Appalachia Service Project
Every July, our high school youth group travels to Central Appalachia to volunteer with the Appalachia Service Project (ASP). Our church has been partnering with ASP since 1995, and we now take over 100 youth & adult leaders each year.
Next year’s trip will be July 18-25, 2026. Registration opens Sept. 4 to returning trip participants and FUMC LG members (or active 180 youth group participants). Registration opens Oct. 1 for anyone else.
The trip typically follows this format – we’ll load up rental vans on Saturday morning, drive to a church in Kentucky or West Virginia and stay there Saturday night. There, everyone will find out their assigned work crew for the week (2 adults & 5 high school students). Sunday morning we’ll get up and do some adventure in the area before heading to our ASP Center Sunday afternoon. Monday through Friday, our work crews will be out doing home repair work during the day, and participating in programming to learn more about Central Appalachia and how our work intersects with our faith and the needs in the world. Friday night we’ll clean out our vans and the ASP center, de-brief our week, and prepare to drive home Saturday.
It is a tiring week, full of joys and challenges, windy roads and lots of sweat, building relationships among our team and with the Central Appalachian community we’re blessed to become a part of for the week, ice cream and so many smiles. It pushes all of us outside our comfort zones in some way, and we often come home having learned so much about ourselves along the way.
Next year’s trip will be July 18-25, 2026. Registration opens Sept. 4 to returning trip participants and FUMC LG members (or active 180 youth group participants). Registration opens Oct. 1 for anyone else.
The trip typically follows this format – we’ll load up rental vans on Saturday morning, drive to a church in Kentucky or West Virginia and stay there Saturday night. There, everyone will find out their assigned work crew for the week (2 adults & 5 high school students). Sunday morning we’ll get up and do some adventure in the area before heading to our ASP Center Sunday afternoon. Monday through Friday, our work crews will be out doing home repair work during the day, and participating in programming to learn more about Central Appalachia and how our work intersects with our faith and the needs in the world. Friday night we’ll clean out our vans and the ASP center, de-brief our week, and prepare to drive home Saturday.
It is a tiring week, full of joys and challenges, windy roads and lots of sweat, building relationships among our team and with the Central Appalachian community we’re blessed to become a part of for the week, ice cream and so many smiles. It pushes all of us outside our comfort zones in some way, and we often come home having learned so much about ourselves along the way.
ASP Team Key FUNdraising Dates!
- Fill the Pot Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 - join us all morning for an ASP themed worship service, and afterward for a new & improved Chili cook off, auction and more!
- Methodist Attic Rummage Sale, April 18-25, 2026
- With any questions or to make a gift to support our ASP 2026 trip, please contact Hattie ([email protected])
Register for ASP 2026
Registration opens Sept. 4. Please contact Hattie for more information ([email protected]).