YIM : Beyond Belief : Q and A

Beyond Belief - Q and A

How much does it cost?
Housing in the LSTC Youth Center costs are currently $15 per night/per person (if you bring your own linens) and $23 per night per person (if you use our linens.)

The other costs are the same that can generally be expected of a mission trip. Including: Food, transportation/parking, donations materials for service projects, and recreational activity costs.

Is it safe?
While there are safety concerns in an urban environment, the risks are minimized when you follow the instructions of your hosts and as you remain aware of your surroundings. A list of safety guidelines will be distributed to all who are involved in the program.

How do we share the Gospel?
We believe in building relationships and demonstrating the love of God in our actions. We do not pass out tracts. We ask that you support the local ministries that are in the communities and that will still be there when you leave. During this week you will work to build trust and respect between yourself and those that you work with in the neighborhoods.

What are some examples of potential projects and activities?
Projects can vary throughout the year due to the needs of the organizations and the seasonal weather changes. Examples of projects:

Reading to children at the St. Vincent de Paul Center.
Leading a biblical drama one afternoon for a summer camp at a logal congregation.
Packing meals to be distributed to homeless.
Having an interfaith service project with and conversation with the Interfaith Youth Corps.
And many more opportunities.

What forms must be read & completed before registration is official?

Beyond Belief Registration Form,
Youth Center (YC) Registration Form,
YC & LSTC Liability Release Form,
YC & LSTC Rules and Regulations Form,
Safety Guidelines,
$100 Nonrefundable Deposit (will be subtracted from total bill).

(Download these forms contained within the Beyond Belief Registration packet from the Beyond Belief Register page.)

How long is the program?
The program is flexible. We suggest spending no less than 4 whole days in Chicago. You need at least this much time to have a complete experience.

Can we have younger age group for the program?
The program is designed so that 80-90% of the sites can have youth in the age 14 or up, but some require age 16 and up. We ask for a 1 Adult:7 youth: for High School age youth. We don’t recommend it but, if you bring Middle School youth we require 1 Adult: 5 Youth. The best way to involve the younger ages is to keep contact with us and plan for when they are old enough to fully participate.

How many people can be in one group?
We can accommodate 28 people (adults+ youth) in the Youth Center. If your group is larger please contact us in advance, so we can check housing possibilities. The ideal size of a Beyond Belief group is 15-25 people. To have real experience we ask you to have at least 1 adult to every 7 youth. If you plan on using Public Transportation please bring 2 adults for every 7 youth.

I've heard that there is a mentor helping the program, Is that true?
We do provide Vocation Conversation Leaders. They will give you a tour and we provide a meal at the beginning of your week. There is also a time for a meal with conversation about vocation towards the end of your week long program. But if you would like a mentor, you can ask us to recruit a Seminarian for part-time or full-time assistance. They can provide devotions, lead conversations and help in the process while you are at the sites. The costs vary but individual contracts can be arranged.

What would a mentor's job be?
It's flexible. One of the opportunities is if you have a half-time mentor that (s)he will lead the morning devotion and go with you for the morning site. After lunch (s)he can help the youth process their experiences (from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m). Another option could be that (s)he will join you for the afternoon site, process it with the group and lead an evening worship. If you have an evening walk (s)he can be with you, too (3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.). The full-time mentor is there from 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (S)he will work with you for the sites, lead or write devotions, prepare worship materials and help to process the experiences in the light of call, discernment, and gifts.

What will the seminary provide?
You can reserve the chapel for devotions, the Youth Center, as housing, the Cafeteria for meals and we can give you a laundry card to use our laundry rooms.

What can the Youth in Mission staff provide?
We provide the folders with contact information for the sites, make sure all your official forms are ready to have the program; we prepare the housing for you. We connect you with the seminary for chapel use and meals. On the first day we offer a tour (approx. 1 hour) of LSTC and at the end of week, two Vocational Conversation Leaders will lead a conversation about vocation/call in a creative and interactive format. LSTC provides a meal to welcome the group and to say farewell.

Where can we have devotions or worships?
The morning devotions usually take place at “FreeBs” which is a community place in the basement of the Youth Center's building. Additionally, LSTC has a big chapel -- we have to reserve it--but it may be available. We have a prayer chapel on the second floor, which is perfect for small groups of people. We typically hold the last worship with Eucharist in the big chapel and the evening worships in the prayer chapel. Of course your creativity can have no end. We have had worship in the LSTC courtyard and at the Lake Michigan as well.

How can we arrange meals?
When you arrive you will receive another folder with more useful information (maps of LSTC, Hyde Park area, Chicago, safety information, list of churches and restaurants). One of them will be a list of places where you can buy groceries. The other list will be about the nearby restaurants. The LSTC cafeteria may be an option for breakfast and lunch, but it is closed during several weeks in the summer. With enough advance notice some special arrangements may be possible. The meals are approximately $5/person/meal.You can also cook for yourselves in the Youth Center kitchen. However, you’ll want to take into consideration that you will be tired after the long day of activities and you may wish to budget for eating out, limiting the time you have to spend cooking and cleaning up.

Where can we park?
You may park in the parking lot between McCormick and the Youth Center to unload your belongings. If you would like to park there during the day please see the receptionist at the McCormick front desk for a pass to insure you won’t be towed. There is no parking allowed there at night. You may chose to park on the street near LSTC. You can usually find parking within a couple of blocks. You can also check the U of C garage on 55th Street which has 80 visitor spaces on the first floor. Parking is free on weekends and between 4 p.m.- 8 a.m. on weekdays. Payment is made at the garage when you use it. Please call the U of C Parking Office at (773) 702-8969 for more information.

YIM : Youth in Mission, a ministry of LSTC

Beyond Belief - Q and A