Team 51 | Ex-plore | Texas, USA

Meeting: Wednesdays in Exodus Belfast
Dates: 8th - 20th July
Destination: Paradise, Texas, USA*
Contribution: £1175**

*To help us secure the best flight price this team has an Extra Early Application Application Deadline. You should apply by 16th Jan to have the best chance of being accepted and will then be asked for a £100 deposit to be paid by the end of January.

**This does not include the cost of an ESTA, which is part of the entry requirements to USA, and will be paid directly by the traveller.

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Leader

Jessica Ferguson

Jess is from the United States but more specifically the great state of TEXAS! However, she now calls Northern Ireland home.

Jess is married to Joel and loves grabbing an iced caramel latte or hanging out with her friends when she's not working at Exodus Belfast. She loves travelling, watching sport, doing anything creative and listening to all kinds of music, especially Taylor Swift.

Jess is excited to travel back to her home state and serve the people there!

CO-WORKER

Reuben Hall

Reuben is 18 and from Belfast. He is currently taking a gap year. He loves competition and enjoys playing all kinds of sports, especially football. Reuben has been on multiple Exodus teams before and is excited to be a co-leader for the first time.

CO-WORKER

Laura Couser

Laura is a Chemistry student at Queen’s. She loves going out for walks, visiting coffee shops, and spending time with her friends. You can almost always find her with her headphones on because she loves listening to music and having a little dance. She has been part of a couple of teams and can’t wait to see what this year has in store as she takes on somewhere new.

Team Meetings

Wednesdays in Exodus Belfast

The Course

Ex-plore Teams are a chance to discover the Christian life.

Make a difference, to meet new people, to explore the issues of life and experience other perspectives and communities.

15+ by 30th June

The Placement

Texas, USA // 8th - 20th July 2026

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The Location

Texas, USA

Texas is the target of many stereotypes - a place where everything is bigger, louder, and more confident. Come find out if it's all true! Texas has a rich blend of Latino, Southern, and Western influences, giving it a unique cultural identity within the U.S. Even in a wealthy region with a strong church tradition, there are pockets of spiritual and economic need in most communities, and our partners there have a passion to meet those needs. Texans are known for their friendliness and warmth, which creates natural opportunities to meet people and form friendships that will last.

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The Placement Partner

Cates Street Baptist Church

Cates Street Baptist Church is a small church with an older congregation who are extremely loving and truly care about the people in their community. Because the congregation is older, the church doesn’t currently have any children or teenagers, but they’ve been making efforts to reach the young people in the neighborhood. A school bus drops off students in the church parking lot every day, so they’ve started a monthly pop-up to connect with those students. They also hand out backpacks full of school supplies every year before school starts. This past year they handed out over 300 backpacks!

The church maintains two outdoor food boxes that church and community members keep stocked for those in need. They also partner with the local elementary school to provide for kids who need extra support. Cates Street has a deep desire to share the love of Jesus with all those around them.

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The Host

Mark and Beth Buckner

Mark and Beth Buckner have been married for almost 30 years, and they still like each other! They have served on staff in local churches during that time. Mark worked as a youth minister for 28 years and now serves as the pastor at Cates Street Baptist Church. In youth ministry, Beth was always his partner. Now she leads worship at Cates Street.

In addition to their church work, Mark and Beth both work in public schools. They have two amazing kids, Jessica and Remi, who keep life interesting for them. Jessica is currently serving overseas with Exodus Belfast, and Remi is taking a gap year as she determines what she wants to study in the future.

The Project

Your team will serve alongside the local church, reaching the community and sharing the Gospel through several different service opportunities such as :

  • Running a football camp in the mornings for local kids 
  • Hosting youth events in the evenings for teenagers in the neighbourhood -with face painting, 5 aside games and crafts
  • Connecting with other local youth groups and churches
  • Helping organise and packing school supplies for the churches back to school outreach 
  • Hosting watch parties for the world cup in the  local neighbourhood

Location

The team will serve in rural small town one hour outside of Dallas/Fort Worth. We'll travel between several towns in the area to serve the communities there 

 

Key Information

Accommodation

The team will stay at a local guest house 

Transportation

They will be driven in cars and vans by their team leader or church members.

Day Planner

Day 1         Travel Day

Day 2-3     Orientation

Day 4-10   Serve with the Host (Football camp , home visits, service projects)

Day 11       Team Day Out

Day 12-13 Travel Home

 

Travel Details

This team requires a passport valid for 6 months after the return date. Individuals without a valid passport should apply for one as soon as possible.

Please note, team members will need an ESTA, which is part of the entry requirements to USA. This will be paid directly by the traveller.

The team will fly direct from Dublin to Dallas/ Fort Worth Airport 

 

Check out the other teams in the area