H.O.M.E. is a new adventure for the outreach ministry of Carolina Cross Connection (CCC) in conjunction with the passion and service of the Haywood Street Congregation. For 24 years, CCC has been leading youth and adults in serving people in need with home repair and hope. But what would it look like to serve people with no homes? The Haywood Street Congregation does that every day through their ministry to all people living in downtown Asheville, including the homeless. During H.O.M.E., CCC will partner with Haywood Street to give your group an opportunity to make a difference and to gain a better understanding of compassion, Christ and yourself all in the unique urban, inner-city culture of Asheville, NC.
In the summer of 2010 youth and adults from Fletcher United Methodist Church created their own weeklong mission trip just in their city of Asheville along with the Haywood Street Congregation. This was an experiment in creating a new and bold missional experience. The Fletcher UMC group learned about homelessness first-hand as they worked at a local food bank, prepared a community meal and worship service, served ice cream in a local park, walked the day-long route the homeless commonly walk, and most importantly, befriended those living on the streets. It was clear to leaders that this should be a shared experience with other churches. Carolina Cross Connection is thrilled to come alongside the Haywood Street Congregation and Fletcher UMC as a partner in coordinating, staffing and launching the CCC Asheville Homeless Outreach Mission Experience week.
Because we value community-building, each of our weeks has a limited number of participants. Only 24 people are at each H.O.M.E. Week on any given week. Your group will arrive in the afternoon on Sunday and depart Saturday morning by 10 a.m. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis, and some weeks may fill up more quickly than others. We encourage you to reserve space for your group as soon as possible.
What will you experience during H.O.M.E week?
- Daily devotions lead by the Haywood Street Congregation and CCC staff
- Bible Study led by a person who is homeless
- “A-day-in-the-life of the Homeless” walking tour of downtown Asheville
- Prepare community meal and co-lead worship service for the congregation
- A week without a shower or comfy bed
- A week full of Christian community, laughter, tears and compassion
- Work in the community garden, clothing closet, and repair projects at Haywood Street
- Serving ice cream in a local park frequented by the homeless
- Life-story sharing from individuals who are homeless
We strive to offer an affordable urban missions experience by offering a fair price and payment plan. If both payments are met on time, the cost for H.O.M.E. is only $250. The first payment is required to begin the registration process and is non-refundable. Payments may be applied to the rest of the group if a person drops out. Substitutions are allowed but must be pre-approved by the CCC Administration prior to arrival in Asheville. Fees cover all meals , lodging, programming, and staffing. NOTE: $50 of the fee will serve as a love offering for the Haywood Street Congregation.
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| First Payment |
$50
by Dec. 31, 2011 |
$60
after Dec. 31, 2011 |
| Second Payment |
$100
by March 1, 2012 |
$110
after March 1, 2012 |
| Third Payment |
$100
by May 31, 2012 |
$130
after May 31, 2012 |
Fees cover all mealS, lodging, programming, and staffing. A portion of the camper fee will be given as an offering to the Haywood Street Congregation.
Campers may wish to bring some extra spending money for CCC merchandise and snacks sold in the evenings.
- REGISTRATION. Registration should be reviewed and completed by the entire group to encourage total group understanding for the commitments being made. Registration will be returned if not completed entirely. We strongly encourage you make accurate estimates and obtain non-refundable deposits from your participants as you make payments to CCC. This helps foster commitment on the part of youth and their parents, and decreases the likelihood that your group will suffer financial penalty. Once registration is received, we will send you a confirmation letter, notifying you of your H.O.M.E. assignment (please list your group’s top three preferences on the registration form). You will receive other correspondence through the year, including payment reminders and preparation materials. If you are registering after March 1, 2012, please contact the CCC office first, as space may be limited.
- FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE. Space is limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis, therefore we urge you to register as soon as possible. It is to your advantage to complete and submit registrations/deposits early to help ensure your group gets to participate and to increase the chance of receiving your first preference of weeks. If your registration is not accepted for any reason, your deposit will be returned to you. If your registration is accepted, then your deposit and all following payments are considered NON-REFUNDABLE.
- YOUTH. Participants of Homeless Outreach Mission Experience must be at least rising 7th graders. We encourage you to bring a variety of people, as bringing a good balance of ages, genders and experience helps us achieve the balances we seek in our Christian community. Groups must be less that 30 people in size. By registering, your group covenants with CCC that you will make any final changes to group’s numbers by March 1, 2012. You will receive a form to fill out and turn in with the second payment to note any such changes. This form will “lock in” the number of persons for whom you have registered as of April 1, and you are responsible to pay the appropriate fees for each space reserve from then on. Bear in mind that members from your church may be serving with adults and student from other churches as well as members, guests and staff of CCC and Haywood Street Congregation.
- ADULT DRIVERS. Your group is required to bring adults to CCC who will serve as drivers for their Christian Mission Groups to and from worksites. Your group is responsible for bringing one adult driver for every 12 non-driving participants (i.e. youth and non-driving adults). All drivers must be 25 years of age.
- NON-DRIVING ADULTS. You are allowed and encouraged to bring more adults who simply participate, but make sure that at least one out of every 12 people in your group IS an adult required to drive a vehicle. ALL non-driving adults who are 25 years of age or older must be pre-screened by your church including criminal background checks, sex offender checks, etc.
- VEHICLES. Your group is responsible for bringing one vehicle for every six participants. All vehicles must be suitable for seating 6-7 people with seatbelts and for hauling supplies, drinks and coolers. Each vehicle should be stocked with a large cooler for transporting lunches and a 10 gallon drink cooler transporting water daily. Passenger vans or mini church buses are the most ideal vehicles for CCC. Your group is responsible for all vehicle expenses at CCC, including gas.
- CHANGES OR CANCELLATIONS. CCC prefers that your group does not decrease in numbers after the initial deposit. However, if members do drop out, their deposit money can be transferred to later payments. For instance, if you register 10 people, then later drop down to 8, you may apply those two deposits toward the fees of the remaining participants. Such transfers must be made, however, in writing, no later than March 1, 2012. After that, full payment must be made for all reserved spaces. Adding members to your group after initial registration may be impossible and should never be assumed. Please call first, and bear in mind that we cannot exceed our camp capacities. Any group canceling after March 1, 2012 forfeits all payments made and is still responsible for paying the balance due for the number of persons who were registered to come with their group as of March 1, 2012. Group cancellations must be submitted in writing.
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If you would like to receive a packet of all our registration materials and a copy of our promotional DVD, please contact the CCC office at ccc@carolinacrossconnection.org or 704-721-0033, and we will be happy to send you one!
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