Parents, check out this two-minute video to learn about MTN, a day-long adventure trip designed to spark meaningful conversations about faith, family, friends and changes during middle school.
Overview
MTN is a day-long adventure trip designed to create memories and spark disciple-making conversations about faith, family, friends, and life changes during the middle school years.
Why
● Middle school students are in a once in a lifetime season of opportunity. Their age group has the greatest ability to learn and retain new information/skills. The habits, knowledge, and skills middle school students develop will be easily accessible for the rest of their lives.
● MTN was created to help you leverage this season. Parents will always be the most influential voices in their kids’ life. MTN is designed to set you up to have positive experiences while talking about the most important and sometimes sensitive topics.
Who
● MTN is for middle school students and adults in their lives (parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles, etc.). We want you to have the flexibility to choose the option that best fits your family.
● We have designed the adventure trips to be one student and one adult.
● At the same time, MTN is flexible to fit your family. So, if you want to do MTN as two adults & one student – Sweet! Or one adult and two students – Go for it!
What
● MTN is a one or two day adventure trip designed to create memories and spark disciple-making conversations about faith, family, friends, and life changes during the middle school years.
● Each student/adult pair will set off on an all-day mission-oriented adventure. The experience will be something, like The Amazing Race meets a progressive dinner, meets a meaningful conversation.
● Each mission has an activity to complete and a conversation topic to discuss. We aim to create a fun atmosphere for conversations about important and sometimes difficult-to-discuss topics…like sexuality.
● Families have the opportunity to do MTN every year during middle school. Each year you will experience new conversations with new adventure possibilities.
● We have developed three years worth of content with these core conversations every year
○ Spiritual Foundation (Biblical Authority & Prayer)
○ Friends
○ Family
○ Sexuality
● There are 5 adventure destination options. There are three 1-day options and two 2-day options.
When:
● September 20 (Erie Campus Only)
● September 27
● October 4
Check-In: Arrive for MTN at 7:30 am at your respective campus.
Where
● On the morning of MTN, everyone participating will gather at the church. (Erie Campus) Upon arrival, you will receive a packet with instructions for your mission and discussion guides to jump-start your conversations.
● MTN is a full day experience. It begins at the church and will finish with dinner at the end of the day.
Registration
Registration & Refund Policy
Registration
● Registration for September 20 ends on September 14
● Registration for September 27 ends on September 21
● Registration for October 4 ends on September 28
Deposit
The registration cost of $15 per person is a non-refundable deposit
Refunds
There will be no refunds this year.
Cost
$30 per pair ($15 per person).
The price includes 2 MTN t-shirts (one shirt for every participant), use of the scavenger hunt app, and the materials needed for MTN
(We can guarantee you receive the correct shirt size if you register by September 8, 2025)
Additional Costs: These will be determined by the destination option you select
Meals: We have missions that ask you to stop for food. Please be prepared to pay for lunch and dinner.
Snack/Treats: We have missions that ask you to stop for a snack or fun treat. Please be prepared to pay for some fun snack destinations.
Adventures Destinations: Please look into the cost of your destination option. If a reservation is needed, we recommend making that soon.
Destination Options
During registration, you will select your destination and let us know if this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year participating in MTN.
We have designed 3 years of content with these core conversations every year.
● Spiritual Foundation (Biblical Authority & Prayer)
● Friends
● Family
● Sexuality
Here are the destination options for MTN.
● 1-Day Trips
○ Idaho Springs – Sky Trek Ropes Challenge Course
○ Estes Park – Mountain Coaster
○ Choose Your Own Adventure – guided prompts help you choose each destination.
2-Day (Overnight) Trips
○ Glenwood Springs – Mountain Amusement Park
○ Colorado Springs – Great Wolf Lodge
Where Does MTN Begin on Saturday Morning?
MTN will begin at the campus you registered for. Please arrive for check-in at 7:30 am. The specific locations during MTN are determined by the destination option you choose at registration.
Packing List
- Cell Phone
- Bible
- Pens
- Water Bottles
- Jackets/Coats
- Walking/Hiking shoes
- Tablet or Laptop
Preparation
We ask the adults participating in MTN to complete some prep work as a family. Our goal is to make you aware of the topics covered and help you make a plan for the discussions.
You will receive an email with the steps you need to take to prepare properly for your MTN adventure.
What Other Families Have Said
A Middle School Mom
“MTN is an all-day adventure that brings connection, laughter, and invites parents and middle schoolers into deep conversations about friends, family, and faith. From the start, the scavenger hunt-style day is full of surprises as destinations are revealed as you open your mission envelopes. You know that after breaking that seal, you will explore a new location, discover new things about each other and grow in your walk with Christ as a family. There is flexibility in your day, allowing families to linger if the conversation is flowing or open the next envelope and seek a new challenge.
I can’t wait to experience MTN next year in this format, as each year it will provide new insight into what my kids are facing and feeling. I learned so much by using the day to really listen to my two middle schoolers and I felt so connected to them! MTN is an incredible day of intentionality and time… a gift!”
A Middle School Dad
“Our family loved the MTN experience and we are looking forward to it again next year.
As a parent, the best part of the experience is that it is already planned out. It is one of the rare times that I feel fully able to check-in. I don’t have to plan where we are going next or when we’ll eat or what we’ll be doing later in the day. I get to trust the plans to the next envelopes and be fully present in the current moment.
The pre-planned adventures are opportunities to let go of the reins and let God show up. This year we were surprised to be doing a ropes course and I was amazed to see my kid’s fear of heights vanish. I would have been avoiding ropes courses for a couple more years in my wisdom. God had a different plan.
The transitional car rides create an environment to have deeper and undistracted conversations. It is remarkable what you can candidly discuss with your teen in the car with the right prompts!”