Moutainside Mission Trip

The MSYG Mountainside Mission Trip (known simply as Mountainside) takes place Memorial Day Weekend of each year.  2008 will mark our 10th consecutive trip to Mountainside.  Those qualifying members of MSYG will travel, with the youth ministers and their advisors, to the Mountainside Treatment Center, which is located in Canaan, CT in the northwest corner of Litchfield County, Connecticut at the base of the Berkshire Mountains.

Mountainside is a non-denominational, spiritually based treatment facility that offers innovative and individualized alcohol and drug rehabilitation based on the twelve-step program, addiction education, family counseling, meditation, yoga and adventure-based initiatives.  Our church has been involved with Mountainside since 1995 through former youth director, Tim Walsh.  Mr. Walsh participated in the founding of Mountainside as a drug rehabilitation center and currently works there full-time.  The facility itself is situated on an 8,000 acre campus and has been nationally recognized by government and treatment professionals for its outstanding programming and treatment services.

The goals of the trip are:

1. To participate in the transformative power of personal ministry and service.
2. To encounter the very different and difficult burdens of people who are struggling with alcohol and drug addictions.
3. To experience the joys and difficulties of living and working as a group for an extended period and the closeness and friendships that result in the large group and teams.
4. To come to know God through experiences of unity, love, selflessness and service.

The Mountainside Mission Trip is a well designed program that includes group projects, meetings, prayers and vespers.  During the trip the children will help build and repair the facilities at Mountainside.  The children will interact with their group and advisors as well as work with supervised groups of Mountainside staff members and carefully selected residents in treatment.  The Mountainside Mission Trip is a three day mission designed to bring a ministry of love and hope to those in need.  The Fish leave the mission trip uplifted, transformed and with a better understanding of the outside world and the dangers of alcohol and drugs.