Spoke Folk equips 14-20 year olds to be disciples of Jesus Christ.


focusing on 4 discipleship habits:

Bible

Reading God’s Word
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16

Prayer

Talking with God and building a relationship
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

5 Minutes

Listening to God
Be Still and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10

Discipling Relationships

Building deeper relationships.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

tour details

12 Days Can Change Your Life

12 Day Biking Tour

Up to 30 participants (14-20 year olds) and 10 counselors (21+) from across the country.

Discipleship Training

As a tour we participate in small group ministry, develop discipleship habits and share in evening devotionals.

Worship Program

During training we put together a worship program filled with music, testimonies, a skit and even a puppet show for the children. Then for 7 days we bike to new churches to share the program, and engage in relational ministry with the congregation.

Why spoke folk

1. Spiritual Growth

In the evening, the tour shares their music program with the host congregation. After the performance and spending time in fellowship with the congregation, the tour takes time for worship and discipleship training focused on four spiritual habits (prayer, being in the Word, alone time with God, and engaging in a discipleship relationship). This happens through large group devotions, small group “family time,” and individual time with the Lord.

2. Community

Although a Spoke Folk tour ends after just 12 short days when the tour arrives back at the home church, the community of Spoke Folk continues off tour. Lifelong friendships that encourage faith in God are often formed through Spoke Folk. If you are a follower of Jesus, we hope you’ll consider joining us on an upcoming tour. If you feel depleted or spiritually empty and are looking for a place that will build you up and help strengthen your relationship with Jesus and with others, join us this summer!

3. It’s Unique!

Spoke Folk is unique…it’s part mission trip, part summer camp, part discipleship training…it’s often difficult for someone involved with this ministry to accurately and fully explain what it is to someone new to Spoke Folk. Here’s what we know for sure; God has been working through the programming of Spoke Folk to affect youth and young adults for His glory since 1979 and there’s nothing else like it.

tour phases

Home Church Training

Days 1-4

Participants (14-20 year olds) and adult leaders will gather from across the country and enter into an immersive experience filled with Bible study, prayer, small groups and other discipleship habit training as well as learning a program filled with music, personal testimonies, and drama.

On the Road

Days 5-12

Spoke Folk tour will begin biking to a new church each day to share the program with a new congregation and practice what it looks like to be bold in sharing what they believe in a supportive environment to be better practiced and strengthened to go home and do the same.

tour schedule

Home Church Training

WED-SAT

  • Get to know each other
  • Put together a worship program (Choir, band, puppet show, skit, sharings)
  • Begin discipleship training & habits
  • Training bike rides
  • Get job assignments
  • Hang out
  • Laundry

On the road

SUN-FRI

  • Wake up / Pack / Breakfast / Pray
  • Bike to lunch stop
  • Lunch
  • Bike to Host Church
  • Unload / set up / shower
  • Supper with congregation
  • Program
  • Connect with congregation
  • Evening Devos / Small groups / hang out

home church

SAT-SUN

  • Wrap up week
  • Program at Home Church

cost

Participant

$200

  • 14-20 years old
  • Up to 30 on a tour
  • All are welcome

Counselor

$200

  • 21+ years old
  • Up to 10 on a tour
  • Submit application: counselors selected based on fit

rookie

FREE

  • Participant or Counselor!
  • Special pricing for 2026!
Register Here

FAQs

Do I need to be a biker?

Absolutely not! These people, from different places all over the country, encourage one another, grow in faith together, and become like family on tour…and biking is just one small part of what makes up your Spoke Folk experience.

Not a singer or musician?

No problem! You don’t need to play an instrument or sing a solo/duet. Be part of the large group choir and there’s also opportunity to be part of a skit, puppet show, sharing or prayer.

Spoke Folkers will fly, take the train, take the bus, or drive in to their tour’s home church. Each person is asked to provide their travel information so that Spoke Folk can arrange to make airport, bus depot, and train station pickups & drop-offs as needed. If you need to be picked up, look for a small group of people carrying an orange bike flag! We’ll also have your cell number on hand to make sure we can find you quickly.

Spoke Folk is free for your first tour. For returning Spoke Folkers, tour is $200. Spoke Folk recommends writing letters and sending them to family & friends for fundraising as that has always proven an effective fundraising tool. Within Spoke Folk’s registration system, each person also gets their own online fundraising page. You can send that link out on social media and through an email blast to try to raise money as well.

While it can be intimidating to go on Spoke Folk without knowing anyone else on tour, many would say that’s the best way to go! It forces you to meet and connect with others quickly vs staying next to the person you came with. Spoke Folk as a community is very welcoming from the moment you arrive and after the first day or two the whole tour feels like a family.

Anyone ages 15-20 is welcome on Spoke Folk. Our main focus is to encourage and grow Jesus followers into disciples both on and off of tour. If you aren’t quite sure what you believe, that’s ok. You’ll be surrounded by an accepting and loving community that will encourage you in your faith.

Through the first few days of tour, Spoke Folk is providing all the meals and will work with anyone with dietary restrictions to make sure they are fed. Once on the road, the churches provide breakfast and dinner while Spoke Folk continues to provide lunch at the stops along the bike rides. The food coordinator on your tour will work with you if a church hasn’t provided something you can eat.

Each church may have a different solution for showering. Some have access to a local YMCA or community pool. Others arrange for host showers at nearby congregation members’ homes. Most of the time, Spoke Folkers throw on their swimsuit and shower in the church parking lot with a garden hose. It’s cold but after a long day of biking on a hot day, it….is still cold. But it’s the fastest way to get 20-40 people showered and has been a Spoke Folk tradition since the beginning!

Biking on Spoke Folk is not as difficult as you may think. We have lots of time each day to complete the ride, you are always with at least one other person if not a group, and stops along the way are part of the fun on Spoke Folk.

Each night after the program and after some small group time and devotionals, we camp out on the church floor using sleeping bags, air mattresses, camping pads, etc.

There are 2 large vans and a trailer that haul the equipment and luggage from church to church. They also serve as biking support, handing out bananas, refilling water bottles, and picking up any bikers that need a break.

You don’t need to be! For those that are less musically inclined, you will still be part of the large group choir singing during the program but there’s no obligation to play an instrument or sing a solo if you don’t want to. Lots of people without any musical experience go on Spoke Folk every year.

If you have your own bike, there are many companies that offer bike shipping for around $140 round trip. You can usually consult a local bike shop in your area to get a free bike box from them. If you do not own a bike or don’t wish to ship it, Spoke Folk has a limited number of rental bikes that can be rented for $115. Rental bikes have bike bags and are stocked with bike tools, mini pump, and extra tubes in case of flat tires.

If your resources allow, bike shorts/jerseys are nice to have since they are designed with biking in mind. They are not required however. As long as you have shorts and a t-shirt, you’re good to go! As for the bike, any multi-speed bike will work. If you have the choice between a mountain bike and a hybrid/road bike, we recommend the hybrid or road bike option as the tires create less friction on the road and easier biking. Single speed bikes are not allowed or desirable on Spoke Folk.

As a requirement for going on Spoke Folk, you must provide proof of health insurance and a liability waiver which also grants permission for Spoke Folk to seek medical attention if needed. It’s rare and the more common issues might include mild dehydration or heat stroke. Our counselors and specifically our medical coordinator remind everyone on tour to hydrate throughout the day, to stretch, to apply sunscreen and to get sleep to avoid these issues. There are 2 support vans that are available to pick someone up along the bike ride if any medical issue arises.