Youth & Young Adult
Mission Trips

Here, you will find information about all of our upcoming Youth Mission Trip Offerings. More trips will be offered! Take a look at what we have in store, and contact Pastor Mary if you are interested in coming on one of these trips.

Bromley School in Liberia, West Africa

In July 2008, St. James' sent a team of 10 missioners, seven of whom were youth, to the Bromley Episcopal Mission School for Girls in Liberia, West Africa. This team partnered with Solar Light for Africa to install solar panels that provided the school with electricity and light. In October 2009, we are sending 10 adults on a teacher training and support mission and are planning to send another youth mission June 22 through July 5, 2010. Liberia is emerging from 14 years of civil war, and has endured the complete and total loss of its infrastructure. Many of the students are orphans and all have been traumatized by the horrors of war. As the country begins to rebuild, St. James’ has taken an active role in assisting with that process, specifically with regard to Bromley. The hope is to continue building relationships and providing support for these extraordinary young girls.

Towel Ministry

St. James' is one of several participants in the Towel Mission, located in the mountains of North Carolina. The towel is a symbol of service (from John 13:3), and the service offered by youth is home repair. They work with elderly and/or handicapped persons, sprucing up their homes, and spending time with them. The emphasis of Towel is on both physical labor, and the relationships built between the homeowners and the youth. The Valle Crucis Conference Center hosts the youth and their adult leaders, and free time is spent swimming, hiking, and playing games. The 2010 Towel trip will take place August 8-15.

Mission on the Bay

While adult mission teams travel to New Orleans, the youth head to Mission on the Bay, Mississippi, to engage in rebuilding that area after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. For the past three summers, St. James' has sent a team of youth to Mission on the Bay, and the youth have found their experience to be uplifting and transformative. Mission on the Bay is a youth-centered mission, providing housing for youth age 13 and up, and selecting work sites that are especially appropriate for youth workers. Because of the great need in the Gulf Coast, this will most likely be an annual mission trip for years to come. We will return to Mission on the Bay July 11-17, 2010.

Middle School Outreach Camp

Middle School Outreach Camp for rising 6th graders-rising 8th graders was back this year! Outreach Camp is a day camp in which youth participate in various activities, serving the needs of the local community. Campers led a food drive for Interfaith Relief, traveled to Woodstock, VA, to harvest lima beans for the DC Food Bank, groomed horses at the Loudoun Therapeutic Riding Center, cleaned desks and toys at the Aurora School for children with autism, chopped firewood for families in need in Loudoun County, and made lunch for the homeless men who go to the drop-in center on Sycolin Road. In 2010, camp will take place from August 30-September 2.