High School Week. Three simple words. Packed with meaning.

High School Week is: Amazing. Incredible. Faith-filled. Christ-Focused. And absolutely awesome.

High School Week is part-service week, part-summer camp, part-adventure, and totally amazing.

We are going to discover what God says about living a life of impact.

We are going to be led deep into Bible study and connection with God.

We are going to experience God in nature and in the outdoors and in community.

Here are the big details:

Who: Current 9th-12th grade students

What: Part Service Project - Part Summer Camp -

Part Adventure Week - and All Awesome

Where: Multiple Places. This is a "destination
unknown" kind of trip, so you won't know where you're
going until you get there. Part of the adventure is not
knowing what is next. But trust us, it will be great.

When: July 29 - August 3, 2024

Cost: $275 (sign-up by 4/14)

$325 (sign up by 5/12)

(a deposit of $50 is due at sign-up)

Summer always provides a chance for many students to go to a summer camp. High School Week is our youth ministry’s version of high school camp. It’s also our youth ministry’s version of what we hope will be one of the greatest highlights of your year. It is different than many other camp-type weeks because we find times to serve others during the week. In other words, it's not just about us. It will be a time when you can come, away from the structures and expectations of the world, have fun, and grow closer to God.

Going on a trip like this with the students from church can provide friendships and encouragement which can last throughout the whole year. It allows students to grow closer together and closer to God. It provides a place where life-change can happen. It’s gives opportunities where memories are made. It will take you to places where you’ll see and experience new things and where you can’t wait to go back.

ADVENTURE RELATIONSHIPS TRUTH

Sign-up link is further down this page, or click here to go to the sign-up form now.

Frequently Asked Questions:

(Actually, these questions have not been asked yet...we're just thinking you would likely ask these questions if you were to talk to this screen and it could talk back. And maybe you do talk to screens. We won't judge.)

Help me out some more...what will this week really be like? For those who have been to one of our high school retreats, think of this week as having all of the good of a retreat, plus a lot more. We'll have time when we are led into deep Bible study. We'll have some great activities. There will be time for you to connect with others and deepen friendships. There will be worship times, meals, time to hang out, time to have fun, time to relax, and more. If you came to High School Week in 2022, then you know what all of the excitement is about. If you have not been to High School Week but have been to any of our high school retreats, then you have a little bit of an idea of what High School Week might be like. And on the off-chance that you have been to a high school retreat and did not like it...well...we still think you'll love High School Week.

Why do we have to sign-up so early if we don’t even know where we’re going? Great question. Okay, two things: 1) all of the magic happen without a lot of prep. For example, we need to know how many people need a seat on the bus. But that's a weak example. I mean, who has a youth trip without having enough seats in the vehicles for people to ride in? Okay, so additionally, we have decided to try to have places for everyone to sleep at night instead of just getting out of the bus at night and saying, "Good luck" to everyone. So, well, so far we have: bus seats, beds. And then there's food. And then there are some volunteer groups we are talking to and they want to know if we are going to have 10 or 40. And we don't know these things unless students let us know they are coming. And there are some places we are going which require advance reservations. Some of them want us to have already gotten our numbers to them. We told them to hold their horses. But we do have a sign-up deadline because we have to know things in advance. Sorry to those who are last-minute kind of people.

Do we need any money other than the registration cost?

The registration cost covers most all of your expenses for the week: food, transportation, activities, snacks, desserts, service project supplies, etc. Also includes as much water as you need and all the air you want to breathe. No other money will be needed during the week, unless you would like to buy some souvenirs or snacks at a gas station stop. Wait - those would be from two different places, right? Gas stations are not good places to buy souvenirs. (Apologies to those who get really excited about all of the kinds of things you can buy at a Love's or other travel stop type gas station.) But we will likely be at a few places where you might like to buy something...so a little extra money is okay to bring.

Where all will we be going?
Well, okay, so we’re doing something - which we really have not done much as a youth

ministry - actually we haven't done this since the last High School Week - and that is to go

on a youth trip where you do not know all of the places we will go. We think you will love

the places we are going to go and the things we are going to experience, but one of the

great parts of this trip is that you won't always know what is coming next.

And that's kind of like life right? We don't really know where God is going to lead us next. We can make plans, but the Lord is the one who determines our steps. (There's a Bible verse about that, in case you have not heard it before.) Sometimes we need to learn to walk by faith even when we do not know what is happening next in our lives.

But here is what we will tell you: God has made some amazing places, and He has done some amazing things through people. You’ll get a chance to experience some of those places and things at High School Week. Most places we go will be outside the city limits of any town. There will be some times you'll be eating at a place you'll know. Other times you'll be making some of your own food - kind of like we do at Trek.

All of the places we will go are planned with the thought of how we can learn, how can we serve, and how can we grow in faith. This will be a very Christ-focused trip. Discipleship, outreach, loving others, serving God, walking in His ways, and faithfulness will all be a part of this week. In addition to these things, we’ll spend time in some really memorable and faith-building experiences. And all of this in the outdoor beauty of God’s creation. It’s going to be awesome.

I didn't go to HS Week in 2022. Where'd ya go? High School Week 2022 took us to Denison, Texas, for some service projects; Sky Ranch in Quapaw, Oklahoma for a few days at a camp; Branson, Missouri, for some service projects and the Jesus show at the Sight & Sound Theater; the Buffalo River in north Arkansas for a day of canoeing, and Little Rock. There were some other places in between, but those are the main ones.

Will parents know where we are and where we are going? Yes, we will let parents know our itinerary throughout the trip. If any parents need to know more details, let us know.

Can I invite friends to come to High School Week? Yes, we're glad for friends to join us. We think this will be a week everyone will enjoy.

What happens if I sign-up but can't go? As long as we know by May 12, we can get your deposit back. We will try to get it back after then as well, but we can't guarantee it. If you need to back out close to the date we leave, the places we have reserved will not give us our money back. It's not like a hotel reservation where you can get the money back if you cancel a day or two before. But we will always try to get as much back as we can if you need to back out.

Is it true the Traveling Circus will be in Bryan/College Station during High School Week and we will miss it? No, that's just a rumor. No worries. I'm sure the traveling circus will be here soon and you can go.

How do we get there? We'll take our church bus. You could also ride your bicycle, but your camp dates need to be more like July 21 - Aug 13, instead of the actual dates of July 28 - Aug 3.

What if we do not like to ride with other people from our church on the buses? Okay now, we need to talk a little bit. Let's try to not think things like this. Okay? Besides, how could you not like riding with the other awesome people from our church? Oh, you were just joking? Sorry, we thought you were being serious there for a second.

Electronics at High School Week? No, sorry. It's a technology-free week. One of the greatest things about a summer camp-type week is the chance to disconnect from technology and distractions. Because of this, iPods, radios, earbuds, DVD players, tablets, portable game systems, and computers are not allowed at HSW. As far as phones go, we will ask everyone to check in their cell phone when we leave. We'll distribute them for you to talk to your parentals at least one time during the week. (For any immediate needs during the week, we'll be glad to let you use your phone or our phone. Your parents can reach you through Monty or Heather's phones anytime. We are not trying to keep you from talking to your parents...just trying to keep distractions to a minimum and help everyone to be "present" in the moment.)

What if money is tight? We've got a limited number of full and partial scholarships available for HSW. Talk to Monty if you need one of these. We DO NOT want you to miss HSW for financial reasons. Now, if you're using a scholarship to go to HSW and then heading down to Starbucks or Dutch Bros to buy coffee pretty often, well, then maybe you should save some Starbucks/Dutch Bros money so you can go to HSW. But if you're managing your money well and still don't have enough for camp, then we really really want to help provide a scholarship for you. Talk to Monty or Heather.

I've still got questions. Will someone please answer them? Yes, call, email, text, or talk to Monty or Heather or just summon their carrier pigeon, Jethro, anytime.