MTN is a day-long adventure trip designed to spark meaningful conversations about faith, family, friends and life during the middle school years.
Overview
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. Our goal is to create a fun atmosphere to have conversations about important and sometimes difficult topics…like sexuality.
On the morning of MTN, everyone participating will gather at the church. Upon arrival, you will receive a packet that provides instructions for your mission and discussion guides to jump-start your conversations.
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!
Families have the opportunity to do MTN every year during middle school. We have created three years worth of content. Each year you will experience new conversations with new adventure possibilities.
Families can do one year of MTN or three years of MTN. Choose the best option for your family during middle school.
Check-in will start at your campus at 7:30am. MTN will begin for everyone at 8am and finish around sunset/dinner.
We have two overnight destinations (Saturday-Sunday). We heard from some families that having an overnight option would be great.
Who Can Participate?
MTN is for middle school students and adults in their lives. We want you to have the flexibility to choose the option that best fits your family.
If one parent wants to attend with two middle school students, sweet! If a mom and dad want to take two middle school students on the same weekend, fun! If a dad and mom want to take their one middle school student on MTN on back-to-back weekends, do it! Basically, we want MTN to fit your family context and be a good experience for you.
Additionally, MTN is for students who would benefit from an adventure with an uncle, aunt, mentor, family friend, or guardian.
When
September 23
September 30
October 7 (Erie Campus Only)
Check-In: Arrive for MTN at 7:30 AM at your respective campus.
Registration
Registration & Refund Policy
- Registration for September 30 ends on September 24
- Registration for October 7 ends on October 1
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, 2023.)
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 out together.
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
- Emotions
Here are the destination options for MTN 2023.
- Idaho Springs – Hot Springs
- Estes Park – Mountain Coaster
- Choose Your Own Adventure – guided prompts help you choose each destination
- Glenwood Springs – Mountain Amusement Park – Overnight
- Colorado Springs – Great Wolf Lodge – Overnight
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 reigns 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!”