FAQ
Q: Who’s eligible to go on the 2026 International Student Mission Trip?
A: All students who are currently in the 8th-12th grade who are registered for the trip.
Q: What do I need to do?
A: We’re so glad you asked! We have two major fundraising events each year. These have the potential to substantially reduce the cost of your trip. If you do all four events you’ll likely have at least $1,000 applied to your trip cost. Please read below to see the requirements for each event. If you have questions please email the point of contact listed for each event.
Student Missions Auction | April 25, 2026
Fundraising Meeting for the Auction:
March 8 in the Radiate Auditorium at 5:00 PM
If you have questions about fundraising requirements, please contact Janet Allison at jallison@burnthickory.com.
Student Mission Auction:
Summer of 2026 Radiate Students is taking a large team students and adults on an international mission trip. Our annual Student Missions Auction is one of the ways we support our students as a church. Buy a ticket today and be sure to put a student’s name that you wish to support! Don’t know a student? Stop by our Radiate Cafe on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evening and we’ll introduce you to a student who would welcome your support!
Support a Student
Student Missions Auction Requirements Explained:
Requirements Checklist:
1. Every student is required to DONATE either a new item worth at least $30 OR a gift card worth at least $40 (Due March 30!). Be creative! You can also make a basket of items (Movie night, spa, travel, pet, coffee, etc.). Need some inspiration? Check out Pinterest!
2. Every student is required to SELL a minimum of 8 dinner tickets at $20 each (click the Ticket Link for ticket info and share the link to sell your 8 tickets)
AND
3. Every student must complete ONLY ONE of the following:
- SET UP the morning of the auction (10 AM-12 PM)
- SERVE at the auction (4:30-8:30 PM)
- PARTICIPATE in 3 office hours – Must schedule with Janet Allison or Lydia Rudd
We will update the Auction requirements tracker spreadsheet several times a week. When a student has completed a requirement, it will be marked complete in the Auction Spreadsheet firs and then checked off in GoMethod as time allows.
Who is the point person for this event?
Janet Allison and Lydia Rudd (Worship Staff) will be sending notices, updates, tracking student requirements and more for this event. Janet’s email is jallison@burnthickory.com. If you have specific questions about how your student’s fundraising progress is going, please start by visiting the Fundraising Progress Tracker Sheet linked above (and note when it was last updated and will be updated next!). If you still have questions, contact Lydia at lrudd@burnthickory.com. The Radiate Staff is more than willing to help answer questions you may have as well, although we won’t have access to a lot of the specifics, especially concerning ticket sales and student fundraising progress.
Where do I turn in my auction item?
Please donate your items no later than March 29. Drop them at the Welcome Desk in the Commons Monday-Thursday during office hours (8:00-4:30) or at the Radiate Welcome Desk on a Wednesday night or Sunday morning. Please make sure your name is clearly identifiable with the item and include the retail value of the item and as well a contact name and phone number.
If you are serving dinner at the auction…
You will receive an email from Janet Allison for your report time. When you arrive, sign in at the student volunteer table. You will be dismissed when we have cleaned up, and Janet has dismissed you.
If you’re interested in preparing dinner in the kitchen…
You must be 16 or older, and spaces are limited. Email Janet if interested at jallison@burnthickory.com.
If you are setting up the auction…
This will take place the morning of the event, so this option is reserved for those that have sports, homecoming, or a prior commitment Saturday night. Spaces are limited.
If you plan to participate in office hours…
This must be because you have a legitimate reason that you cannot work the auction. You will need to schedule your hours with Janet Allison NO later than May 10.
Run for the Son 5K/10K – February 7
Requirements Checklist:
Every student is required to complete BOTH of the following:
- Get at least 10 Sponsors for the race.
* This can be yourself OR friends and family! (Please note, this is a change from previous years. Students are no longer required to be one of the 10 sponsors) - Volunteer for the event.
* WORK Race Day
* SET UP for the Race
* PARTICIPATE in Makeup Hours
**Phantom Sponsor Registration is open until February 22 at midnight.
**Please note, more sponsors does not mean more fundraising dollars for you personally, but the more people participate the higher the race proceeds will be and the larger the share per student has the potential to be.
Run for the Son Requirements Explained:
Who are my 10 runners? And how do they sponsor me?
Your runners will sponsor you by filling in your name under “Student I am sponsoring” on their registration form. They can participate in the race in-person or do what is called the “Phantom Sponsor” option. Sponsorship is not applicable with the $15 child’s registration (this is the children’s 10 & Under option), only $25 or above. Try your best to get sponsors from outside the church.
What if I asked people, but I need to find out if they actually sponsored me?
It is your responsibility as the student or parent of a student who is fundraising to keep up with this information. We want to make this info accessible to you so that you can keep up with this information. Once you check the list or online tracker, if you find they aren’t listed as sponsoring you yet, you should reach out to them and gently remind them. Or find other sponsors. So how do you find out? There are two options:
A. GOOGLE DOC: this will show how many people have signed up to sponsor you, and whether our records show you have sponsored yourself (remember you, the student, need to be signed up!), as well as if you have signed up to volunteer. We do not print names of people who have sponsored students on this document for online privacy reasons.
B. SPONSOR LIST: on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights at the Radiate Welcome Desk, you can see a list of the names of people that have signed up to sponsor you.
*** To help our staff not get bogged down with inquiries, we ask that you please follow up with the people you’ve asked to sponsor you if you don’t see their names. If they are certain they have registered, but we don’t have record of them on the printed list, you can follow up with us at that point. We so appreciate your help with this!
Phantom Sponsor Shirts:
Phantom sponsor shirts will be available for pickup on February 22. All phantom sponsor registrations received by February 8 will be able to request a shirt. Anyone who does a phantom sponsor registration and doesn’t request a shirt will get credit for a charitable donation.
The Phantom Sponsor registration option stays open until February 22 to allow students a little extra time to get all their sponsors.
Phantom sponsors can pick up their own shirts or can request for students can pick them up for them, depending on what they indicate on their registration. Do not pick up shirts unless it is indicated that you should. There will be a master list for students to check on Saturday or Sunday morning in the Radiate Cafe. We don’t ship shirts, so if you have someone sponsoring you that can’t pick up their shirt (example: a grandparent who lives in another state) you’ll be responsible for getting the shirt to them or they can opt not to get a shirt.
Volunteering
If you work Race Day…
Please sign up for this on the signup genius linked above. You will receive an email the week before the race from our Volunteer Coordinator for your report time. When you arrive on race day, sign in at the student volunteer table to receive your assignment. You will receive a completion receipt when the race is over, we have cleaned up, and Alaina has dismissed you. Please dress warmly, because you may be outside! If you want to run the race, please let Alaina know first before signing up. Keep in mind we may need you in another role that day, so please be flexible if we reach out to you about a specific task. There are many different responsibilities on race day.
If you want to set up the race…
You MUST sign up for this, and space is limited. This is reserved for those that cannot work Saturday. Plan to be in the front lobby of the church Thursday, February 5, from 7-9 PM.
There are also some slots available to work at our Race Packet Distribution on Friday, February 6 from 4:15-6:45 PM.
If you plan to participate in makeup hours…
If you need makeup hours… This must be because you have a legitimate reason that you cannot work Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. You will need to plan to be at the makeup hours on Wednesday, February 11 (sign up for that slot on the sign up genius), or email Alaina Johnson before race weekend about another option. (email: ajohnson@burnthickory.com)
Any suggestions for help getting those last few sponsors?
Students may also work in one of the lobbies on Sundays or coordinate going to an adult LifeGroup.
The option to do this is available from January 8-February 8, spaces are limited.
Our next International Student Mission Trip will be next summer and we’re already gearing up for students to fundraise and prepare for the trip!
All students in the 8th-12th grade will be eligible for the trip. If your student has even the slightest desire to go on the trip, or you even think it’s a possibility they might want to, now is the time to jump in! And yes, we know it’s hard to imagine an 8th grader going on an international trip-but it’s still quite awhile and your student has a lot of maturing that will happen during that time. If your student decides not to go, the money stays in the fund and will be applied directly to trip costs, so you’ll be helping offset the cost for other students. We call that a WIN WIN WIN situation.