2026 Summer

Mission Trip

Dear Friends,

Last summer, the Church of the Good Shepherd sent twelve teenagers and six adults to Burnsville, NC to help with the Hurricane Helene relief effort. By all accounts, it was a profound and deeply moving experience for all involved. The trip was so successful, in fact, that we have decided to do it again. I am pleased to announce that Good Shepherd is organizing another Summer Mission Trip for the week of July 19-25, 2026.

While this trip is being organized by the Episcopal Youth Community, both adults and teenagers (over the age of eleven) are invited to join the CGS work crew. We have reserved twenty-five beds and are hoping to have an equal numbers of teens and adults. We are especially interested in those who have construction or home improvement experience.

This year, we have decided to partner with the Appalachia Service Project (ASP). Since their founding in 1969, the ASP has dedicated itself to "eradicating substandard housing in Central Appalachia and providing transformational service experiences for volunteers." Each year, more than 15,000 volunteers serve with ASP, providing critical repairs for more than 350 families. Their comprehensive volunteer program includes housing and meals, job assignments, fellowship activities, and daily devotionals. This ministry comes highly recommended by our friends at St. Mary's School and was chosen for its effectiveness, spiritual depth, and focus on building relationships between volunteers and those whom they serve.

The theme that the Appalachia Service Project has selected for the summer of 2026 comes from Romans 12:12-13: “Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. Take care of God’s needy people and welcome strangers into your home.” To learn more about this theme and the strong devotional component of their program, click HERE.

While the Good Shepherd crew has not yet received its site assignment, we have requested to be placed in western North Carolina where we can continue to assist communities affected by Hurricane Helene. Once we have been assigned to a job site, we will have more information about the work and the accommodations, both of which vary from site to site

Our CGS work team will travel together to our host site on Sunday, July 18, work Monday through Friday, and return to Raleigh on Saturday, July 25. While the exact cost of this trip will not be known until we have a final head count, it will almost certainly be in the neighborhood of $200 per person.

To get registered for the 2026 Summer Mission Trip, please complete both of the following steps:

1. Register with Good Shepherd by filling out this brief online form.
2. Register with the ASP by visiting their website HERE. Our group code is 17167. For additional help getting registered, click HERE for more instructions.

To learn more about volunteering with the Appalachia Service Corp, check out these links:

ABOUT THE ASP

WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT VOLUNTEERING

READ ABOUT THE 2026 ASP THEME

We will hold an information session about the Mission Trip after church on Sunday, April 19. All those planning or just interested in joining our work crew are encouraged to attend.

Until then, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me here.

See you in church.

Your friend in Christ,

Justin+