Immerse

IMMERSE LINCOLN

Immerse is a 6-day ministry experience in Lincoln, Nebraska for high school and middle school youth groups. Participants serve families, churches, and organizations in need throughout the Lincoln and Omaha area. Our goal is to inspire youth to be passionate about Christ and compassionate toward people.

Come to Lincoln, Nebraska for a week of learning, growing, serving, and sharing. Use your gifts. Respond to God’s call. Grow with your community. Be Immersed!

Our Goal

Our goal is to train and equip the next generation of Christ followers. We are passionate about youth growing in their personal relationship with Christ, and also sharing that faith with others. We want youth to be exposed to the needs in this world, and deepen their compassion for others. Our goal is also for youth groups to have a week of community building that will serve as a strong foundation for the upcoming school year. We want kids to go away from Immerse with a sense of God’s call in their life, and a deeper desire and commitment to follow that call. We understand that each youth is at a different place in their spiritual journey–for some, Immerse could be the very beginning of a relationship with God. For others, Immerse could be a call into vocational ministry. We look forward to seeing God at work!

Immerse is a diverse ministry experience

Immerse is a service trip in Lincoln, Nebraska designed to engage middle school and high school youth groups in a diverse ministry experience. Participants will serve alongside various churches and organizations in the Lincoln area that are seeking to bring about restoration and hope to the hurting. Each day, time will be devoted to training, serving, personal devotions, and group debriefing. Participants will employ a variety of skills and gifts, and hear dynamic stories of life change from local church members. Teams will serve at-risk children and teenagers, homeless, working class poor, incarcerated, refugees, and those struggling with substance abuse. Immerse will raise awareness and challenge students to deepen their relationship with Christ, understand their gifting, and respond to God’s call in their lives.

Immerse is a flexible ministry experience

Immerse is typically a 6-day service trip (Tuesday evening to Sunday afternoon). Each youth group can select a week in June or July that works best for them. They stay at F Street Neighborhood Church in downtown Lincoln, and enjoy being “immersed” in community and ministry for several days. They will be stretched and challenged in the way they view their world, their role in the church, and their relationship with God. Spring break trips are also available.

Immerse is a ministry experience tied to the local church

Immerse is a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) and Reformed Church of America (RCA). Immerse was started in 2014 with grant money made available by the Kingdom Enterprise Zone (KEZ) of Nebraska. Since its beginning, Immerse has been closely tied with F Street Neighborhood Church and the Northern Lighthouse, both CRC Church plants in Lincoln. Groups have come alongside these churches, assisting with outreach programs such at F Street and at the Northern Lighthouse. Most of the families that are served through Immerse are tied with one of these two churches. Worship on Sunday morning is an integral part of the Immerse program because groups can connect with different people they have served and met throughout the week, and they can witness the diversity of the Sunday morning worship service.

Program Details

What is the schedule of a “typical” Immerse day?

8:00-8:30–Breakfast
8:30-9:00–Personal Devotions
9:30-12:00–Morning Service Site
12:00-1:00–Lunch
1:15-3:15–Afternoon Service Site
3:30-5:00–Showers
5:00-6:00–Power Hour
6:00-9:00–Dinner & Evening Activities
9:00–Group Debrief

What age do the students need to be?

We take middle school and high school youth groups, beginning with incoming 6th grade students. Seniors who have just graduated are also welcome.

Will we have a “Free Day?”

Both free time and recreational time will be incorporated into the trip. There will be an afternoon at the lake, time to go to the Capital and out for ice-cream, and fun evening activities. We strive to have a great balance of hard work and also time to rejuvenate.

How do I reserve the week that works best for our group?

Call Sage at 515-480-3836 to confirm availability of desired dates. When you have secured your dates, mail a $300 non-refundable deposit to:

F Street Neighborhood Church
Attention: Sage Peterson
1302 F Street
Lincoln, NE 68508

Please download the registration form and include with payment. You can expect confirmation within 1-2 days of receipt.

When does registration open?

You can reserve your dates any time. The sooner that your group registers, the greater possibility you will be able to reserve the week you would like. We can “hold” a week for you up to two weeks, until December 1. After December 1, we can no longer put a hold on a week. If a group registration form and deposit is not, those dates will become available for other groups.

What size does our group need to be?

Each group must have a minimum of five paid students and two paid adults. If your group is smaller than five students, we can try to combine you with another smaller group. We are set up to accommodate groups up to 60; if your group is larger than that, please discuss details with Sage.

Do we need adult leaders to attend?

We ask that you have one adult leader per six students. If you have male and female students, we ask that you send both a male and a female leader.

What is the cost of “Immerse”?

The registration fee is $300/student and $150/leader.

What additional expenses will we have?

Your registration fee covers all expenses (food, lodging, program, etc.). Your group will be responsible for transportation to and from Lincoln. Students may choose to bring along minimal spending money for local stores (i.e. lunch during free time on Friday, ice-cream, shopping at local convenience stores, etc.).

Where will our group be staying?

Your group will be staying at F Street Neighborhood Church in Lincoln (1302 F Street). Guys and girls will have separate areas of the church to sleep (the guys will be in the youth room and the girls will be in the nursery). Air mattresses are provided; each student should bring their own bedding. All exterior and sleeping room doors remain locked 24/7 to ensure the building is safe and secure.

How should we go about fundraising?

Your group may choose to do fundraisers together or individuals may choose to write a support letter to raise funds. Ask us for additional resources for planning group fundraisers—we have lots of ideas.

When are the individual registration forms and individual deposits due?

Individual registration form and liability waivers are due February 1. An individual, non-refundable deposit of $50/participant is also due on February 1. If space allows, registrations may be added after this point for an additional $25/participant. Substitutions may be made up until May 1.

When is the trip balance due?

The trip balance is due May 1. Remember to subtract your group deposit ($300) and your individual deposits ($50/participant) from your total. Checks may be made out to Immerse and mailed to 1302 F Street, Lincoln, NE 68508.

What type of transportation do we need in Lincoln?

We generally send 8-10 people to a work site. If you do not have one vehicle for every 10 people, please let us know ahead of time so we can plan accordingly. One option is to use one of the church vans for $100 (which includes the cost of gas to the work sites).

Will our youth group be with another group for Immerse?

It depends on the size of your group and the availability of dates. We may combine your group with another group if both groups desire the same week and the overall number of participants does not exceed 30.

The Power of Testimony

Each day, Immerse participants will hear real life stories (and struggles) from a variety of people who have experienced the transforming power of Christ in their lives. Testimonies are different each week, and may include stories that touch on a variety of experiences, including addiction, grief, mental health, poverty, struggles with family, etc. Individuals sharing the testimonies are usually a part of our church community. We hope the students will be inspired by the stories–inspired toward compassion, inspired toward action, inspired how the church can play a healing role in the lives of individuals, and inspired how God is at work in each of our own stories.

On the last night of Immerse (Saturday night), groups will be given the opportunity to reflect on and share their own stories.

Group Registration

The first part of the registration process is to register your group. To reserve your dates, please download and fill out the group registration form and send it along with a non-refundable $300 deposit to:

F Street Neighborhood Church
Attention: Immerse
1302 F Street
Lincoln, NE 68508

Individual Registration

The next part of the registration process is the register the individuals in your group. An individual registration form and $50 non-refundable deposit per person is due on March 1. Group members may be added after this point (as long as space allows) for an additional $25. Youth Leaders: Please make sure each individual fills out every form and returns to you in time to postmark by March 1. Forms may be sent to the address above.

Forms

Group Registration Form

Student Registration Form

Adult Leader Registration Form

Liability Form

Do you want to spend your summer investing in youth? Do you want to live in downtown Lincoln and engage in ministry? Do you want to be trained and equipped in leadership? Do you know a young adult (college-age) who would be perfect for the position? We are offering 2-3 paid internships through the Immerse program for the Summer!

Each internship:

Begins in last week of May/first week of June and continues through the first week of August.
Carries the expectation that you work full-time during the weeks we have Immerse groups booked.
Provides unique ministry focuses with overlap into other ministry settings
Provides pay + free accommodations at an intern house
Provides group leadership and ministry training

Description of the Internship:

Interns will play a key role in the Immerse program. They will help lead devotional times, serve at the various sites, utilize opportunities to coach and mentor Middle School and High School participants, and use their unique gifts, abilities, and skills in a variety of ways. We are searching for individuals with a heart for God, a desire to do ministry with High School and Middle School students, and a teachable heart. A skill and/or interest in any of the following areas would be helpful: sports ministry, music ministry, children’s ministry, teaching, cooking, mentoring, construction, leadership, photography, or just having fun and connecting with people.

Internship Expectations:

The Internship will be for the months of June and July. Interns will serve as hosts to several youth groups participating in the Immerse program, accompanying groups to service sites and participating in training and devotional times. They will engage in a week of orientation in the beginning of June and be available during the weeks that we have Immerse teams in town. Our hope is that they will also engage in the community of F Street Neighborhood Church. Interns will also be engaged in training, development, and preparation for the teams. Their schedule will be somewhat flexible on the weeks that we do not have an Immerse group in town. Applicants with a heart for God and a heart for youth are encouraged to apply! We believe this will be a fun summer of learning and growing in a diverse ministry setting.

Internship Application

Email application to sage@fstreetchurch.org

OR mail to:

Sage Peterson
1302 F Street
Lincoln, NE 68508