Overview
The Motown Mission Experience is an urban work mission destination in Detroit, MI for Christian youth, college, and adult groups interested in economic disaster recovery work in the name of Jesus Christ. Begun and continuing as a United Methodist connected organization, the Motown Mission offers an experience deeply rooted in Wesleyan theology and the contemporary UMC's call to mission and service as a means for individual and communal transformation.
For $275 (early bird rate) per Person
- Live at historic Metropolitan UMC
- Participate in great evening activities like worship, small group conversations, a Detroit Tigers baseball game or other cultural event, live concerts by local musicians, and great speakers from around Detroit.
- Work at project sites from 9am-3pm daily
- Take afternoon trips to the most fun places in "The D"
Accommodations
Motown Mission accommodations will be at Metropolitan UMC in the New Center Area of Detroit. We use a number of Sunday School rooms there as dormitories. We have access to about 20 cots for use by those in need. Youth and any adults who would like to bring air mattresses are invited to do so. Guys and girls usually are on two separate floors. Showers are in the basement by the gymnasium and are individual stalls. Meals are included in the $275/person cost (Sunday Dinner - through Saturday breakfast). Lunches are made and bagged in the mornings and taken to the work sites, and dinners are cooked and provided by Motown Mission staff and/or volunteers from supporting churches.
Work Projects
All groups will be engaged in economic disaster recovery work projects. Motown Mission Experience partners with home repair agencies in the Joy-Southfield, Brightmoor, and Wyoming-Plymouth neighborhoods of Detroit, MI. These partners prepare lists of work projects, home owners, and other volunteers that we partner with for work projects. Other partner organizations include feeding and greening ministries like the NOAH Project, Friends of Detroit garden group, and Capuchin Soup Kitchen. Motown works with each group to match their skill level and interests with appropriate projects. More intensive home repair/construction projects are reserved for older or more experienced groups.
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Evening Activities
Each evening of your Motown Mission Experience, the Motown Staff help you prepare and lead worship and devotionals to reflect on your day of service work. Special outings, including visits to other local church bible studies give an introduction into the diversity of religious communities in Detroit. And, each week the Motown Staff work with you to organize and evening out for a cultural event, like a Tiger's baseball game or visit to one of Detroit's museums. All these help participants understand that this work that they do is happening in an active community of people whom God loves and who have much to share with visitors.
History
The Motown Mission Experience began in 2005 as a one week trip for Middle School students from Birmingham First UMC. Since then it has grown every year under the umbrella of the Young Leaders Initiative and with ongoing support from the United Methodist Union of Greater Detroit. As of Summer 2012 Motown Mission has welcomed over 1200 young people to Detroit, Michigan to partner with the residents here for economic disaster recovery in the name of Jesus Christ!
Theology
As a United Methodist related organization Motown Mission seeks to connect young people to Wesleyan principles of faith and service. So, each week we create opportunities for the work of helping people in the City (social holiness) along with moments of prayer and reflection to see how God may be using the people and this City to change participants lives (personal holiness). Motown Mission welcomes participants from any and all Christian traditions interested in doing no harm, learning how to do good, and practicing staying in love with God.