It is our belief that God’s mission in the world is to reconcile all things to the Crucified Lord. Our responsibility is to join in this work.
Gordon College has a long history of service both domestically and abroad. Today that tradition continues through international and domestic mission and ministry trips. These trips are sponsored by the Chapel Office and are all student-led/staff-advised and motivated by an evangelical and humanitarian spirit. Each trip has its own mission and each team its own character. These trips have been, and continue to be, meaningful and memorable experiences for those who participate, and represent unique opportunities for individuals to grow in their knowledge of God, the world, self, and others.
Applications for Winter and Spring Break trips are due September 30, 2017.
Applications for Summer Teams are due November 18, 2017
Some examples of this year's mission teams:
INDIA
(Summer Break)
Our team will spend time with three different organizations in India: Bapatla Children's Home and Bharti Integrated Rural Development Society (BIRDS) in Andhra Predesh, and Visthar in Bangalore. These organizations work with orphans and with girls at risk for temple prostitution, promote peace and reconciliation studies, and advocate for the rights and needs of the rural Dalit people. We will learn about some of the problems and challenges facing India, have the opportunity to learn from some incredible people, and work with children through VBS, teaching English and helping with other needs.
July–August, 2018
Approximate cost: $3700
JAMAICA
(Summer Break)
This summer, we will spend two weeks in Kingston, Jamaica working with CCCD, the Christian Caribbean Centre for the Deaf. CCCD's goal is to give the deaf community of Jamaica access to the gospel of Jesus Christ, sign language, education, and vocational training. As a result, students are better equipped to live independent lives. Our team will participate in work projects and after-school activities. Join us as we grow and learn together from our partnership with CCCD in Kingston.
May 21–June 2, 2018
Approximate cost: $2000
SWAZILAND
(Summer Break)
In May and June our team will work with the community of Bulembu, Swaziland, a small country located within South Africa. Swaziland has one of the highest AIDs prevalence rates in the world, a negative population growth, and a life expectancy of only 32. In 2006, a team of entrepreneurs and social developers purchased the abandoned town with a clear vision: to restore Bulembu to a vibrant, self-sustaining community by the year 2020. We will help them fulfill this vision by serving in a variety of ways, such as orphan care, teaching in schools, landscape and building projects, and economic development.
June–July, 2018
Approximate cost: $3500
To contact a team leader, please email Alyssa Doucett or Emma Vargas.
UKRAINE
(Summer Break)
Gordon College is excited to continue our partnership this summer with Mission to Ukraine, an organization with a heart for the marginalized and overlooked. MTU works primarily with children with disabilities, giving them access to much-needed medical care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and more.
Mission to Ukraine Summer Camp is one of the best things that happens all year in Zhytomyr. It's a place where kids with disabilities are shown God's all-encompassing love through the leaders and student volunteers.
Check out this blog to read more about Mission to Ukraine Summer Camp.
For more information, please contact Sarah Snodgrass in the Chapel Office.
We are specifically looking to recruit a videographer and Russian speakers who can act as interpreters during camp.
BOSTON
(Spring Break)
The Boston mission trip is centered around the exploration and re-evaluation of faithful community living. Through service with a number of homeless ministries and urban development programs, such as Starlight Ministries and Eagle’s Nest Learning Center, we invite you to consider a commitment to another person’s holistic well-being as an interpersonal mission. We recognize that perspective is paramount in this effort, so we will spend time seeing the city through the eyes of a man who has been homeless for 10 years. This will be a continuous point of discussion as we practice and reflect upon ways to implement love for those right in our midst.
March, 2018
Approximate cost: $500
To contact a team leader, please email Patrick Shuman.
BELIZE
(Spring Break)
Our team will travel to the southernmost state of Belize, Punta Gorda, which is the poorest part of the country. We will partner with the international organization LOL Ministries, where we will have the opportunity to love and nurture orphans, as well as neglected and disadvantaged children and young adults. We will be serving in a variety of ways, such as orphan care, children's ministry, VBS, on-site construction, ministry in local villages, and exploring public healthcare facilities for Belize citizens.
March, 2018
Approximate cost: $1800
To contact a team leader, please email Kate Childers or Carissa Lacson.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
(Spring Break)
In March 2018, we will head to San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic to serve and learn at Colegio Moriah, a Haitian and Dominican community filled with energy and high spirits. Throughout our time there, we will develop wonderful relationships, help with work projects, work in the school, learn about the history and culture in the DR, attend worship services, and grow in Christ as a team. We will also venture out and experience many sides of the beautiful culture that is present in the Dominican Republic.
March, 2018
Approximate cost: $1800
To contact a team leader, please email Cassia Shoaf or Erik Holvik.
ECHO Farm
(Spring Break)
Since the early 1980s, Gordon has sent work teams during Spring Break to volunteer on the ECHO farm in North Fort Myers, Florida. ECHO's Mission is to equip people with resources and skills to reduce hunger and improve the lives of the poor. ECHO's Vision is to honor God through sustainable hunger solutions. Be a part of that vision and join our work team this year.
For more information, please email Irv Levy.
March, 2018
HAITI
(Winter Break)
This team will spend time over winter break building homes for families in need in Haiti. We will work alongside Partners in Development (PID), an organization that has been working in Haiti for over 20 years. Come join us for some hard work that can make a difference in the lives of homeless families in this beautiful, but earthquake- and poverty-ravaged country.
January 9–16, 2018
Approximate cost: $1800
To contact a team leader, please email Erica Beavers or Eunji Cheh.
JORDAN
(Summer Break)
Gordon College is excited to partner with ELIC (English Language Institute - China) in their Middle East initiative in Jordan in the summer of 2018. Students will have the opportunity to teach English with those adversely affected by the Syrian conflict.
Jordan could be the place where you find tangible ways to bring restoration, language skills, and new opportunities to people needing to reinvent their lives on the other side of tragedy.
July–August, 2018
Approximate cost: $4200
To contact a team leader, please email Kevin Kozakowski or Christy Bradley.
MEXICO
(Summer Break)
Mexico Outreach is a short-term missions opportunity to serve in Tijuana, Mexico. For almost two decades, Gordon has been building a partnership with La Casa de Esperanza, an orphanage located outside the city. As we return each year, our hope is to be ambassadors of God's love to all those we encounter. Our prayer is to grow in humility and cultural sensibility as we seek to better understand the global body of Christ.
May 21–June 4, 2018
Approximate cost: $1500
To contact a team leader, please email Aidan Conant or Will Peña.
NEW YORK CITY
(Winter Break)
In January 2018, Gordon College will continue our relationship with an organization in New York City called New York City Relief, colloquially known as the Relief Bus. The Relief Bus outreach consists of two former school buses that have been customized into mobile resource centers to help the poor and homeless. Gordon students will have the opportunity to serve on the Relief Bus as well as do a night outreach to New York’s Midtown and Penn Station. Students will interact with NYCR staff who have dedicated their lives to loving the homeless population in New York, learn and begin to understand the issues that lead to homelessness, and discuss best practices for the body of Christ to participate in a holistic solution.
January 8–15, 2018
Approximate cost: $650
To contact a team leader, please email Sarah Min or Jenna Crosbie.
NICARAGUA
(Spring Break)
The Nicaragua missions trip takes a dozen Gordon students to the island of Ometepe to aid a local children's refuge center while being immersed in the culture of Nicaragua. With a focus on serving and creating relationships, students will spend most of their time with the children and staff of the refuge center. While there, students will also connect with the local church community, work on various construction projects, serve people of the church, and explore the country.
March, 2018
Approximate cost: $1800
To contact a team leader, email Megan Hammes or Alex King.
NORTHERN IRELAND
(Winter Break)
On the Northern Ireland trip, we wrestle with our understanding of peace, conflict, and what reconciliation can and does look like. We do so by meeting with political and community leaders and by partnering with an organization called the 174 Trust, which works towards social peace in the historically divided community of Belfast.
Interested in serving, participating in dialogue, learning about conflict within a culture, and experiencing the beauty that Northern Ireland holds? Contact us!
January 4–15, 2018
Approximate cost: $1400
To contact a team leader, email Grace Shaw or Emma Cox.
WEST VIRGINIA
(Spring Break)
Chestnut Mountain Ranch is a Christ-centered safe haven for boys and families in crisis. Located six miles south of Morgantown, West Virginia, the ranch is a place for family restoration, where boys can enjoy school again and all can experience positive family values.
This is the third year that Gordon has the opportunity to come alongside Chestnut Mountain Ranch. This year, the team will assist in the construction of a new school. Through and in addition to the work projects, students will have the opportunity to model Christ-centered values, build meaningful relationships, and enjoy God's beautiful creation.
March, 2018
Approximate cost: $400
For more information, please email Joe Sherratt or Jesse Cook.