3 Tips for Organizing an Overseas Church Mission

Guest Post by Camille Johnson from The Bereaver Blog. The views and opinions expressed in the article and associated links are those of the author, and although we strongly agree with the premise of the article, all specific details may or may not necessarily reflect those of ad Dei Gloriam Ministries. We have no relationship with any of the organizations linked within the article.

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Organizing a church mission to another country is a wonderful way to bring a congregation closer together and show young members of the church how to spread God’s love around the world. This is a big undertaking, but if you're feeling overwhelmed, take a business-like approach. Establish steps for reaching your goals and get as many people on board as possible, taking into account each individual’s needs and finding out what motivates them.

Baptist Press notes that preparing for a successful journey involves a great deal of work and planning, including consideration of some of the challenges that are involved in traveling overseas with a group of teenagers. These three tips will make organizing an overseas church mission more manageable.

1. Involve Church Youth in Fundraising Efforts

Mission trips are more successful when participants feel comfortable around one another and have invested time and effort in preparing for the trip. That’s why you should involve your church youth from the very beginning by including them in fundraising efforts. The trip will hold more meaning for them when they have worked for it.

Popular youth fundraisers include selling faith-based candles, using church scratch cards, selling cookies and cookie dough. Your young church members also may hold car washes, bake sales, yard sales, or other community events to raise money for their trip.

Because you will involve the community in your fundraising events, you should advertise in your church bulletin, on your church sign, and in local newspapers. If your church has a social media page, put a few of your youth in charge of creating and sharing fundraising events because it is an inexpensive way to reach a larger audience.

If you plan to stand in front of local stores with cans to collect donations, design matching T-shirts for your mission participants to make them more visible and credible when they are out and about in the community. Of course, everyone should pack their shirts and wear them on the mission itself when the time comes.

Another important fundraising tool you could use is marketing via email. Email marketing has a very high return on investment, so you should leverage it for raising funds and awareness for your mission trip. If you can use the email list of your whole church’s congregation, then you should have no problem reaching your fundraising goals.

2. Make Sure Everyone is Onboard with the Mission’s Purpose

When organizing a mission trip overseas, the church’s mission should be first and foremost in everyone’s minds. Operate under the understanding that you are representing your church and are traveling to do public service and be the face of your church in another part of the world. It’s important for you to share the purpose of the mission with your young participants and their families so everyone understands the trip is not a vacation. You should create a mission itinerary, a daily schedule, and a list of mission goals and share them at the first informational meeting.

3. Clearly State Your Rules and Get Signatures Early in the Planning Process

You also should clearly state your expectations and team rules from the beginning so church members know the do’s and don’ts of the trip and can agree to them well ahead of time. State and explain the rules to parents at the introductory meeting but also invite mission participants to attend so you can spend the evening answering questions and assuaging parents’ fears.

For more ideas on when to hold meetings, which information to share when, and which forms you will need, check out the numerous resource-rich websites like YouthWorks and Faithward. Keep in mind that if you are traveling to a country that allows people younger than 21 to drink or has a reputation for heavy recreational drug use, you should make it very clear that your youth will not be participating even though the laws differ. Studies show that exposing teens to alcohol at an early age puts them at a greater risk of developing drug and alcohol problems later in life, as noted in TIME magazine.

Similarly, experimenting with drugs early in life or using them socially as teens also leads to a high risk of becoming dependent and affects brain development. Alcohol and drugs have no place in a church mission, and you should reiterate these points at your introductory meeting.

Lastly, you may want to clearly state what items they can and cannot bring. It’s also important to give them reminders of important items to bring, such as medications they take daily, clothes that suit the climate, and chargers or power banks for devices they’re bringing along.

Planning an overseas church mission trip requires a great deal of time and organization. But, if you involve church youth and parents early in fundraising and informational sessions and clearly state your purpose and rules early on, you will have a much more successful and meaningful trip.

3 Ways to Help a Person Recovering from Addiction

Guest Post by Sara at Educator Labs:

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those of ad Dei Gloriam Ministries.

Watching someone you care about struggle with addiction is not easy. The process of getting help alone is difficult enough, and then you must watch your loved one cope with recovery. While recovery may be a step forward, it is also a very challenging time in the person’s life.

If you have never experienced addiction, you might feel as though you cannot help simply because you don’t understand what they are going through. However, you do not need to have similar experiences to help someone through a difficult time. Here are a few ways friends and family can help a person undergoing addiction recovery.

One of the most important steps you can take to help someone working through recovery is simply to check in once in awhile. If your loved one is still in treatment or if you don’t live nearby, regular phone calls or video chats can offer the support your loved one needs.

With the isolating nature of addiction recovery, it is important that friends and family take the time to stay in touch. Social isolation can easily become a reason for relapse and by simply picking up the phone, you can help prevent that.

Plan Beneficial Activities

There are many activities that prove quite beneficial for those recovering from drug addiction. Spending time with loved ones is an important aspect of avoiding social isolation during recovery, and by choosing your activities wisely, you’ll be doing even more to help them stay on the right path and discover positive coping strategies.

Exercise is a commonly used tool in various therapies as it can improve mental state and act as a positive coping mechanism. Due to the meditative aspect of the practice, yoga is one of the best options. You might also consider learning a new hobby or skill together such as a new language or maybe even ceramics.

Bring the Family Dog

Even if you can’t find a way to help by yourself, your dog already knows the best way to offer support. Dogs are naturally stress-relieving. They offer affection and encourage physical activity by playing. If your loved one is able, you may even want to suggest that they adopt a dog. The ability to come home to a loving pet is a great way to battle depression while their need for exercise and social interaction works to prevent isolation.

Of course, dogs are also a huge financial responsibility. They will require food, vet care, collars, leashes, beds, and a number of other items in order to live comfortably. So, in the meantime, try bringing your dog over for a visit, a walk, or just a game of fetch. Their enthusiasm and affection are enough to brighten any mood.

Though addiction can be frightening and the recovery process difficult, you are an important part of your loved one’s life. Your love, support, and compassion can make all the difference in a recovery simply by doing your best and caring.