Omaha

Urban Plunge Date: July 28-Aug 3

1. What to bring? Sleeping bag or blankets. Beds are provided. Pillow, towels, and toiletries. Note on cameras: because many people we will meet are concerned about having their picture taken, we ask that you dont bring any cameras. We will take pictures and give a copy to your leader to distribute. 2. Where will we stay? Groups will normally be housed at the Turning Point Campus: 3223 N 45th St., Omaha. www.turningpointomaha.org. The rooms are traditional college dorm rooms with two beds per room. Three spacious areas are available for group meetings and meals. Separate sleeping wings and bathrooms are provided for males and females. Occasionally, housing may be assigned to a different location. If that happens, we will communicate clearly with you. Please note: Because of somewhat limited housing, your group may be housed on the same floor of the dormitory with another Urban Plunge group, and it is possible that you may share meals together. Males and females will always be separate, except possibly in the case of a married couple. If there are multiple teams, all group discussions, videos, and debriefing sessions will be held separately. 3. Beginning and End times? Your group will meet us at approximately 4:00 p.m. at our housing location (See FAQ Question 2). We end around 2:00p.m. on Sunday after the last church service. Our facilitator will conduct a debrief session at the end of your Plunge to help you identify what your next step might be. Everyone is asked to fill out an evaluation form at that time. 4. Urban Plunge midweek? Summer Weeklong Plunge: $300/person Sunday evening through Friday morning (6 days, 5 nights). This includes everything that you need. Transportation, food and lodging. You may want to bring a little extra money just in case you want to buy some souvenirs . 5. Payments? We require a $100 non-refundable deposit to reserve your spot. This payment will be deducted from your final bill. This is due Sunday April 28th. After the deposit is given we will be sending out support letters to help fund your trip. 6. Individual Registration? Each participant must fill out an Individual Registration form (signed by a parent if under 19). The registration includes a permission slip and a liability release. You may bring the Individual Registration forms the day you come for the Plunge. Because Christ For the City International does not carry insurance on participants, we encourage them to have health insurance. You can download this form from our Urban Plunge website: www.urbanplunge.com. 7. Is it safe? We partner with many organizations and ministry leaders who have been working with the poor and marginalized for many years. They are in the neighborhoods every day, and they have amazing relationships and street credibility with the people that you will serve. Turning Point is also a fenced and gated campus. Both the front gate and the dorms are locked securely at night, and a resident overseer lives on the campus. We are very concerned about your groups safety and wont knowingly put anyone at risk. However, you should be aware that street ministry can be unpredictable. This

quote from the movie The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, might help you process this question. Lucy asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan (Jesus) is safe. "Safe? said Mr. Beaver; Who said anything about safe? Course he isnt safe. But hes good. Hes the King, I tell you." 8. Schedule? We provide a schedule for the Team Leader, as well as driving directions to each ministry location. We will briefly introduce the ministries that you will be visiting, along with an introduction of the ministries of Christ For the City International. The ministries like to give the team the full details of their testimonies and histories, but please check out the Weekend Rundown and share as much as you would like with your team. Weve been involved with street ministries for many years and it is important to know that sometimes God has a different schedule in mind for us. Sometimes, we dont discover the change in schedule until minutes before. Therefore, flexibility with both time and last minute changes to the schedule is critical. 9. How should the group dress? Casual is okay; jeans and t-shirts are fine. Its important that the girls do not wear clothes that expose their stomachs, or are revealing in any way. Obviously, this includes short-shorts, short-skirts, and strapless or halter tops. No open-toed shoe (safety reasons). We will be outside during parts of the weekend, so dress according to the weather. 10. Will the group have the opportunity for sharing the gospel? Do people need to have their testimony ready? We generally spend 2-3 hours at each ministry and for the most part are observing or serving the poor. Plunge participants spend one-on-one time with many people; sometimes they get to briefly share their faith with the people they serve. However, Plunge groups find that most of the time, they are either planting or watering the Gospel seed. We teach Plunge participants that serving the poor is often a critical component to sharing Christ. 11. Photographs? Because many people we will meet are concerned about having their picture taken, we ask that you dont bring any cameras. Our facilitator will take pictures and give a copy to your leader to distribute. 12. What do we do in case of weather emergencies? Team Leaders will be given flashlights, weather radios, keys, and directions to the tornado shelter in the building, and instructions for handling fire or other emergency situations. Every effort will be made to keep your team safe. We will also reschedule your group if bad weather prevents you from traveling to the Urban Plunge. 13. T-Shirts? T-shirts are INCLUDED in your Urban Plunge price ($15 value). Please pre-order, at least 2 weeks in advance, and we'll have them ready when you arrive. 14. Blessing Bags Get your entire church behind your team by having them fill zip lock bags with a bar of soap, wash cloth, tooth paste, candy bar, etc. Your team can then hand these bags out to the homeless. This activity can get the whole church involved in your Urban Plunge Mission trip. If the weather is cold, bring extra blankets, gloves, coats, and hats to hand out to the homeless. 15. Sponsoring Organization: Christ For the City International 5332 South 138th St. Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68137 (402) 592-8332 Fax: (402) 592-8312 Email: up@cfci.org www.cfci.org

www.urbanplunge.com 16. What are we going to be doing? We are going to be working with ministries that serve the homeless and needy, doing various tasks, serving, or just meeting people. For more information about the ministries we are serving go to www.urbanplunge.com

Turning Point turningpointomaha.org Although we do not spend much time there, this is where well be sleeping. The campus is the location of the former Omaha School for the Deaf. The ministry is a base for multiple ministries: Apollos Prep School, Goodwill Industries, International Day Care Center, Omaha Street School, Omaha Urban Young Life, Omaha Christian Academy, Release Ministries, and Sudanese Programs, just to name a few. Your team arrives at about 4:30 pm and drops off bags. Your facilitator will meet you there, do introductions, and then hop in your car and direct you to our next destination. Hope Center hopecenterforkids.org The Hope Center is a safe place for kids to go. An after-school program, it offers daily hot meals, educational support, mentoring, social skills training, Bible studies, job creation, and all sorts of other programs. After the tour, your team skates with the Hope Center Kids. We eat dinner therepizza party. Siena Francis House sienafrancis.org Siena Francis is Nebraskas largest shelter, serving homeless men, women, and children. They provide emergency overnight shelter, food through their Meal Provider Program, clothing, and case management outreach services through their day services program. We will serve the residents nachos and hang out with them, providing the residents with a listening ear and a word of encouragement. Soby Ranch sobyranch.com The mission of Soby Ranch is to assist men, women and children to mature in their sense of selfworth and discover what it means to be a Christian steward of personal and natural resources. Through animal therapy, they work with special needs in the community from trauma and loss issues, physical and emotional disabilities, and social and relationship issues. Animal assisted activities is an innovative intervention in which an animal becomes a crucial and highly effective part of the treatment process. Soby Ranch is a start-up ministry, so groups will do work and clean-up projects around the property. There is a bonfire in the evening, while groups listen to how the ministry got started.

InCommon incommoncd.org inCommon's goal is to unite and strengthen vulnerable neighborhoods. They believe neighborhoods provide an extraordinary opportunity to alleviate poverty at the root level. Through a variety of community-based initiatives, residents are finding ways to rebuild their neighborhoods together, as well as setting a new course away from poverty and toward sustainable futures for themselves and their families. Release Ministries releaseministries.org Next, its off to jailto the Douglas County Youth Detention Center where well take a tour and hear all about Release Ministries. Our participants wont actually have any contact with the youth, but the experience will really open up their eyes. We hope this is your first and last time in jail!

Revealed Word Ministries revealedwordministriesinc.org The vision of Chaplain Ron Smith, Revealed Word Ministries began in 2011, with the goal of seeing the hearts and lives of at-risk youth transformed by the power of God's Word-through worship and Bible Studies within their own community environment. Being the hands and feet of Christ, they physically bring God's presence into the homes of the youth, with the hope of powerfully impacting their entire household. Revealed Word is a church without walls, as they go into communities and become the support system troubled youth need to succeed. Open Door Mission http://www.opendoormission.org The team serves the homeless lunch or works in the distribution center. This is a shelter which helps the homeless get back on their feet through job training, counseling services, Bible studies, food, etc. After serving, our team will eat lunch here, as well. We encourage our teams to not sit with their friends, but to eat lunch while getting to know one of the homeless folks. Heartland Hope Mission heartlandhopemission.org It is a food pantry in south Omaha. Our team packs food boxes, sorts and hands out clothes, etc. This ministry is located in the Latino section of townmany of the recipients dont speak English. After serving, well hear the story of how Heartland Hope Mission began. Golden Living Center goldenlivingcenters.com/omaha Golden Living is a multi-purpose medical facility for patients needing rehab, nursing care, hospice, or assisted living. Their mission is "To share our passion for improving quality of life

through innovative healthcare -- one person, one family and one community at a time." As residents often don't receive many visitors, your smile and encouraging words can be very contagious and impactful. Groups will be spending time visiting with the residents, bringing them a sense of belonging, hope, comfort, and purpose. Sequels Thrift Store hopenetministries.org/Sequels.html Sequels is part of Hope Net Ministries--a non-profit, faith-based organization providing families and individuals in the community with the tools and resources they need to break the cycle of addiction and poverty. Sequels provides clean, quality clothing and small household goods. They turn donated items into valuable resources for those in need. Help out in the store by sorting clothes, pricing items, and greeting customers. Prayer Walk Prayer is a foundational component of Christ for the City International (CFCI) and the Urban Plunge. Before any neighborhood outreach is initiated we spend up to six months of organized Prayer-Walking. In Omaha, weve mapped the ten highest crime areas in the city and are organizing churches to pray in those neighborhoods. In conjunction with leaders in the African American community, we have developed a team known as First Responders. These dedicated intercessors gather at every murder site within 24 hours and Prayer-Walk the neighborhood. As a result, homicides in Omaha have decreased nearly 50% during 2009, and violent areas are experiencing more peace. Well go on a 20 minute Prayer-Walk through the Park Avenue Neighborhood, unlike the neighborhoods in which you live. As we debrief, well challenge each Plunger to consider Prayer-Walking with a friend through their school or neighborhood.

Compassion in Action compassioninactioninc.com Compassion In Action (CIA) Inc., is a faith based organization that works with women incarcerated, their children and the caregivers of their children. CIA provides preRelease Education and Reentry Preparation for both men and women prior to their release from prison. CIA implements a strong spiritual component to validate each person with the understanding that they are created by God with a specific plan and divine purpose. Abide Network abidenetwork.org Abide is a Leadership and Missionary Training Base. Ron Dotzler founded this ministry with the desire to raise up leaders in the African American Community of Omaha. They also train and send out missionaries within Omaha and the world. Ron is determined that the most dangerous place to be is outside the will of God! Well tour the ministry

and hear Rons inspiring testimony of giving up his successful career as a chemical engineer and entering the hood. The Bridge bridgeomaha.org Bridge Church is a multi-ethnic church who's mission is to help people become radical world changers who gather, grow, and go so that people and places all over the world are impacted by the radical love of Jesus Christ. Church attenders can expect a casual atmosphere, celebratory music, and thought-provoking, inspirational, and practical messages based on the Bible. Empty Tomb Church A church that reaches the homeless community. One Sunday a month, well pack grocery bags to give to those that attended the service. We also will mingle and talk with those who attended the service. Salem Baptist salembc.org A traditional African American church service; its the friendliest and liveliest church youve ever attended. The day ends at about 2:00 pm. On your way home, you may want to stop for lunch.
Rev. 02/02/13