In 1993, I fell into the world of short-term missions, almost by accident, as a participant in Mountain T.O.P.’s Adults In Ministry program. I did things I didn’t believe myself capable of doing, and I discovered the incredible good feeling that comes from spending a week in intense Christian community, among people trying to recreate a little corner of Christ’s kingdom.

For all but two years since 1994, I have been a Mountain T.O.P. board member, and I am currently serving as the board’s secretary. It’s a remarkable program, and one I believe in strongly. Mountain T.O.P. is an interdenominational missions group, attracting volunteers from a variety of denominational backgrounds, but it is affiliated with the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church. Our ministries include:

• Youth Service Ministry — this is the ministry most associated with Mountain T.O.P., and the one with the lion’s share of the campers. Church youth groups from across the U.S. travel to the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee each summer to do home repair projects for deserving mountain families or to conduct day camp activities for children from the mountains.
• Adults In Ministry — Adult volunteers, either during summer weeks or fall weekends, do home repair projects (Major Home Repair), provide enrichment workshops for activities for teenagers (Summer Plus) or special needs children (Kaleidoscope) from the mountains.
• Break Out — College students or youth on spring break help repair community facilities like schools and churches in the mountains, and they also help prepare Mountain T.O.P. camp facilities for the busy summer season.
• Family Ministry Weekend — New for 2007, this event allows families to participate side-by-side in home repair projects.

Mountain T.O.P. offers incredible camp programming, and the entire camp experience is designed not just for ministry but also for the spiritual and leadership development of the volunteers. It’s a different experience every year, and once we can get you to the mountain you’ll want to come back.