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EAST KENTUCKY MISSIONS: SHAPING HEARTS AND LIVES

Are you  looking for a mission trip where 
REAL connections make a REAL difference?


Welcome to Big Creek! 

Our simple focus on Christ and community 
will encourage and strenghten your mission team   

Why Serve with Big Creek?

Caring

Our mission centers & staff are permanently based in the communities we serve.  We know and love our neighbors and seek to show and share the gospel of Jesus with humility, mercy, & grace. 

We Care!

Established

Our teams have been serving the people of Leslie County, Kentucky for 20 years and have hosted over 40,000 volunteers!  We are beginning our sixth year of ministry in Floyd County, Kentucky in 2024.

We're Committed to our community!

Welcoming

We welcome all groups! 

Individuals &  Families
Adult teams 
Youth Ministries

College Ministries 

Christian Schools

We are welcoming!

Affordable

We know that money can be tight.   We try to keep our trips affordable.  Your total cost of $259pp includes food, lodging, staffing, worship services & supplies!  You provide transportation.  

We keep it affordable! 

Where we are: 

Big Creek Missions has two permanent mission centers in Leslie County and Floyd County Kentucky  


What We do: 

*Our permanent mission centers are intently focused on sharing (and showing) the Gospel to our neighbors year round. 

*Our staff work year round serving and developing partnerships in the community

*Our staff develop connections, meet the families, research and plan meaningful service opportunities for your team.
*For our residents, we offer home repairs, food pantries, community outreach, and children's enrichment programs. 
*For your team, we offer a life-changing mission experience focused on serving Jesus and serving others.  
  (see below) 

What type groups can serve at Big Creek?  

All of them!  Families, youth groups, adult groups, church groups, college groups, business groups, and more!  

No group is too small to serve with us.  (Families would register and be considered a "group" for planning purposes) 

What type of mission work would your team do?  

Your team members will individually choose to serve in one of three primary areas of service: 

*In our construction ministry, your team would provide major and minor home repairs to residents
     ... You'll be blessed by working hard, getting dirty, and fixing homes that may appear unfixable.   

*In our community ministry, your team would feed, visit, clothe, and serve those who are enduring hard times. 
     ... You'll be challenged as you package and deliver hundreds of meals, sit with the lonely, and hug a lot of people. 

*In our children's ministry, your team members would lead life-changing and enriching day-camps

     ... You'll make a difference as you provide ministry to kids in a loving, high-energy outdoor environment

     ... We ask all our teams to invest time into planning and providing elements for our summer children's daycamps 

The Cost: 

We ask for a donation of $259 per person for a full week mission trip! (Sunday - Saturday)

There are no additional fees or surprise charges. 

What your donation of $259 covers:  

Your gift helps us fund and operate our two year-round mission centers. It also helps cover your team's: 
*Lodging (gender based bunk rooms with bunks, mattresses and indoor hot showers)
*2 hot meals and 1 "sack lunch" daily (some of our teams have three hot meals daily!) 
*Construction and other various ministry supplies
*Ministry staffing, worship team (BC campus), worship leader (Wheelwright Campus) pre-project planning, and more!  
*BONUS: Teams that pay & provide info 30 days before their trip receive a free $10 Tshirt credit for each participant! 

*BONUS: Save an additional 10% by signing up for our first week of ministry!!  

What else does our team get

*You'll experience southern hospitality from our staff & community.  We have good food & good sweet tea!

*You'll receive pre-trip training materials and guides to prepare your team.  (Estimated February 1) 

*Your participants will encounter legitimate mission experiences in an impoverished area.

*Your participants will grow in worship  as we unfold scripture's meaning, exalt Christ, & challenge listeners with action.   

*Your participants will gain practical experience in leadership, life skills, and construction.  

*You'll serve with our staff who know the heartbeat and needs of our community.

*Your team will experience challenges and hardships that only strengthen team dynamics and their reliance on Christ. 

*You'll be a part of a year-round ministry that is committed to the communities we serve. We'll be here after you leave!

Are there any additional "surprise" costs?    

No surprises here.  The only things you need to cover are below:

*Transportation / fuel / vehicles to the mission& during the mission 

*Children's ministry supplies: we ask all teams to help us plan and prepare elements for our community kids daycamps
*1 meal out in the community on Wednesday night - to support our local economy
*Optional "mission store" with gear that supports our mission.  Prices are very reasonable.  

What does a typical day look like for my team? 

This is the general schedule for both campus locations - actual schedule may vary slightly. 
See the group planning guide for each campus for more specific details.  

 

6:45 am - Wake Up Call!
7:00 am - Breakfast!  We offer a full cafeteria style hot breakfast. 

7:00 am - Lunch packing time!  Team members build their own lunch at our lunch stations and pack it in their team cooler.

8:00 am - Morning Worship & Sendoff.  We'll worship and briefly dig into God's word to help focus for the day!

8:20 am - Adult meeting / Student team meetings.  The directors meet with adults daily to go over the day's plans 

8:50 am - Go serve!  Your drivers and their teams will load your vehicles and head out to the work site for the day!  

                     (lunch is eaten at the work site - lunchtime is different for each team) 

4:30 pm (ish) - Return to Big Creek ... shower, nap, relax, go outside and play, enjoy! (flex free time lasts till 7:30)

5:30 pm - Dinner!  We offer a full cafeteria style dinner and salad bar every evening, except Wednesday (night out) 
                     After dinner, your team can enjoy some "flex" time.  Play outside, relax, and fellowship. 

8:00 pm - Worship (BC Campus)  We'll gather again for worship in the evening to end our day right! 
                 - At the Wheelwright campus, you'll have the evening free for strategic community ministry & small groups! 

9:00 pm - Church Group meeting times!  This is where you and your team can gather and share about your day.  

10:45 pm - SLEEP!  
 

Schedule

 

Why do we need mission teams in Southeast Kentucky?    

Located in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky - an area with rich heritage, friendly people, and amazing scenery, Big Creek Missions has established itself as a bright light in a community filled with darkness.  Drug use, poverty, hunger, and hopelessness are running rampant in our area.  In fact, this community has been declared among the hardest places to live in the United States. In the midst of these difficult circumstances, we seek mission teams to help alleviate some of the challenges of daily life: housing needs, hunger issues, and disciple-making.  

Our area fights many of the stereotypes that plague small Appalachian towns. Outsiders may think of eastern Kentucky as toothless hillbillies, shoeless kids, and uneducated folks. That's simply not reality.  Yes, we have problems, but we also have many bright, energetic residents, and leaders trying to make a difference.  Your group can be a part of this effort to serve our people.  You can build relationships with locals, serve families, evangelize the lost, and disciple young Christians.  Your team will help nurture relationships our mission has built over the past 20+
years!

What follow-up happens after your team leaves? 

We are a year round permanent ministry. You can be confident we will continue to nurture the relationships that are built during your week of service.  We know our people - and our people know us!   We will strive to connect with our community and meet needs through the year.

What are the two location choices? 

    

Construction

Your team members can serve our people by offering basic home repairs!  Utilizing the skills of your construction crew leaders and teams we will  build relationships with families and make much needed repairs to their homes. 

Community

Our community team offers the most "variety" to our incoming teams.  Teams enjoy a variety of ministry opportunities:  Elderly care, home visits, food pantries, clothing ministry, summer feeding, lawn care, and more!

Children & Teens

Your team will work with others to provide an interactive and exciting "VBS style" experience for our local children each day.  These daily events are located at local pools, parks, churches, and community centers.   Come prepared to serve Elementary, Middle, and High school students!

Big Creek Mission Center

Location:  90 bullskin Road, Bear Branch KY
Capacity: 170  volunteers 

Setting:  More rural setting - travelling to adjacent towns

Worship:  Typically a full band & staff teacher

Ministry differences:  This location has more space for team members, is more structured, and provides more of a "camp" feeling through the week.  (note: we're not a camp!)

Accessibility:  This facility is fully accessible with private wheelchair friendly bathroom, and is all one level

View pictures of this campus HERE
Download the Big Creek Campus planning guide here 

Wheelwright Mission Center

Location:  1369 KY-306, Wheelwright, KY 41669
Capacity: 60 volunteers 

Setting:  More "in town" type setting, located in small town

Worship: worship leader+staff teacher

Ministry differences:  Your team will have a much more "personalized" experience here in Wheelwright.  Group sizes are smaller and local interaction is more personal

Accessibility: Contact us regarding accessibility.  We will work with you to accommodate those with special needs  

View Pictures of this campus HERE  
Download the Wheelwright Campus planning guide here 

Three Ministry Choices
Why Serve in Southeast KY?

Your participants choose 1 of 3 ministries
Your whole team doesn't have to do the same thing!
As your participants register, they'll select their preferred ministry 

Our staff will work with you to sub-divide your team into service groups

 A little bit of Big Creek History...

Hey Y'all!  Thank you for your interest in Big Creek Missions! We began as a 1 week youth mission trip in 2003.  This small mission - with one church team- quickly grew into a thriving "mission month" with nearly 800 participants in 2007.  Since that time, the Lord has provided the facilities and resources to grow into TWO year round mission outreach centers with several thousand participants each year.  Our purpose remains simple: We meet needs & share Jesus in two struggling areas of Eastern Kentucky. 

Both of our directors are former church leaders who saw the Big Creek Missions experience transform our ministries. We believe that this mission experience  can transform your team, just like it transformed ours.  

21 years in -  we are amazed at how the Lord continues to work through His people to meet needs in our area.  We are still just as enthusiastic about this mission as we were in the beginning. Our community has greatly benefitted from this mission - and our teams benefit from the experience they gain here in Southeast Kentucky.   We humbly ask that you'll consider serving with us as we minister in Southeast Kentucky!

Kevin (Founder & Big Creek Campus Director) 

Bubba & Tammy (Wheelwright Campus Directors) 

Summer 2024 Weeks of Service
Arrive Sunday 3-4 pm Eastern Time 

Depart Saturday morning (by 9 am)

May 26-June 1 (Save 10%)

June 2-8 

June -9-15

June 16-22

June 23-29

June 30-July 6

July 7-13

July 14-20

July 21-27

July 28-August 3 

August 4-8 (shortened week: $199)*

(August 4-8 only: Arrive on Sunday, Depart on Thursday Morning) 

 
$50 pp onlin
e deposit donations are requested to reserve your spaces for the summer
*  

Need to shorten your week or leave early?  Please let us know! 

Some of our teams leave as early as Friday 5 pm  after the work day. Please stay through the work day!
You can leave anytime Saturday morning before 9 am

 

Dates & Arrival Times
Frequently Asked Questions

Here's how to reserve your week of service: 

All our registration, permission and release forms are online - so there's no need to collect a bunch of papers! 
1)  Determine your approximate group size.  (please don't overestimate your group size) 

2) Click the box below:  Create an account, register your team & pay $50 deposits online via debit/credit card.  
3) After your registration is confirmed, tell your participants to register online at www.bigcreekmissions.com/go  

4)  View participant registrations & manage group members at www.bigcreekmissions.com/go 
     

Before registering, we encourage you to read our planning guides:    

Read our BIG CREEK CAMPUS planning guide

Read our WHEELWRIGHT CAMPUS planning guide 

 View our locations on Google Maps 
 View past news stories & testimonials!

Download a Printable Brochure about Big Creek

Planning Guides

"Promo" for Summer Missions

Promo Video 

Promo Video 

Promo Video 

The Three Ministries

Short Promo Video 

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