CITY
MISSION TRIP
$469
HOW WE SERVE
Knoxville is situated at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Surrounded by the stunning natural beauty, your team will have the chance to serve the Knoxville community through meeting physical needs of those experiencing homelessness and hardships.
THE MISSION IN
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSE
First settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom, rapidly growing the city into a major manufacturing center. Unfortunately, as the economy was devastated during the Great Depression in the 1930s, the manufacturing sector collapsed, and the downtown area declined. City leaders became entrenched in highly unjust political fights, all of which has sadly contributed to the highest rates of homelessness per capita in the entire country.
Despite their challenging history, Knoxville is a passionate and vibrant community, strongly committed to meeting the physical and spiritual needs of their fellow citizens. This hidden gem tucked up alongside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is filled with so much to explore and discover. Get ready to immerse yourself into a community that sees hospitality not just as a kind act, but truly as a lifestyle.
During your trip, you will have the opportunity to join with community members who are committed to making a difference in their city. Whether helping to repair homes with Operation Backyard or serving meals at Knox Area Rescue Ministries, students will be able to make a meaningful contribution to this community.
Knoxville is still working to overcome the hurt that was introduced to their community so long ago, and we are so excited for you and your team to be a part of this transformation.
Join us next summer in Knoxville, Tennessee!
PARTNERSHIPS
KNOXVILLE AREA RESCUE MISSION
Rescue Ministry
KARM is a Christ-centered ministry that provides rescue, recovery, and restoration to the women, men, and children experiencing homelessness in Knoxville. By serving alongside KARM, your students will be able to join this long-standing ministry to serve meals, help with facility upkeep, and pray over the multitude of beds used for housing each night.
OPERATION BACKYARD
Home Repair Program
Operation Backyard is a program that provides home repair services for those with limited-income, the elderly, and those with various disabilities. Our partnership with Operation Backyard is though offering physical help through home repair to clients in this program. Through this relationship, we can be assured that our teams are meeting true needs.
FAMILY PROMISE
Emergency Housing
During the past 10 years, Family Promise has provided emergency shelter and secured permanent housing for more than 1,000 families. Your team will have the opportunity to assist this ministry by working in a large local thrift store that helps support and sustain the emergency work that Family Promise provides in the Knoxville area.
RESTORATION HOUSE
Transitional Housing
Restoration House assists low-income single mothers. Their goal is to break cycles and regain hope and a future through transitional housing, ally teams, family advocacy, and youth development. Your team can help fulfill this vision by completing home and facility repairs, as well as take part in urban farming to combat a local food desert.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
WORSHIP
Next Step wants your students to grow together in faith and understanding who Jesus is. Each year we create new devotionals for you to guide your students through at different times during the day, and each evening includes worship, a speaker to challenge them through a brief message, and a new video series created by Next Step for your mission trip. All of our program materials are designed to help you get the conversations started, and then let you do the framing and guiding of your students in the specifics of their faith! Each night ends with your chance to gather in your group and go over the day's lessons.
CONSTRUCTION
At Next Step, we partner with local community leaders and organizations to ensure that the projects are meaningful to them and the work they are doing in the community. Not all of our sites have construction based ministry ..or may have it every week, but on sites that do, your students will work on projects ranging from full home builds and home additions, to drywall, siding, flooring, wheelchair ramps, and more. Feel free to contact us and see what projects might be in store this year for your community and week of choice!
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Do you want your short term mission trip to make a real difference? At Next Step, students serve alongside local community members, churches and nonprofits, as we meet the needs of the community together. With projects being selected by our community partnerships, you will be part of a movement in ethical and responsible short-term missions. We actively pursue this as more than just buzz words. We strive to continue to be a forerunner in the collision of short term missions and sustainable community development!
LOGISTICS
The trip is hosted at Knoxville Christian School 11549 Snyder Road Knoxville, TN 37932.
Bus and Van accessible. The closest airport is TYS.
Twin Size Air Mattress
Bedding & Pillow
Water Bottle
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Insect Repellent
Towel
Toiletries
Swim Suit
Work Shoes
Work Clothes
Casual Clothes
Work Gloves
Safety Glasses
Hammer
SUNDAY (ARRIVAL DAY)
3:00-5:00 pm – Arrive to Mission Location
6:00 pm – Dinner
7:00 pm – Worship & Weekly Orintation
9:00 pm – Church Time, Small groups, Free Time
10:30 pm – Lights Out
MONDAY – THURSDAY (WORK DAYS)
7:00 am – Wake Up
7:15 am – Eat Breakfast & Lunch Preparation
8:00 am – Morning Devotional
8:15 am – Depart for Worksite & Begin Working
12:00 pm – Lunch & Devotion
1:00 pm – Resume Working
3:30 pm – Depart Worksites
4:00 pm – Showers and Free time
5:30pm – Dinner
6:45 pm – Worship
7:45 – Church Time
9:00 pm – Church Time, Small groups, Free Time
10:30 pm – Lights Out
FRIDAY (OPTIONAL FREE DAY)
8:00 am – Wake Up
8:15 am – Eat Breakfast & Lunch Preparation
9:00 am – Morning Devotion
9:15 am – Leave for Free Day Activity
4:00 pm – Return and Shower
5:30pm – Dinner
6:45 pm – Worship
7:45 – Church Time
9:00 pm – Church Time, Small groups, Free Time
10:30 pm – Lights Out
FAQS
When should I register for my trip?
Registration opens in July and will be available through early spring. To get your preferred dates, locations, and spaces, it is recommended to secure your spots sometime before October.
What is the min or max people per group?
There is genrerally no set minimum group size for most of our summer mission trips, but based on the location and dates there may be some applicable suggestions and/or restrictions. If you have less than five participants in your group, please contact our office so we can go over the logistics of a trip with a smaller group size. The maximum number of people that can register for a trip will depend on the specific location capacity and availability.
What is the adult to student ratio required?
Next Step Ministries asks each group to bring 1 adult for every 6 students.
Are background checks required?
Yes. Each church group is responsible for conducting background checks on each participant 18 years of age or older.
When will we find out what our work projects are?
Your group will learn about the work projects on the first night of your trip! Our staff will contact you 1-2 weeks prior to the trip to share updates and provide an adjusted tool list.
How are the trips staffed?
A Next Step Area Director facilitates community partnerships, lines up projects, leads the summer staff, and coordinates other logistics such as lodging and accommodations. The trip itself will be facilitated by a team of energetic, mission-minded college-age summer missions staff. The site staff will include a construction team, worship team, speaker, meal coordinators, and administrative leaders to guide you through the week.
What if the trip I’m considering is already full?
Each location has a different max capacity, so please contact our office to learn more about spaces available. In the event we are fully booked for the trip you are interested in, we can put you on a wait list or help find alternative trip options. To avoid these delays, we recommend registering for your trip as soon as you can!
What is the payment schedule?
Payment for a Next Step Ministries mission trip is separated into a deposit and two scheduled payments:
- Deposit - $50 non-refundable and non-transferable deposit per spot reserved due within 30 days of your trip registration date
- March 15th Payment – 50% of remaining balance of trip cost due
- May 15th Payment – 100% of remaining total balance of trip cost due
Is Next Step affiliated with a denomination?
No, we do not affiliate with a particular denomination. Next Step Ministries is an interdenominational organization and we partner with hundreds of churches from all different denominations on our mission trips. Please see our Statement of Faith to learn more about what we believe. In simple terms, we stick to the basics of the Gospel. Our foundation for ministry is to provide opportunities for students to connect and grow in a personal relationship with Christ.
How are the work projects selected?
Next Step Ministries works alongside community leaders, non-profit organizations, and the local church in order to set up work projects. Next Step Staff called Area Directors work closely with our community partners to determine how to multiply our impact in the community and prepare the projects you will be working on in advance.
Will our group be paired with other groups?
You will most likely be attending a trip with 2-4 other youth groups. All groups will share sleeping quarters and we will have meals and worship together as a large group. Many of our mission site locations can accommodate for 80-100 volunteers each week. For work projects, we love to mix students, but also understand many groups prefer to stick together. Please let us know your preference and we will plan accordingly!
Is the mission trip safe?
Yes. Next Step Ministries exists to give middle school, high school, and college students an opportunity to explore their faith, experience God, and extend service to others on a mission trip. Students are our top priority and safety is always our primary concern. Thankfully, because of our long-term commitment and involvement within the community, we have developed many close relationships with local families and organizations. The community is familiar with Next Step and we’ve worked hard to humbly earn their trust and respect. Because of these close friendships we are the first to know if something out of the ordinary comes up or is unsafe.
WANT MORE INFORMATION?
Day or night, Next Step Ministries is happy to hear from you. Whether you have a question, comment or concern, please don’t hesitate to give us a call, or just type "TRIP" in the chatbox to get more information. You can quickly schedule a meeting with us HERE. And feel free to download this brochure below for all of our basic mission trip information.
