MONTREAL, QUEBEC SERVE

Dates: July 10-17, 2010
Cost:
Early Bird Rate by April 1:   $310 USD
Regular Rate on/after April 1:   $360 USD
This is a NON-SMOKING site.
Site Capacity: 5 (incl. leaders) 

Group Size Restrictions: For individuals or groups of 5 or less only – Please note: the total group size cannot exceed 5-6 people including both leaders and students.

NOTE: This is not a typical SERVE experience. You will be challenged to grow in your faith, but there will not be an evening session with a speaker and worship leader.

General Description: As part of the Montreal SERVE, you will be working for and with a variety of ministries and people. You may be reaching out to the Jewish people with Jews for Jesus, the poor who live in the West Island of Montreal with West Island Mission by packing and delivering food baskets, or Youth for Christ, to seafarers around the world who come into the Port of Montreal and have contact with the Seafarer’s Ministry. You will also be reaching out to the homeless who live on the streets of Montreal by offering them lunches. You will be working in the downtown urban area of Montreal, in the suburban area of Dollard des Ormeaux, and other parts of the Greater Montreal area. The main focus of this site is not the physical work you will be doing; our focus is to help you be the hands of feet of Jesus, but also to see Jesus in the people you are serving. Our hope is that you will experience the joy and even some of the sorrow of building relationships with the people God will bring into your life in this one short week of your life. 

Montreal is the largest city in the Province of Quebec with a population in the Greater Montreal area of about 3 million people. It is a wonderfully diverse city where you will hear languages from every part of the world. Do not worry if your French is bad or even nonexistent, as Montreal and Quebec City both have large English populations and/or cater to the Anglophone tourist trade. If you learn a few phrases in French before you come, you will be welcomed warmly and respected by those who live here. The culture is French, a touch of Europe in North America and this has influenced the English culture too. The English in Quebec are different from the English elsewhere in North America, in a very good and pleasant way! 

Facilities: You will be staying with host families from First Christian Reformed Church of Montreal. 

Worksites: In Montreal, our goal is to introduce you to the wide variety of ministry opportunities available in a large urban setting like ours. We will be partnering with a number of different ministries; the possibilities include the Seafarer’s Ministry, West Island Mission, Jews for Jesus, and a local group who feed the homeless, to name a few. You will be introduced to these ministries and then spend time actually working alongside the people of these ministries in order to get some hands on experience. You will learn why Quebec is the largest mission field in North America and the cultural influences on the church and missions, making it different from most of the rest of the USA and Canada.  An important part of this SERVE site is talking about missions and our faith, so we will be talking about Jesus and your faith, about where you’re at with God and about who God may be calling you to be or what he may be calling you to do. 

Day Away: Quebec City or Mount Tremblant in the Laurentians  

Transportation: Registration fees do NOT include transportation to and from this mission experience. As an all-inclusive site, transportation will be provided for you once you arrive at the site. For your decision making purposes, the closest airport is Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport (formerly Dorval Airport). Please DO NOT book airfare until you have received written confirmation from Youth Unlimited that you have been placed at this site.

Speaker: In place of a speaker, we will be taking time to reflect on the day and explore what God has shown you and where you’re at in your walk with God at this time. We will be using either a book or devotional material to guide us in our evening discussions. We will invite guests to join us to share their faith stories and journeys with us to encourage and challenge you. You will learn the history of the church in Quebec and why the church is struggling so much in this culture and what this may mean for you as you go back home to your own churches and communities. 
Music: Not applicable
Web Site: www.geocities.com/montrealcrc
Facebook Group: Not available 

What are people saying about this site?  If you have stories, comments or feedback you’d like us to share about this site, please contact missions@youthunlimited.org