Families on Mission FAQs

Q: What does my fee cover?
A: Your fee covers food and lodging for the week and all handouts and printed materials. It also covers any materials needed for your ministry projects. If extra VBS or similar materials are available from your church, you may be asked to bring those.

Q: What am I responsible for as far as other expenses?
A: You are responsible for travel to and from the event as well as travel during the event (to project sites, to the evening gatherings, and to church on Sunday). Also, any incidentals like extra snacks, drinks, etc. are your responsibility.

Q: How old does my child have to be to come and participate?
A: Your child must have completed kindergarten to participate.

Q: Why can’t we bring our child who has not completed kindergarten?
A: FOM projects are designed so that your children participate in the ministry activities. The projects are not suitable for children who have not finished kindergarten.

Q: Where will my family be staying?
A: You will stay at a local motel. Details will be provided by your project coordinator prior to your arrival. Should you want to stay over an additional day, you can make those arrangements directly with the motel after you arrive.

Q: Are our meals provided or will we be on our own for meals?
A: All meals are provided. You will have a continental breakfast at the motel. Lunch on project days will be a sack lunch provided to each family. Lunch on Sunday will be at a local church unless announced otherwise. The evening meal will be together at the church where we will meet each night. Details will be provided by the project coordinator once you arrive.

Q: Do we have to provide our own transportation to our ministry site each day or is it provided for us?
A: You are responsible for your own transportation to your project site each day.

Q: Our church group is coming in a large bus. Can you help with transportation to the ministry projects?
A: It is the responsibility of a family/church to provide transportation to the ministry projects, motel, evening gatherings, and church on Sunday. If a large number of families are coming from one church, it would be better to bring several small or mid-size vans instead of one large bus. This would allow families to choose different ministry projects. If a bus is the only option for a church, project drop-off will take some time and may shorten the time available for the ministry project. This might also cause families to not get their ministry project preference due to travel distance.

Q: How do I know what my ministry project is going to be?
A: You will receive an e-mail from your project coordinator in the spring describing the types of ministry projects planned at your destination. You will be asked to indicate your preferences by numbering 1, 2, and 3, after your family has prayed and discussed the options. Then your family will be assigned to one of your preferences by your project coordinator.

Q: I didn’t get my first (second, third) choice of work project. Why not?
A: Volunteers are assigned to their preferred project if possible. A variety of factors may preclude this, such as having too many volunteers who choose a particular type of assignment, having a family who, due to the ages of their children, must be assigned to certain types of projects, and cancellation of projects by the local sponsoring church. Please understand and be flexible.

Q: We have a large church group coming to Families on Mission. Can we all work at the same project?
A: Families on Mission is first committed to families and allowing them to serve together. Ten to twelve ministry projects will be offered at each location, and families can choose the types of projects that best fit their family. The ministry projects will not be large enough to accommodate large church groups serving together.

Q: Can or will my family be split up to work on different ministry projects?
A: No, your family will stay together and work on the same ministry projects.

Q: Can my family work on different ministry projects each day; in other words, rotate around?
A: It depends on the type of ministry project your family chooses. It might be possible to do different things in the morning and afternoon (e.g., VBS in the morning and nursing home visitation in the afternoon). But, in most cases, you will not be able to rotate to different ministry projects each day.

Q: Are there any special preparations my family needs to make before coming to Families on Mission?
A: Your project coordinator will provide your family with a pre-study that will guide your family in prayer and discussion about the mission trip. We encourage you to also enlist prayer partners through your extended family and church family who will pray for your mission experience.

Q: What is the dress code for Families on Mission?
A:

• Sleeved shirts are to be worn by all participants at all times. No spaghetti straps or midriffs allowed—including dresses. If sleeves are torn off the shirt, it no longer meets the code. This includes at the project sites, evening worship services, the lodging facility, meals, and training.  
• Long pants must be worn at the construction work sites. Pants made of heavy cloth, like denim, are preferred. Shorts are acceptable at other project sites. 
• No short shorts anytime. Shorts should be modest in length. Shorts are acceptable at the lodging facility and evening worship services.
• On Sunday, all participants should wear the theme T-shirt and long pants to church (unless you are told differently by your project coordinator). The theme shirts will be distributed at the project.
• Durable shoes with closed toes must be worn at the constructions project sites. Sandals or tennis shoes are acceptable and recommended at non-construction sites.
• One piece bathing suits are required at the motels, should you have the opportunity to swim. NO two-piece swim suits are permitted.
• Participants are to be fully dressed in accordance with this dress code any time they are outside their assigned room at the lodging facility. Modest-length shorts or long pants and a sleeved shirt are required while in hallways, worship, project sites, training, and meals.