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aLIQUIPPA INTER-GEN MISSION TRIP
Life in community on mission.
the basics
- WHEN: June 1-4, July 13-16, July 20-23, July 27-30
- WHO: This trip is for everyone. Married, single, kids, students, whole families, whole small groups. This trip is a great way to interact across generations and experience serving and mission together. You can reserve spots for your whole church, or just your student ministry.
- WHERE: Aliquippa is located in western Pennsylvania about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.
- COST: Groups of less than 30 people: $190/person. Groups of more than 30 people: $175/person
who we partner with
Scott Branderhorst is a local missionary in Aliquippa. He is on the ground year round, so he knows the area and the people and has established trust in Aliquippa. He connects us with people who have needs we can help with.
We love working with Scott. His love for people and sacrificial service is contagious. To find out more about Scott and the work he does in Aliquippa, CLICK HERE.
UNCOMMON GROUNDS CAFÉ
Uncommon Grounds is a ministry hub in Aliquippa. The café is supported by Church Army. We partner with them in a variety of ways and appreciate their passion for social justice, art, and the dignity of all people.
We visit the café so our teams get a taste of the best chocolate milk on the planet and also get to rub shoulders with their team.
about aliquippa
Aliquippa is a small town located in western Pennsylvania. In 1905, the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company constructed a mill in Aliquippa causing the small town to grow and prosper. By the 1940’s, Aliquippa was a thriving community with around 30,000 people.
When J & L Steel closed the mill in the 1980’s, Aliquippa suffered greatly. The poverty rate went up as employment went down. Today, the city has around 9,000 residents. This has left many of the businesses and residences abandoned. In Aliquippa, over 90% of the students in their schools are on subsidized lunches.
Aliquippa faces real difficulty, but Jesus is working through many people to show the city his love.
lodging details
We camp out on 80 acres of private property that serves as a private park for your group just a short drive from Aliquippa. This property has two ponds, various hiking trails, a picnic pavilion, sitting areas, a volleyball court, and a bocce ball court. We swim and fish in the ponds, take walks, enjoy evening camp fires, and overall utilize this space to unwind and enjoy hanging out.
We stay in tents. Groups are encouraged to bring the tents they need to facilitate all group members. In the event you run into trouble securing enough tents, we have some available.
meals
We do have a few foodies on our team who love good food, so we always eat yummy food with plenty of healthy options.
We eat at our camp site in a picnic pavilion. The food is prepared daily by our RippleFX team. We ask some folks to pitch in at each meal to make set-up and clean-up go quickly. If you have food allergies or special food needs in your group, please let us know so we can accommodate you.
spiritual growth
We have seen that folks who come on this trip experience a ton of spiritual growth in just a short amount of time. Each day, you and your team will get to experience healthy relationships in three ways:
1. UP - with our Heavenly Father while you pray and interact with God's Word.
2. IN - with each other while sitting around the camp fire, during meals, and while having all sorts of fun in the evening.
3. OUT - with the people of Aliquippa as you serve throughout the day, both giving to them and receiving from them.
A combination of Up-In-Out relationships each day produces exponential growth.
how we serve
We spend time in the mornings doing simple projects that allow us to work side by side with those we are helping. Serving can be cleaning, painting, landscaping, light construction, or all of the above. We make sure that the work you do is equal to your group's skill level.
In the afternoons, we set up shop in a local park and spend time caring about kids and their families by getting to know them and hearing their stories. We also do really fun activities with them including anything from face painting to pick up games of kickball and touch football.
other logistics
1. Toilets: There are portable toilets on the property as well as one flush toilet.
2. Showers: We shower each afternoon at a local YMCA. Since the Y has many showers, the process goes very quickly.
3. Storms: In the event of inclement weather, we have a church facility to stay in.