The Indiana-Kentucky Synod Youth Mission Trip is returning this summer, offering youth and adult mentors an opportunity to spend a week serving, learning, and growing together in Indianapolis.
Taking place June 14–20, 2026, the week-long experience will connect participants with local ministries and nonprofit organizations across Indianapolis, providing meaningful, hands-on opportunities to put faith into action through service and relationship-building.
Throughout the week, youth will work alongside peers from across Indiana and Kentucky while engaging in projects that support and uplift local communities. In addition to service opportunities, participants will enjoy evening activities that highlight the culture, diversity, and energy of Indiana’s largest city.
Pilgrim Lutheran Church will serve as the host site for the week.
This trip is open to students in grades 7–12 and adult mentors. The cost is $250 per person and includes all expenses except for travel to Indianapolis. Scholarships are available.
Come be part of a week that will challenge you, inspire you, and remind you that God can use every one of us to make a difference.
For more information, contact Pastor Dan Fugate at pastordan@pilgrimcarmel.org or (317) 846-2221.
Pastor Matt Converse Reflects on Last Year’s Experience
Pastor Matt Converse of Grace and Hope Lutheran Church shares reflections from his youth group’s experience on last year’s Youth Mission Trip.
Our youth came away from the IK Synod Youth Mission Trip with a deeper understanding of what it means to live out their faith in tangible ways. Rather than viewing faith as something abstract or confined to church settings, they experienced “faith in action” through hands-on service and meaningful interactions with others. Over the course of the week, we saw their perspectives shift as they developed greater compassion, care, and awareness for people in vulnerable or precarious situations. These experiences helped move their faith from passive belief to active empathy.
There was also a strong sense of connection rooted in their shared identity within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as they built relationships with youth from across Indiana and Kentucky. What broadened their worldview most came through the service experiences themselves—encountering new contexts and engaging with site leaders, fellow volunteers, and community members whose life experiences differed from their own. Those relationships didn’t end when the trip did; what stayed with our group was the sense of connection and shared purpose they formed with youth from other congregations.
I would strongly encourage other churches to participate in this trip because it offers a thoughtful balance of fun and meaningful service. The intentional structure of mixed work crews ensures interaction beyond familiar groups, helping youth grow socially, spiritually, and culturally. It provides a unique and formative alternative to traditional summer programs, combining community, service, and faith development in a way that is both memorable and transformative.
