip. Extremely friendly for ages 10-70. Would recommend to churches wishing to attend ‘Mission 101.’” Affton Christian Church
“We were welcomed very generously. Thank you for the extravagant hospitality. It is such a blessing to find a church with showers -- not to mention one intentionally opening their doors to teenagers.” Lee's Summit Christian Church
“I was just hoping someone could host us but you gave us great contacts for work too. It's been a blessing to bring my 'country' youth to an urban setting and have such helpful guides.” First Christian Church, Pittsburgh
“This location was excellent for our trip. I couldn't have asked for anything better. The staff was very kind and let us know anything we asked or needed to know. You all are truly a blessing and we thank you for allowing us to utilize your facility. This has been the best stay I've experienced out of my five alternative spring breaks!” Ball State University
Read here a description by youth minister Jason Fisher about his group's stay at the Urban Mission Inn.
Union Avenue Christian Church is situated near downtown St. Louis, mere blocks from “The Loop” (a trendy neighborhood in nearby University City that caters to colleges students and offers a host of ethnic restaurants, affordable fast food, and shops) as well as being conveniently located near the St. Louis Arch and riverfront, the City Garden, the City Museum, Busch Stadium (home of the St. Louis Cardinals), and Forest Park (home of the St. Louis Zoo, Science Center, Art Museum, and other free attractions).
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