Tennessee - HS Students

rising 9th graders - graduated seniors

PRICE | $475

May 25 - 30, 2025

2025 GO Team Domestic application
THE TEAM
TEAM LEADER: Molly Marchese
High School Students, this trip is for you! The Ability Ministry in Tennessee is a home for adults with special needs. This is a fantastic opportunity to serve and have fun with this amazing community of people! You will travel to the beautiful hills of Tennessee near Knoxville, to work at Riverwood. This team will work at the Riverwood facility to do service projects and special events for the residents. Service opportunities include yard work, cleaning projects, organizing and more. The best part of the trip is sharing meals, games and fun with the residents, and getting to know them! You will quickly become friends and may be surprised at how much they encourage you as you share God’s love with one another.

For more information about the trip, email Global Outreach at missions@compassionchristian.com
All applications must be submitted no later than 120 days before departure for international trips and 90 days before domestic trips. Please note, applying for a GO Team does not confirm your spot on the team. Once applications are reviewed, you may be requested to participate in an informal interview with a Team Leader. Following review, you will be notified of your acceptance or status on a waiting list. If a team is full you can still apply and be put on a waiting list should a spot become available. Once your application is accepted for any team you will be required to pay a deposit ($100 for international and $25 for domestic teams). The deposit will confirm your spot on the team.


Ability minsistry
Ability Ministry offers a residential alternative at Riverwood. At Riverwood, residents are supported in reaching their highest level of independence. Staff guide each resident in developing social skills, personal care, and spiritual growth as they work in the community, maintain friendships, and take part in the local church.

The Ability Ministry exists to enhance the lives of persons with physical and developmental disabilities by providing services for persons with developmental disabilities, including residence, job placement, opportunities for social interaction, and spiritual growth. In addition, we seek partnerships with individuals, churches, and other organizations to meet the physical and spiritual needs of persons with disabilities.
It is our desire to enable others through training, resources, and encouragement to effectively minister.
Ability Ministry’s curriculum is in 42 states and 19 different countries. The ministry loves to see the Church acknowledging those who Jesus called indispensable since less than 12% of churches in the US have a plan to reach out to people in their community with disability.
Ability Ministry has two group homes in Knoxville, two in Missouri, and are wanting to plant more homes in other places. There is a big need to provide care for those who are outliving their parents and caretakers so Gary is passionate to provide a place for people in these circumstances.

TRIP
RESOURCES

FAQs
Why does Compassion Christian Church place such a high emphasis on involving members in Global Outreach Teams?
  • The primary purpose of going on a short-term team is to learn and, secondarily, to serve.  Serving is the best means of showing the love of Christ in any culture, but learning is the goal…resulting in a reshaped life. Our GO Teams practice:
  • learning to see the world more as God sees it
  • learning to pray and bond with brothers and sisters of other cultures
  • learning to see the diverse ways God can use you for His glory
  • learning that our cultural worldview is not the only one out there
  • learning to discern if God is calling you into cross-cultural service.
  • Our goal is not just to get people “involved” or to have “programs” but rather to make lifelong, mature disciples of Jesus with a heart for the world. In summary, this means learning to trust God in all things.

What is the one thing that causes most people to miss out on the blessing of a mission trip experience?
  • During the preparation process, the answer is simple: procrastination. Delay in asking questions, delay in making a decision to go, delay in sending out support letters, delay in beginning daily prayer for the Lord to bless your faithfulness. Satan is never threatened by someone who will neutralize themselves by putting off important decisions. On the field, team members miss out on blessings (or cause other people to miss blessings) by being inflexible or proud. You are responsible for positioning yourself to receive the blessings that come from giving your best to the Lord in this process and being both flexible and humble in the field.

Why does Compassion Christian use a support-raising model for going on short-term trips?
  • One of the goals of GO teams is to discern whether or not an individual is called to cross-cultural missions work. The methodology Compassion Christian uses for preparing teams for a short trip imitates the one most full-time missionaries use. There are distinct phases of the process: hearing God’s call, building a support team, preparing your heart and mind for the task, and then going. We believe building a prayer/financial support team is a critical element of this process. Even if you are in a situation of being able to pay for your entire trip, building your prayer & support team is critical. Not all of us are able to go on a short-term trip, but we are ALL called to participate in God’s global mission. For some of us, this means participating as a sender by praying or giving financially to someone else’s trip. Asking for support can feel uncomfortable, but we should not allow our pride to keep us from giving others the opportunity to be obedient to God’s invitation to send. Often team members find that the support-raising process is the most tangible way they see God ‘show up’ in the preparation process and confirm His calling for them to the field.
PREPARE FOR YOUR TRIP
Managed Missions: Short-Term Mission Trip Software

Documents: Each person needs a passport, and it must be valid for at least six months beyond their return date.

Vaccines: For information regarding required or recommended vaccines, visit the state travel site or cdc.com.

Packing List: Download a printable PDF of the Packing List here.
REQUIRED FORMS
To download and sign forms, click here
2025 GO Team Domestic application