Appalachian Immersion
“Don’t you see? God’s kingdom is already among you.”
Luke 17:21 CEB
What is Appalachian Immersion?
Appalachian Immersion offers youth and adult groups service and learning experiences that seek to replace stereotypes about the people, region, and culture of southeastern Kentucky with enduring relationships of Christian hospitality and hope. Where our faith tradition has been keen to “go and tell,” Immersion offers to come alongside and to listen.
Come Partner With Us!
Come partner with us in doing Gospel work in Appalachia. Check out our Appalachian Immersion website here.
A Word from Our Administrator
Appalachian Immersion is designed to provide churches and youth groups with a hands-on, Christ-centered experience where students can serve, learn, and grow while engaging deeply with the Appalachian community. Through service projects, relational ministry, worship, and intentional discipleship, students are given the opportunity not only to meet tangible needs, but also to grow in their understanding of God’s heart for people, community, and mission. We believe Appalachian Immersion is important because it invites others into our county and into Southeastern Kentucky as a whole—an area that is often misunderstood.
Scripture calls us to hospitality, to welcome the stranger, and to love our neighbors well. This ministry allows us to live that out by opening our community to others, sharing our story, and walking alongside mission groups as we serve together. We believe missions are not only about going far away, but about faithfully serving where God has placed us, and Appalachian Immersion helps students see that truth firsthand. We also believe this experience is especially impactful for high school students. Appalachian Immersion challenges them to step outside their comfort zones, to see people and places through the lens of Christ, and to recognize that God is at work in communities that may look different from their own. Students leave not only having served, but having been shaped—learning humility, compassion, and a deeper understanding of what it means to love others as Christ loves us.
Our desire is to create an environment where visiting groups can come alongside our local church, build genuine relationships, and see God at work through shared experiences. Appalachian Immersion is more than a mission trip—it is an opportunity for students to grow in their faith, wrestle with what biblical missions truly look like, and discover how God might be calling them to serve both now and in the future.
First Baptist Church of Middlesboro is honored to host churches and youth groups who have a heart for discipleship, service, and community engagement. We work intentionally to provide meaningful service opportunities, a safe and welcoming environment, and spiritual guidance throughout the experience. Whether your group is new to mission work
or has years of experience, Appalachian Immersion offers a setting that is accessible, impactful, and deeply rewarding. I would be happy to answer any questions, discuss scheduling, or help determine if this experience would be a good fit for your youth ministry.
Thank you for taking the time to consider this invitation. We would love the opportunity to partner with you as we seek to serve Christ together and invite students into meaningful, life-shaping mission work.
In Christ,
Marah Slusher
Appalachian Immersion Program Administrator
A Holistic Approach to Missions in the Mountains
In 2014, Middlesboro’s First Baptist Church signed on to a vision: become a place where groups could come and do missions in the mountains with integrity. With a gracious gift from the estate of S.H. and Evelyn Flowers, the church repurposed its underused education wing into what members and neighbors now call “the mission wing.” There are bunk beds in two different rooms, as well as a suite with a meeting space and private bedrooms for leaders. There are two half-bathrooms, two full bathrooms, and a total of six showers. In the past few years, there have been about dozen groups—some from churches, some from seminaries—come to serve and learn in Appalachia. Serve and learn, for God is already here and up to something, and just like every other place in the world, Appalachia too has something to teach.
