You're Invited to be
a FULL-TIME Missionary
​for ONE YEAR!

Full Time Missionaries are Catholic young adults ages 18-30 that dedicate 12-13 months of one year to full-time youth evangelization primarily at Camp River Ridge and Cincinnati, but also through small groups, schools, and missions throughout the year in three states: OH, KY, and IN. 

The 10 BENEFITS of a Mission Year:

1. Experience an unforgettable year of ministry, leadership, and fellowship, away from home with awesome people,
2. Live out a transforming life of grace through prayer, sacraments, team life, retreats, and spiritual guidance,
3. Lead a very busy schedule of year-round retreats, small groups, camps, campouts, missions, and more,
4. Dedicate time to thinking about your future goals in light of God's plan for your life,
5. Develop your skills as a leader and in youth ministry,
6. Travel to Europe for a three week formation program,
7. Be loved and remembered by fellow dozens of younger peers and adults,
8. Develop a brotherhood with fellow missionaries and the priests of the Legionaries of Christ in Cincinnati! 
9. Work a demanding schedule that will help you with life-long good habits of work and service,
10. And earn camp counselor credits from the American Camp Association.

You are invited to APPLY to be a Full-Time Missionary for 2021-22! What are you waiting for? Keep scrolling...

(NOTE: This video is actually for the prior missionary year program, but the concept is the same.)

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 The Mission Year Calendar for 2022-23:

• Rome Pilgrimage for the month-long International Formators Course - July 14-Aug 5
• Optional Tour of Europe or Family visit - Early August
• Arrive to your new home in Cincinnati the 15th of August.
• Local training - Last 2 weeks of August
• Full-Time Ministry - September - December (weekend before Christmas)
• ​Thanksgiving Break: Depart Nov 21, Arrive back in Cincinnati Nov 28
• December Mission Trip (Dates TBD)
• Christmas Break: Depart Dec 19
• GPS Trip: Depart to Cheshire, CT, on Dec 27
• Silent Retreat in Cheshire, CT (TBD around Jan 4-12)
• Free time in New England (TBD around Jan 12-18) 
• Full-Time Ministry - late-January thru May
  • March for Life Trip (Dates TBD)
  • Holy Week Missions (during Holy Week)
  • Easter Week Missionary Trip (TBD)
  • Optional 8 days to visit family in March
• Summer Training and Camp Preparations - May
  • Optional 7 days to visit family in early May (first week of May)
• Summer Mission Staff Role - All June and July
• Mission Year ends July 30, 2023 at 7pm, at the end of Camp Soul on Fire.​

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The International Formators Course (IFC)!

After a month-long immersion as a Summer Mission Staff in training during June, our Full Time Missionaries head to Europe for the International Formators Course!

The IFC is a unique, international experience of the Regnum Christi charism, which is the parent spiritual family of Camp River Ridge and ECYD small groups. Young people are immersed with others from all over the world. The 3-week course will be a decisive moment in the life of a young person because of the spiritual environment, apostolic formation, self-knowledge workshops, conferences, new and wholesome friendships, experience of Regnum Christi, and cultural visits in Rome and outside Rome.

More info on the International Formators Course

Click here to check out the IFC's website: International Formators Course

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Three More Trainings

Late August Training (2 weeks):
You go through specialized training and prep for your mission year the last two weeks of August. This training preps you for:

• Daily prayer and the weekly schedule,
• Access to social media, calendar, and office tools,
• Leading ECYD teams,
• Prepping and leading confirmation retreats, awakening retreats, and other types of retreats, and,
• Personalized training in your particular role within the mission team.

School Year Training
During the school year, you will have entry-level and advanced counselor training from the American Camp Association. This is a great way to formalize and professionalize your service at camp.

Summer Prep and Training (3-4 weeks):
Every summer is preceded by a few day of training and prep during May. The purpose of this month is as following:

• prepping the facilities and the use and care of the facilities,
• knowledge of values, organizational, and safety norms, including safe environment,
• personalized training and preparation for the various summer roles as a mentor to younger peers.

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Spiritual Formation

The Missionary Year program is an opportunity for young adults to grow spiritually. It’s an opportunity for them to develop the habit of prayer so that they continue to develop their relationship with Christ past the mission year. The mission year becomes a permanent boost for their spiritual life they carry with them for the rest of their lives.
 
To foster this growth in the spiritual life and a deeper union with God, they will have morning and night prayers, morning Scriptural meditation, daily Mass and adoration, as well Gospel reflections, breviary and other devotions, talks and catechesis on pertinent themes, regular mini-retreats, a daily rosary, and a weekly Holy Hour.
 
They will do a regular "Encounter with Christ" (Gospel reflection and reflection on a pertinent theme) and an occasional “Highs and Lows” (a team feedback session on high points and ways each person can improve). They will do their spiritual exercises: a weekend, directed, silent retreat that spans the life of Christ and helps to discover one's root sin and God's will to move forward.
 
Spiritual direction and the sacrament of confession will also be readily available to them and encouraged. Having regular spiritual direction and easy access to confession for a whole year is very unique!

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Your MISSION... should you choose to accept.

YOU will work with your fellow missionaries and the Camp Director to direct a youth evangelization effort that will reach up to 2,000 souls during your year! Your goal is to help as many young people as possible to encounter Jesus Christ and subsequently commit to being his disciple and apostle.

You will:

• Serve as staff for Camp River Ridge to run middle school and high school retreats and summer camps, reaching hundreds of youth and families. Check out what a Summer Mission Staff does. Check out the kind of retreats we lead for parishes.
• Lead as Team Leaders some 10-15 middle school and high school boys teams in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana that meet weekly or twice a month.
• Help with the formation at a Catholic school named Royalmont Academy in Mason, OH.
• Visit families for dinner to get to know them. They welcome you as part of the family, and,
• Make faith and virtue videos and reach people via social media.
• Promote camp activities at schools and organize formation for religion classes.

This is a very unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a full-time apostle. You'll have the rest of your life to study and work and lead a family. Don't miss this!

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And of course... an adventure!

The goal of the mission year is to be a full-time apostle for a whole year. But that doesn't mean you don't enjoy your summer! Check it out:

• Outings such as horseback riding, canoeing, skiing, bowling (and fowling!), airsoft, rock climbing, top golf, go carting, escape rooms, disc golfing, etc... and visiting downtown, and hanging out with the missionary girls on free time.
• Activities at camp:
  • Archery tag, regular archery, and laser tag
  • Dodgeball, capture the flag, basketball, soccer, and other field/gym sports and games
  • Swimming, slip 'n slide, war mattress, fishing
  • Participation in the summer camp historical reenactments (includes battles), firing cannons (yes! firing cannons)
  • Hanging out by the hammock circle and bonfires with s'mores and fireworks
  • Crafts and skill-building stations
• And FREE gym membership, food, gas money, and toiletries for the whole year. 
• Every Monday is your day off to enjoy free time and good company with the fellow missionaries, the community of priests, and occasionally the missionary girls.

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General Guidelines

• Moved by the mission, missionaries focus on what is best for the younger peers they serve and how to bring them to an encounter with Christ.
• Missionaries take particular care to practice charity with fellow missionaries and be a model Catholic for the youth they are working with.
• Missionaries will need to arrive and depart on time to the start of their mission year.
• Missionaries should be ready to be away from home and have very limited contact with family for an extended period of time (excepting emergencies or special occasions like weddings). 
• Missionaries should make sure that their appearance and demeanor is always dignified and becoming of an apostle of Jesus Christ. They should be dressed appropriately for each occasion. 

• Missionaries need to place any dating relationships on hold while on camp. No dating is allowed during the mission year.
• Missionaries should be physically healthy to manage the demands of their duties.
• Missionaries should be willing to do a variety of activities and ministry during the year.
• Music publicly listened to will need to be dignified and elevate the soul with its lyrics, harmony, and talent. 
• Missionaries may bring their cell phones and cars for their own use. 
• Missionaries will be required to keep their belongings and room clean and orderly.
• Missionaries will have all their food, travel, and toiletries paid for. They are responsible for their own clothing and transportation to and from home.
• If missionaries fundraise more than the required total, the surplus funds will be returned as a monthly stipend. 

Other Pertinent Info

• The upcoming summer calendar: Camp Calendar.
• Ideas on what to bring: What to Bring List.
• Photos or videos of what camp is like: Photo Tour or Video Tour.
• Click here for directions: Directions to Camp.
• Camp social media: Camp Facebook, Camp YouTube, Camp Instagram, or Camp LinkedIn.

Need more info?

Contact us at campriverridge@gmail.com to receive the full set of guidelines.

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Cost, Stipends, and Fundraising

Cost Breakdown for the Mission Year:
We require you to fundraise $7,500 for the program.

This package includes:

• The cost of the International Formators Course in Rome (about $1,500 in US dollars),
• The airplane ticket to Rome.
• The cost of gas, car maintenance, insurance, food, and toiletries for the year, as well as a stipend for the local missionary director ($3,500), and,
• The cost of the mission trips, spiritual exercises, outings, and apparel ($1,500). 

Monthly Stipend:
If you fundraise more than $7,500 for the program, the surplus funds are given back to you at a 90% rate as a monthly stipend which you can save in the bank or spend as needed. The maximum that can be fundraised for the school year is $13,000.

2nd Summer Stipend:

• Missionaries can fundraise more for their summer work as Mission Staff. Then, 90% of that will be returned to them at the end of the summer as an extra stipend. See the Summer Staff page for more details.

Missionaries are welcome to to donate their stipend back to camp, though there is no expectation for this. 

Fundraising
To fundraise, they may reach out to their parishes, Catholic organizations, family and friends, to ask for donations to help fund the year and their second summer. As part of the application process, applicants will receive a letter they can hand or email to their parish priest, parish leaders, family and friends.

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Application Process

Applications are welcome YEAR-ROUND. However, Mission Year selection for the coming year begins on February 1st! 

1. ​Request Information: Send us an email at campriverridge@gmail.com and we'll get started!
2. Interview: The Camp Director request one or more meetings in person or by Zoom. 
3. Safe Environment Training Pending Approval: To continue, the applicant then needs to fulfill the camp’s safe and sacred training by following the instructions at www.campriverridge.org/chaperones.
4. Contract: The applicant will be hired once the training and background checks are cleared. The applicant will receive an independent contractor contract to sign and return, and a W9 form to fill out before the summer. The applicant will receive some materials to help him with fundraising. 

Questions?

If you have any questions whatsoever about the Mission Year program, please contact us at campriverridge@gmail.com. Thank you!

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Mission Year Pics...

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