Grand Rapids Serve LaGrave

Dear LaGrave SERVE Participants,

Greetings! We are glad you have chosen to come to Grand Rapids, LaGrave SERVE and we anxiously await your arrival to our community! We have a great project planned for you the week of June 23-30. It is our hope that this week will help you learn how to have “peace no matter what.” We have been praying over this project for the past year (we’ve also been praying for you) and hope that you have been spending time with the Lord to prepare yourselves as well.

We’re sure that you have plenty of questions, so here are some answers to help you out.

1. When should I arrive?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM and ends at 5:50 PM on Saturday, June 25. Please arrive at LaGrave sometime during this timeframe. If you are flying, we need to know your arrival time and if you need transportation to the church from the airport. Please note that DINNER will be served at 6 PM. LEADERS: We need to know how many people are coming in your group and what type of vehicle you are planning to bring (mini-van, 8-passenger van, etc). Please email me (lagraveserve2011@yahoo.com ) and let me know this as soon as possible. If you are traveling to Grand Rapids in a large car or van, note that SERVE policy assumes you will allow the use of the vehicle during the week by yourself or another adult leader.

2. Where will I be staying?

Our home for the week will be in downtown Grand Rapids at LaGrave Christian Reformed Church (107 La Grave Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 is the address to use for directions). The church does not have showers, so you will take a daily walk to a location a couple blocks away to clean-up. Our first shower time will be on Sunday evening. It’s a good idea to bring along a small tote bag to carry clean clothes and toiletries to the shower.

3. Will you feed me while I’m on SERVE?

You betcha! We have a couple of the best chefs in Grand Rapids on our Host Team. We promise that you will be fed well! If you have any special food issues, allergies or diets other than what you indicated on your Youth Unlimited Registration form, please send an email to lagraveserve2011@yahoo.com to let us know your needs. We have already begun to plan the menu and want to make sure we can accommodate you.

4. What do I need to bring?

• Sleeping bag, pillow, air mattress (NOTE: the bedrooms at church are usually on the cool side
  with the air conditioning on and the floors aren’t very soft)
• You may not wear open-toe sandals or tank tops at the work sites.
• One-piece bathing suit or tankinis (No bikinis for girls).
• Personal hygiene products including towels, wash clothes, etc. (We will wash your towels for you twice during the week)
• Bible, Pen and Notebook
• Nice shorts, skirts or slacks to wear Sunday morning at church with your SERVE t-shirt (you will
  receive this at check-in)
• Work gloves, large paintbrush, small paintbrush, paint hat, hammer and scraper (these tools will be helpful, but don’t spend a lot of money on obtaining them). PLEASE PUT YOUR NAME ON ALL YOUR TOOLS if you want them back!
• Money (if you’d like)
• We sell milk shakes most evenings and there are a few pop machines at church
• Extra spending money for Friday afternoon activities and souvenirs.

5. Can I use my Cell Phone while on SERVE?

For Youth participants:

• May use their cell phones to call home any time Saturday between arrival and beginning of first
  official activity.
• May use their cell phones to call home any time Saturday after the end of official activities till
  curfew/lights out.
• May use their cell phones on Sunday between the church service and beginning of afternoon
  activity.
• May use their cell phones on Sunday during shower time and free time which will take place
  between afternoon and evening activities.
• May use their cell phones during the week only during shower and free time which will take place
  after work and before dinner.
• May not use their cell phones as alarm clocks – bring other alarm clock.
• May not use their cell phones on day away except during the shower and free time in late
  afternoon.

For Adult participants:

• Same as for Youth participants
• May also take their cell phones along during the day to work sites where they can be used for
  communication with the Host Team and for Emergencies.

What happens if cell phones are used inappropriately or at other times?

The Host Team will take the cell phone, keep it in a safe place and return it to its owner at time of
departure.

6. Who will be the speaker at our evening sessions?

The world renowned Jolene DeHeer is our speaker and she will motivate and inspire you all week long. You’ll be laughing one minute and crying the next. She will touch your life and heart forever. For more info on Jolene, you can visit www.jolenedeheer.com.

7. Who will be leading worship?

Adam Sterenberg is our most wonderful worship leader, but he needs your help. If you play an instrument, please bring it along and be part of the worship band. If you are a drummer, we will have a drum set available that you can use.

8. Where will we be working during the week?

We will try to give you diverse work experiences throughout the week.  Some work sites may include childcare while others may include painting, cleaning, demolition, or a variety of other tasks.  We will also have a Servant Evangelism experience available. While we cannot promise to give you four different kinds of work sites, we will do our best to make this happen.

9. Will we have a Day Away?

We will be taking Friday off and going to Grand Haven, which is a town on Lake Michigan that offers one of America’s best family beaches (Today Show 2003), downtown shopping and 2 mile boardwalk. All activities that you choose to do on Friday will be at your own expense. You can hang out at the beach and go swimming, play volleyball or other games, walk the pier, shop in the downtown area, play mini-golf, or just hang out and eat ice cream.

10. Do you have a website to look at site pictures?

If your parents or friends would like to see what’s going on in Grand Rapids while you’re away, they can visit our website (www.lagrave.org/grserve) for daily photo updates. If you would like to receive prayer support or notes from home, you can tell your families/friends to email you at lagraveserve2011@yahoo.com. Be sure to have them put your FULL NAME in the subject line and we will deliver the messages daily. This site will also be your go to spot for information updates leading up to your trip here. Our newest information will be posted, so keep your eye on it up until your trip. You can also keep in touch with us and find out who else is coming by joining the group Grand Rapids SERVE 2011 on Facebook.

11. What if my family needs to contact me while I’m gone?

Your family can contact the church during the day at 616.454.7204. Other emergency numbers are:

• Bob Grussing (Project Coordinator) 616.745.0045 bgrussing@lagrave.org
• Lauren Riemersma (Community Life Coordinator) 616.644.0965 laurenr027@msn.com

12. Just a couple more tidbits……

Our goal is to serve others, experience God in a new way, learn about ourselves and build new relationships. Therefore, DO NOT bring a iPod, cell phone or any other electrical devices that would hinder group interaction. Also, DO NOT bring a water gun or any weapon of any kind. If you bring these things, they will be confiscated for the week. Likewise, the use of drugs, alcohol, or any other unacceptable behavior that will hinder the goal of SERVE, will result in participants being sent home at his/her expense. Remember, you signed a SERVE Covenant when you sent in your application and we will hold you to your promise.

Our entire Host Team is looking forward to meeting you. We have been praying for you for a long time and are working hard to make this a wonderful and life-changing experience for everyone. If you have any questions before you come, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us so we can put your mind at ease. If you did not register your email and would like to receive the next letter, please email lagraveserve2011@yahoo.com to be included. Enjoy the remainder of your school year. We’ll see you in Grand Rapids on June 20th!

See you soon! – Lauren Riemersma & Katie Van Dam (Community Life Coordinators), Bob Grussing (Project Coordinator) and the rest of your LaGrave SERVE Host Team.