Mission Outreach and Service
Building Relationships, Loving Neighbor
Mission Opportunities at Hinton Rural Life Center
Through Hinton’s Mission Outreach Program, teams typically serve for a Sunday-Thursday or weekend on Safe and Healthy Home Repair projects in the local Appalachian community. Projects may include: building wheelchair ramps, porches, and steps; underpinning mobile homes; painting; repairing floors; and helping with yard work.
Our mission emphasis is not just on construction or completing projects, but on building relationships with our neighbors. Through hands-on work and building relationships, mission team members open themselves up to being served in return.
Who will you serve?
Hinton focuses on serving the area of Clay and Cherokee counties in North Carolina, as well as Towns County, Georgia. In these three counties, an average of 18% of residents live in poverty. Many of the neighbors we serve are single parents, the elderly, individuals who have a disability, or people who are unemployed. Although statistics can give us insight, we encourage mission team members to develop personal relationships with the neighbors they’re serving in order to learn their unique story.
How will you grow?
Our staff incorporates learning goals into everything we do. One of those is for each mission outreach participant to grow in understanding Appalachian culture and rural poverty. We also want participants to grow spiritually. We’ll provide intentional time for learning more about and reflecting on God’s calling to a life of service, as well as time for your group to grow in relationship with one another.
Serve AND Retreat
Your week or weekend at Hinton Rural Life Center will include lots of physical labor, however, you’ll also experience the hospitality of being a guest on our campus, as we are also a retreat facility. We provide beds and linens, as well as delicious meals by our executive chef. Enjoy afternoons jumping into the lake, playing disc golf or corn hole, reading under a tree, or taking a prayerful walk at the Labyrinth. Our ultimate goal is to serve our local community, but we also want you to have time to rest and renew.
2024 Summer Mission Outreach
Click HERE for a Summer Missions 2024 flyer!
Cost to Attend — $395/person
Early Bird Discount! — If first deposit received by 12/1/23 and all forms turned in by 5/15/24, a 10% discount for entire group is applied to final payment amount, due 5/15/24, with forms. (For a group of 15, that’s a savings of $592.50!)
Payment Schedule
- Deposit: due with registration ($150/person); must be received to hold dates
- Second payment: due by 3/1/24 ($100/person)
- Final payment: due at least 30 days prior to your arrival


REQUIRED FORMS:
Click HERE to register your group online for 2024 summer missions.
Click 2024 Group Application to download a summer mission application.
Click HERE to go to our Resources Page to download required forms.
Click HERE for lists of area activities and eateries to enjoy while you’re here.
What does the $395/person, all-inclusive experience include?
- Meals: 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners
- Lodging (beds, linens, towels provided)
- Sunday afternoon arrival, work Mon-Wed, depart after Thursday breakfast; consider adding an optional fun day and overnight so your group can enjoy area activities!
- Programming and worship led by Hinton Rural Life Center staff: Appalachian Culture Night, a poverty awareness activity, two worship services, devotional booklet for each participant, daily group devo times, Staff/Camper challenges, and much more!
- Project materials, tools, and supplies
What’s a typical day of Summer Missions? Click HERE
Who can attend?
- All ages are welcome*: individuals, families, youth groups, college groups, Sunday school classes, etc.
- 1:5 adult to youth ratio is required; groups must provide their required number of adults.
- Youth under age 12 must have a parent present.
What should you pack?
Click to download this packing list and share with your team members: Summer Missions Packing List
Summer Staff Opportunities
Service Ministry Leaders
Hinton Rural Life Center equips 8 to 10 college-aged young adults to work during the summer as Service Ministry Leaders (SMLs). The SMLs help lead teams, hold small group discussions, facilitate lunchtime devotions, foster relationships between volunteers and community members, and lead programming throughout the week. In addition to being First Aid/CPR certified, our SMLs go through extensive, intentional training before our summer mission teams arrive.
Full Job Description: ServiceMinistryLeader2023-Posting
For the online application, due 2/24/23, click HERE
August to May Mission Opportunities
August to May Customized Weeks/Weekends, Campus Ministry Specials
In addition to our Summer Mission Outreach ministry, we offer week-long and weekend opportunities for groups to serve from August through May.
Mission teams — including youth, adult, and intergenerational — are invited to contact us about creating customized week or weekend mission opportunities. You’d be surprised at what can be accomplished and the relationships that can be built, even within a weekend experience! We especially encourage campus ministry and service organizations to come by offering a discount package.
Registration fees include meals, basic project materials, and lodging. Hinton Center will work with your schedule and accommodate your needs for worship and programming.
College-age groups are encouraged to call for fall and spring break mission opportunities.
Call 828-389-8336 or email missions@hintoncenter.org for more information.

Apply for Home Repairs / Safe & Healthy Housing Assessment
There are no financial guidelines or requirements for having a Safe & Healthy Housing check done at your home. Hinton Center hopes to see the entire community’s health and safety improve, because your zip code can be a better predictor of health than your genetics! Did you know that?
However, in order for Hinton to make repairs to your home, there must be financial need or extenuating circumstances.
Download, print, and read both pages of our Safe & Healthy Housing Application form.
Safe & Healthy Housing Assessment Information
Once you are ready to proceed, click on the link provided here to fill in and submit and on-line application: On-line application
Or you can download the application here and either mail it or bring it to Hinton Center.