Important Links:
Mission Trip Handbooks
Handbooks were passed out at WRSHP Teams on November 16. If you missed the training, you can get your copy at the Radiate Welcome Desk, but it must be signed out. Please be sure to write your name on your book and keep up with it! Replacement notebooks are $10 each. To receive a replacement, contact Maria at mthomas@burnthickory.com.
Passport: Start the process NOW!
You will need a passport to travel internationally. A routine processing time for a passport is 1-3 months right now. If your student already has a passport, check the expiration date. It must not expire before December 5, 2026. If it does, you will need to go ahead and renew the passport. There must be 6 months of remaining time after our return date on a passport. There must also be 2 blank pages in the back of a passport.
There are several locations to get your passport. You will need to make an appointment at one of main post offices. Please call and make an appointment before going because they are required. You will also need to take a passport photo with you (can be made at CVS, Walgreens, etc); although some of the Post Offices will also take the photo for you.
You may also submit your application online before you go to the Post Office. If your student is under 16 years of age, both parents will need to go to the Post Office for the passport appointment. If both parents can’t go, you must submit Form DS-3053 (must be notarized). Visit this site for what to do if your student is under age 16. http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html.
Requirements:
Requirements start on November 2nd, but you’re strongly encouraged to jump in now to get a head start and form some good habits. We will provide with a handbook for students for all journaling and notes at the November WRSHP Teams Meeting.
- Complete the application and pay the $250 deposit by 11/2/2025
- Read & Journal through the New Testament (Pro Tip: Join a D-Group! That’s what they’ll be working through together this year!)
- Take sermon notes on Sunday Morning and at MDWK
- 75% Attendance in LifeGroups
- 75% Attendance in WRSHP Teams (Pro Tip: Don’t wait until November to start! Jump in now and be better equipped for the trip! See below for dates.)
- 75% Attendance at Radiate MDWK
- Memorize:
Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10
+ other verses TBD - Share the Gospel with 8 people
- Bring 7 people to either LifeGroups or MDWK
Fundraising Information:
We’ve got a whole page with all the details you need for Fundraising! We have two more events to go toward the 2026 trip…Run for the Son in February and the Student Missions Auction in April. Click here for more info:
GoMethod
GoMethod is where all of our communications to students and parents will come from. (Parents will receive the same emails as their students to help them stay up to date with discussions, requirements and other important updates and information.)
To log back in to GoMethod, click here: https://bhbc.gomethod.app/login
If you are having trouble logging in, please be sure to click the link above to get started, just googling “gomethod login” will not take you to our church’s GoMethod. If you have forgotten your password, pleaes try resetting it before asking for help. If you still can’t log in, contact Maria at mthomas@burnthickory.com.
Meetings & Important Dates:
Additional Meetings/Training Dates (Please check back for updates):
- 9/14: Radiate WRSHP Teams | 5:30-6:30 PM
- 10/5: Mission Trip Info Meeting | 5:15-6:15 PM | Radiate Auditorium
- 10/12: Radiate WRSHP Teams | 5:30-6:30 PM | Radiate Auditorium
- 11/2: Mission Trip Applications Due November 2!
- 11/16: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-6:30 PM | Music Suite
- 1/11: Run for the Son Fundraising Meeting | 5:00 PM | Radiate Auditorium
- 1/11: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 1/18: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
1/25: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite- 2/1: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 2/8: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 2/22: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 3/1: Auction Fundraising Meeting | 5:00 PM | Radiate Auditorium
- 3/1: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 3/8: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 3/15: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 3/22: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 3/29: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 4/12: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 4/19: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 4/26: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 5/3: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 5/10: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
- 5/17: Radiate WRSHP Teams & Training | 5:30-7:00 PM | Music Suite
Radiate WRSHP Teams:
What is Radiate WRSHP Teams?
Our goal for Radiate Worship Teams is to engage, equip, and encourage students to make an impact in our church, community, and beyond through Christ-centered worship. We will use all the elements of worship and production that we use every Sunday morning (worship leading, worship choir, band, sound, and lights) to reach others for Jesus. We will also use this time to prepare for our International Mission Trip with specific evangelism training. We will meet on Sundays from 5:30-6:30 PM, 5:30-7 PM beginning in January. Watch the Burnt Hickory Worship Instagram for details, announcements, or changes. Begins September 14th.
Additional places for students to serve that go beyond attendance to demonstrate leadership skills are:
- Leading in Childhood 4/5th grade worship on Sunday mornings
- Serving in Production on Wednesday nights or Sunday mornings
Contact Carey Amos at camos@burnthickory.com or Janet Allison at jallison@burnthickory.com or Worship@burnthickory.com for more information.
Planning Center:
All information regarding Radiate WRSHP Teams, including the music downloads is available on Planning Center. Each student will have a Planning Center account and information is sent out regularly from Janet & Carey. If you have questions about Planning Center, please contact Janet at jallison@burnthickory.com.
Mission Trip Interviews
All students will need to sign up for their interview slot in the spring to present their mission trip requirements, what they have learned, and check in with our staff. Interviews dates will be announced closer to the trip. We’ll see the Signup Genius and choose a time that will work for you. Interviews will take approximately 15 minutes. Students should bring their handbook and any other notebooks, books or documents they have tracked requirements in to share at their interview.
Refund Policy
- The deposit is non-refundable once a student/chaperone signs up and commits to the mission trip.
- Once flights are purchased, the student/chaperone will be responsible for the cost of the ticket.
- In case of an illness or family emergency, if a student/chaperone can no longer attend the mission trip, the fundraising dollars do not go toward a future BHBC trip. Fundraising is applied only to current student mission trips within the years that the fundraising takes place. Money paid to the student/chaperone account may be applied to a future mission trip or refunded based on a case by case discussion with our staff.
Details:
Who is the 2026 International Student Mission Trip for? All 8th through 12th-grade students will be eligible to apply.
When will it be? May 25-June 6, 2026
Where are we going? Kenya! We’ll be partnering with Peter Abungu, Swahiba Networks, and the ministry center that our church helped to fund. We’re so excited to continue the ministry we began there years ago!
Why go on the mission trip?
The purpose of going on a mission trip is simple: to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ by serving others. While you’re there, you may share through preaching, teaching, singing, or simply caring for people—both Christians and non-Christians—who live in another country. More than a project list, mission work is about building relationships and partnering in ministry with the people you meet.
And here’s the truth: you’ll often discover that you are ministered to just as much, if not more, than you minister to others. Mission trips aren’t about checking off tasks. They’re about sharing the love of Christ in real ways, and in the process, growing deeper in your own walk with Him. Through serving others, you learn more about the heart and character of Jesus.
When you go, you’re not only traveling as yourself—you’re going as a representative of Jesus Christ. Everything you do and say is a testimony of who He is and what He means to you. That’s why preparation matters. If you show up unprepared, it can reflect negatively on your commitment to Him.
It’s not enough just to go. Over the next few months, you are called to prepare your heart, your skills, and your spirit to be an “ambassador for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). That way, when you step onto the field, people will see His importance in your life through the way you serve with excellence, humility, and love.
At the core, mission work is first and foremost a spiritual effort—for you, and for those you will minister to.
But what if…?
What is holding you back from giving your yes to God? Here are some concerns we have heard from parents and students along with some truth in scripture that we would encourage you to pray through as a family:
- Will I be safe? 2 Timothy 1:7
- What if it costs too much? Matthew 6:31-33
- What if my friends don’t come? Hebrews 4:15-16
- Or what if that person that I don’t get along with does come? Philippians 2:1-4
- I’m really shy. I don’t do well talking to strangers. Ephesians 6:19-20
- I’m not sure I’ll be able to complete the requirements…it seems like a lot. Colossians 2:23-24
- I hate to sing and you say I’m going to have to sing. Psalm 150:6
- I’m just in it for the adventure. James 4:3
- I don’t want my child to be far away from me where I can’t help them. Matthew 10:29-31
- My child isn’t mature enough. 1 Timothy 4:12
Student: If you are called to go on this trip, and you’ve prayed about it and want to say yes, you may still be tempted to let your fears and doubts take over and cause you to make your decision based on your circumstances. It’s a good thing to step out of your comfort zone! We want to encourage you to make this decision with God and not because of the distractions of your world.
Parents and Guardians: We know you may have questions about your student’s emotional and physical well-being, safety, financial obligations, and commitment required of your whole family. We see you; we’re parents too! If, after our parent meeting on October 5th you still have unanswered or unassured questions or concerns leading to assumptions in your mind, we invite you to come have a conversation with Chip or Carey. We care about your student and want to support you in making a fully informed decision.
Food & Water: One other concern we often hear from parents and students is regarding food safety and allergies. All of our food is prepared at the ministry center by the ministry center’s cooking staff. We have hot, nutritious breakfasts and dinners every day. Students will make peanut butter (or an alternative if needed) and jelly sandwiches each morning after breakfast to take with us for lunch each day. Clean, purified drinking water is provided in the ministry center and on buses. Please contact Chip if your student has serious allergies and you want to discuss how to best accommodate that. If you are worried your student won’t like the food, you can always pack them extra snacks (preferably healthy ones!).
Application Process for Students on GoMethod:
The student application is an online process to be completed BY THE STUDENT. Parents, please do not fill this out for your student. We want them to answer these questions, to share their testimony and to take on this responsibility. It allows them the opportunity to tell us about who they are and why they want to go. While it may seem like a lot, please know that completing this themselves is a small act of preparing for the trip, where they will most definitely have many opportunities to share their testimony. (If you feel your student may need some help, feel free to sit with them or be available to them.)
Please read ALL of these instructions carefully before starting the application:
- The deposit of $250 is required at the time of application.
- The trip cost that you will see is only a placeholder. This is NOT the final cost and it will be lower! We are working hard diligently behind the scenes with a pre-trip to build our budget and plan out all of our ministry opportunities, and even a little bit of fun for our students. We don’t have an accurate number to give you at this point, but we will very soon. Now is NOT the time to worry about trip costs or to start fundraising on your own. Mark your calendar for the Mission Trip Informational Meeting on October 5 where you’ll hear more about what to expect, cost, fundraising and everything else you’ll need to know.
- Our church uses a platform called GoMethod to manage mission trips. If your student has attended a mission trip previously, you and your student already have a GoMethod profile to log into. If you can’t remember the password, please do a password reset and follow the instructions. If don’t already have an account, you’ll be prompted to create a new profile.
- Students must have a different email address than the parent/guardian when setting up accounts because of system requirements. They should check this email address regularly. Do not put the PARENT EMAIL in the student’s profile as it will create an IT problem on the back end that takes a couple of weeks to resolve (and you’ll still need a separate email account for your student). This is a great time to set up a gmail account for your student if they don’t have their own email account yet. Help them learn to be responsible for tracking information, dates and times.
- Parent/Guardian info will be requested once the student gets started. Please do not fill out the application for your student! This will cause technical problems later on. If your student is already 18 they will not be required to enter guardian information due to the system defaults. Contact Maria (mthomas@burnthickory.com) after the application process is completed and she will be able to help you get set up.
- We recognize this application may take a little while for the student to complete. It is meant to be thought about and answered carefully and is a small part of helping them be prepared for the trip. Do not wait until November 2 at 11:45 PM to start filling it out or fill it out for them.
- If you or your student have technical issues with GoMethod, please contact Maria at mthomas@burnthickory.com for assistance. Maria is available during office hours and will also be available during WRSHP Teams rehearsals to help students.
All important information, announcements, forms, meeting dates, and requirements will be flowing through the GoMethod account. Please check it regularly to keep up with requirements and check the “Discussions” for answers to questions.
Contact Maria at mthomas@burnthickory.com if you have trouble with logging into the account, but please try resetting your password first.
Chaperone Application
If you are interested in being a trip chaperone, the process is a little different. We have an online form that you will need to fill out. You will not apply on GoMethod. This is due by November 2, just like the student form. This does not ensure you are going on the trip. All chaperone applicants will interview with a committee in January and that committee will select chaperones for our trip. Once selections are made a deposit will be required and chaperones will be added to GoMethod by invitation. Chaperones will be responsible to cover half the cost of the trip.
Please consider prayerfully if this is something God is calling you to do. Our chaperones come alongside all of our students to support them, equip them, and help them navigate situations that will be way outside of their comfort zone. They participate in training sessions, WRSHP Teams, volunteer in fundraisers, and are encouraged to complete all of the same requirements our students are required to complete.