Mission Training ‘25

• Consult Travel Memos for Arrival Date/Time Details 

• Sun.  June 8 - Travel from Retreat Camp Victory to your Household House

• Move Out 

  •  1st and 2nd Yr Missionaries depart on Sat. July 12 (Anytime, though cleaning may be expected in advance of your departure)

  • 3+ Yr Missionaries & CL’s depart on Sat. June 28 (Anytime)

Interns: Depart on Sun. June 22 after 2:00pm (after your household has been cleaned). Those who are flying should aim to book departure flights that leave no earlier than 4:00pm.

• We’ll kick off the first days of MT on retreat about an hour south of St. Paul at Camp Victory. Expect a lot of prayer and a lot of fun. 

  • Transportation to Camp: Those bringing cars, please arrive in the Twin Cities by 1pm on Wed June 4th to assist with transportation. More information to follow. 

Phones on retreat: Everyone will be expected to set aside their phones for the full length of retreat. They will be stored in a secure location with communication available

• You’ll be together for six weeks. Consider the men or women in your house as part of how God will transform you this summer. 

  • Student Interns and Missionaries will be living together. 

  • Your Household Leader will contact you before MT with details on your house. 

  • Women will be in UMN and UST Household houses. 

  • All men (approx. 50) live in the UMN Men’s Dorm (a former fraternity house) 

  • Breakfast and Dinner will be made in your household. Lunches will be either packed or served at St. Kate’s, alternating throughout the week.

  • UMN Houses are in the Dinkytown neighborhood of Minneapolis. UST Houses are in Merriam Park, Saint Paul. 

Reminder to pack bedding (see packing memo)

• While we’ve created more space in evenings and on weekends, training is still a full schedule with 150+ friends around. It’s important to be prayed up, get sleep, eat well and communicate with your HH Leader about how you are doing. 

Check out a typical day/week here. It will be important to take the built-in times for prayer and rest. Item description

• Returning staff may need to have meetings during MT. This year we’re asking that those happen during Tuesday or Thursday afternoons, or before 9am. Please do not schedule “business” meetings during sessions, lunch or recreation time.

  • Lunch will be with your chapter on Thur Jun 12, Wed Jun 18 and Wed Jun 25.

• Team Announcements: Wed June 11, 7pm - Announcements will be livestreamed.  

• NEW Chapter-Planned Evening on June 17th: Guests and partners have an evening available to spend time with their chapter’s missionaries. Chapter Leaders and Mission Supervisors, it is your responsibility to plan this time and communicate it.  

• NEW Chapter Lunches on Thur June 12, Wed June 18 and Wed June 25. TBD if meals will be provided at St. Kate’s these days; CL’s consider budgeting to go out with your team. 

• Sat June 21 will be Men’s & Women’s Weekend.

Meals and household items (cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc) will be covered during MT. Social outings will not be covered, so you may want to plan some expenses for coffee, a meal out with a friend on the weekend, a missing clothing item, etc.

• Children of SPO Staff may be present at various times during training. For their protection and yours, please be mindful of the following:

  • Receive parental permission before picking up or holding a child. 

  • You should not be alone with a child at any time, apart from planned childcare. 

  • If you offer childcare, it cannot disrupt your full participation in training and is not part of your work with SPO. If a child needs to be taken out of a session, this is a parent's responsibility.

• As a new campus for SPO Training, expect some changes to the training experience and flexibility as we learn the facilities. St. Catherine University

Main Sessions in the Ballroom of  Coeur de Catherine (Student Union)