Each year, an opportunity is offered for youth & young adult pastors to take a missions trip under the leadership of Jeff Hillier. Our model has generally been to offer a trip to Thailand every other year to model the idea of investment to a country. On alternating years, our goal has been to take a team to other countries in which our EOD missionaries are located. Our Mission strategy has been the following for the local church:

YOUTH PASTOR TRIP – This is to introduce pastors to the missions experience, teach mission trip administration and leadership, and to offer connection with EOD missionaries for future trips.

LEVEL 1 – We encourage each youth ministry to consider Level 1 trip where ministry is done for one of our smaller EOD churches. Opportunities might include VBS, youth outreach or maintenance and labor for the church property/building. The GOAL of this trip is to introduce team work and service.

LEVEL 2 – The next level trip is focused at cross-cultural mission within North America. For each group this will be different. For urban ministries, serving a church in a rural setting would be as cross-cultural as a rural ministry ministering in downtown Toronto, LA, or Montreal. This trip expands upon Level 1 by offering the concept of adjusting ministry to cultural norms that are different to the students.

LEVEL 3 – This level of missions trip is best described as the traditional short-term missions trip. Students are involved in various ministries in cross-cultural and overseas settings.

LEVEL 4 – After students have had the opportunity to be involved in all three of the initial levels of missions, we encourage leaders to return to the Level 3 location, teaching students about the concept of investment. This provides continual connection with the mission field and the missionary. This level also prevents the idea of random missions that are based upon world preference and might be perceived as merely adventure.

LIFE – In 2007, the National Youth Team came together to discuss how we could best raise money for missions. A few of us had been around the table when the old model of “Wing The Word” was killed. As we talked, a dream arose in the room that would allow us to raise money for areas of social justice around the world – in the fields where are missionaries are. From the ideas discussed, LIFE was formed. 2008-2009 have been years where money has been raised for wells to be dug in communities. In 2010, the focus will shift to education.