Preparing for a Mission Trip with Flocknote

Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Church in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey uses Flocknote for all of their many communication needs — from finding Welcoming Ministers substitutes, to inter-ministry communication, to planning events. One particularly innovative use is organizing the Guatemala Outreach Mission Trip Cristina Folan and 23 other parishioners go on each year to Sumpango, Guatemala.

2016 Mission Volunteers

It’s the tool we use to organize, motivate and keep each other informed,” said Cristina. “We journey together in preparation through the Flocknote group.”

Cristina said the preparation for the week-long trip in Guatemala starts almost a year in advance. Each volunteer is asked to donate $500 per person to the organization they work with in Guatemala, From Houses to Homes, in addition to the travel and trip costs, so the group begins organizing fundraisers and planning for the trip through Flocknote. As Cristina put it, they use Flocknote for “anything and everything” including faith sharing and prayer requests.

After months of planning, two weeks before this year’s trip they ran into problems with their hotel, and suddenly had to scramble to find accommodations for 24 people! Cristina sent a note to the group via Flocknote, including humorous cartoons of a stressed out person at a computer to lighten the situation. Members commented and interacted in the comment stream to further lighten the tension. Cristina said these kinds of interactions, among numerous others, were extremely valuable for the group to experience together.

The group was able to build 4 houses during their trip this year, and in total have built 16 through the three years that a group from the church has been traveling to Guatemala.

Mission trip members with one of the families they helped build a home.

The group’s sharing within Flocknote didn’t stop after the mission trip was over. When an expectant family in Guatemala, who was having a house built by the NDMC group, gave birth to their child shortly after the group had returned home, Cristina was able to easily share photos with the group via Flocknote.

“We are able to continue to share prayer requests with each other and keep each other updated on the families we served and each other,” said Cristina.

Each trip is followed by a presentation at the parish, an effort that Cristina recognizes as valuable for more than just fostering further community.

“It is important to share our stories with the purpose of being witnesses to others,” Cristina said.

Soon Cristina will be using Flocknote to gear up for next year’s trip where just as much excitement is already expected!! Interested in seeing the other ways Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Church uses Flocknote in fun and innovative ways? Click here.

Have you or your church done something really creative through Flocknote? If so, send us an email at help@flocknote.com and tell us more! You might just be the subject of our next Flocknotable!