Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and
to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27
Short Term Missions
Other Important Info:
Transportation
Transportation in the city can sometimes be a challenge! The following may be helpful to you as you plan your trip to NYC.
- One day unlimited pass $7.50
- Seven day unlimited pass $25.00
- Individual fare (one way) $2.00
- In rooms used by your group, floor swept and mopped.
- Both sets of men’s and women’s restrooms cleaned.
- Trash taken out
- Any carpets used by your group should be swept.
Mobility is a priority to city travel, so please keep this in mind when packing. We strongly urge you to limit luggage to one bag and one “carry-on” per person.
All groups will be responsible for their transportation to and from the airport. If you are on a project working with Dorcas Ministries, the staff of Dorcas would be happy to arrange this transportation for you, but please give us at least one month of advance notice.
Once you arrive in NYC, you will most likely be doing the majority of your travel on foot and by subway. A subway map will be provided for each group on their arrival in the city. Each group is responsible for the purchase of metro cards (subway fare), which can be done upon arrival or on-line. Prices are as follows:
New York Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA – Subway and Bus Info) www.mta.info
Safety
Though you should be alert, aware, and smart, don’t let the city scare you! The most important thing to do is be alert. Pay attention to your surroundings, and be conscious of the belongings you are carrying. It is recommended that teens stay with their assigned leader while traveling, and that all members be equipped with subway directions back to the church in case they are separated from their group (one copy will be provided with this packet). Each group should also have an emergency plan to reunite the group in case of unforeseen circumstances (Please give a copy of this plan to your Dorcas staff contact upon your arrival).
In addition, it is important to be mindful of safety while in the building and conducting ministry activities. Keep a close eye on children who have been entrusted to your care for VBS and various other events – we want to be trustworthy stewards! Also, we cannot be responsible for lost items such as books, cd players, cell phones or jewelry, so keep these things locked up or at home!
Clean Up
We love to host groups! We are able to continue this ministry in part because groups leave the building like they found it (and sometimes even better!) A “Clean-Up Kit” will be provided to you upon arrival, which includes a list of the things to be done. Some general items to be cleaned before your departure include the following:
Food
You are responsible for providing meals for your group. As previously stated, there will be a kitchen available. There are many small deli/groceries in the area, where you can pick up a small amount of items. For larger food orders, Pathmark and Costco are near, but not within walking distance. You may want to budget money for car service trips to and from these stores.
With all the cultural diversity of New York City comes lots of great food, too! Don’t miss out on tasting some of what NYC has to offer. Some tasty and inexpensive “musts” are Brooklyn bagels, Brooklyn pizza, authentic Chinese from Chinatown, or Arabic shwarma.
For one week, you should plan on spending approximately $50 per person on food. This includes one inexpensive “eat out” night.
Please do not include snacks for VBS or other ministry events in your budget. Our congregation will supply these items.