What to Expect

What is the schedule for the week?
    • We ask that you arrive on Sunday evening in time to attend church at 5:00 p.m. with our Journey
    • Congregation. We will worship and share a meal with the congregation, followed by Orientation with your work team.
    • We begin each work day with breakfast at 7:30 a.m., and end the day with supper at 6:00 p.m. Any time remaining after dinner is free time. There is a large fire pit, walking trails, a Disc Golf course, and a basketball court on the Ministry Center’s property. We encourage you to take some time to reflect – individually or as a team – and have made reflection questions available for your use in the Christian Life Center.
    • Thursday is usually a short day so that your team has the opportunity to visit the community and do some site seeing.
When do we eat?
    • We begin each work day with breakfast at 7:30 a.m., and end the day with supper at 6:00 p.m. Lunch (which we call dinner) should be made before the team departs for the day, or at lunch time if you are working on site at the Ministry Center. We provide a variety of options for you to select from.
What if I am allergic to a particular type of food?
    • If you have food allergies, we ask that you bring items that you need, as we are not equipped to prepare specialized food.
Where do we sleep?
    • We have cabins for both females and males. We are a Safe Sanctuary mission camp, and therefore keep genders separated in both sleeping quarters and showers / restrooms.
Is there air conditioning at Spirit Lake Ministry Center?
    • The Christian Life Center is an air-conditioned team gathering space, which offers restrooms, showers, space to play games, places to relax, and a t.v.
    • Arthur Hall, where we worship and share our meals, is air conditioned.
    • Bunk houses and stand alone restrooms / shower facilities are not air conditioned. Fans are provided to help make teams comfortable.
Should we bring our own tools?
    • We do supply tools, but if you want to use your own you are welcome to do so.
Will we interact with broader community?
    • We have members of the congregation join us for our Sunday night worship service and for Culture Night. Our goal is always to find ways to help and support the community. To do so, we work with Spirit Lake Housing and, when given the opportunity to work on a house they have in their inventory, we work with teams to help the property owners address their needs.
Will we work with kids?
    • We work to provide a variety of opportunities that may include children, elders, and engagement in community events. If your team wants to lead a week of Vacation Bible School, please make us aware of that as soon as possible so that we can market and organize accordingly.
What night is Culture Night?
    • It is usually Tuesday night, but please remember that our motto is to BE FLEXIBLE. We must work with the drummer’s and dancer’s schedules so that they can join us.
Does Spirit Lake Nation have any cultural events that we can attend?
    • While Spirit Lake Nation has many events throughout the year, Fort Totten Days at the end of July is one of the most popular, and provides teams the opportunity to witness a traditional Pow Wow. Because we can only accept so many teams at one time, if you are hoping to be present with us for the Pow Wow, you will need to reserve your week as early in the year as possible.
Are we allowed to bring gifts?
    • You can bring gifts as long as they are new items and age appropriate – used items are not gifts.
Will Spirit Lake be providing transportation during our stay?
    • No. You are expected to have your own transportation.
    • If you are hoping to have a tour of the area while you are here, we do our best to coordinate with a Tribal Elder to ride with your team and provide some insight and history of the area. If an Elder is not available, leadership from Spirit Lake can help provide a tour.
Do we have any responsibilities before we leave at the end of our week?
    • Yes. To help keep costs low, and ensure an excellent experience for the next set of incoming teams, your team will be asked to help with some simple cleaning before you depart from Spirit Lake.

 

We look forward to hosting your team at Spirit Lake Ministry Center. If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email at slministry@hotmail.com.

What to Pack

This list, though not exhaustive, should help you plan for your trip:

 

Cash

Copy of emergency contact info

Insurance card

Special medications (insulin, etc.)

If you are allergic to any

medications, please be sure

that leadership / staff is aware.

Band-Aids, aspirin, etc. (personal

first aid supplies)

Spare contact lenses or

eyeglasses; cleaning solution, for

contact lenses

Water bottle

Work clothes, work shoes, work

gloves, hat, bandanas, etc.

Quick dry underwear and socks

Appropriate clothing and shoes for church Clothing for church at the Ministry Center is respectable but casual

Appropriate clothing and shoes for work / play

Flip-flops for the showers

Powdered or liquid laundry detergent

Toiletries: towel, washcloth, soap, shampoo,

toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, brush, razor, shave

cream, toilet paper, and pre-moistened wipes

packed in zip-top plastic bags.

Suntan lotion and sunglasses

Insect repellent

Sleeping bag or bedroll and pillow

Bible and devotional materials; team

songbook (if available or desired)

Notebook, pen, and pencil

Flashlight or reading light

Small pocket knife or scissors

Camera

Snack foods

Team Documents

Please fill out the following forms on our website prior to your trip.

 

The information gathered will help us provide a safe and fulfilling experience for you by helping us know who you are, what you need, and learn more about your skill levels. The information gathered will not be sold or shared with outside entities. The forms can also be downloaded, and then scanned and returned to us at slministry@hotmail.com.

We ask that you fill out or return these forms 60 days prior to your arrival. Please click on the following links to complete the forms:

Team Member Application Form

Medical and Emergency Information Form

Liability and Photography Release

Ministry Covenant

Safe Sanctuaries

To comply with Safe Sanctuaries policies, all participants 18-years-old and older must submit a copy of their background clearance forms.

 

If you have questions about this process, please contact your Annual Conference leadership (or your denominational equivalent).