Q: Who may go on a Mission Journey?
A: The out-of-the-country trips are for ages 16 & up. However, a few mature 14 & 15 year olds are allowed in limited number.
Inside the United States, the 10-day trips to Native American Indian Reservations are for ages 14 & up. Again, mature 12 & 13 year olds will be allowed in limited number.
The 7-day trips involving ground travel are for ages 12 & up.
If any potential team member is below the age of 12 at the time of the trip, please contact our offices to see if any special arrangements can be made.
Q: Where do I start?
A: The top priority is to PRAY to God about the possibility. Trust Him for the money. Send in an Interest Form right away.
When you plan to definitely go on the trip, send your Application Form and deposit of $30 (ground trips) or $50 (airline trips) in to hold your place on the team. For trips involving airfare, we’ll notify you when another $80 is needed to hold your seat on the airplane.
Q: What is the timeframe for applying for a Mission Journey?
A: If you're doing a trip involving airfare, you should try to have an application & deposit in appx 6-9 months prior to departure.
If your trip doesn't involve airfare, you should try to turn an application & deposit in appx 3-5 months prior to departure.
You’ll need to allow a little more time for fund-raising with the trips involving airfare.
Q: What happens after I turn in my application form & deposit?
A: For those who send in applications and a deposit, a Welcome Aboard packet will be mailed to them beginning in mid-January.
This packet will formally introduce each participant to this great spiritual adventure and get them started in the support-raising process.
It will contain the General Guide & Guidelines, a booklet containing fund-raising ideas, payment schedule, notes on "pocket money," insurance, passport, & medical info, general schedule & duty expectations, "rules to go by," what to bring, and what not to bring, etc.
The packet also includes your Support Letter, tells how to create Potential Supporters & Prayer Partners lists, how to use your support letter effectively, and a system for keeping track of support you receive.
Q: When do I raise the money to go?
A: You may work on your potential supporter list right away, but actual fund-raising should not begin until appx 6 months prior to departure (for a trip involving airfare).
If your trip doesn't involve airfare, you should begin the fund-raising process appx 3-4 months prior to departure.
Your target goal is to have your fund-raising completed 2 months before departure for a trip involving airfare and 1 month before departure for a ground-travel trip.
Q: What does the trip price cover?
A: Our price gets you to the mission location from the listed departure point (usually a major Midwest airport in IL, IN, KY, OH, and MI).
Usually you don’t have to “meet” us in New York or Miami, adding hundreds of dollars to the trip price.
For trips involving airfare, the trip prices include all group expenses (airfare, food, building materials, ground transportation, lodging, even sightseeing), but not INDIVIDUAL expenses (souvenirs, postcards, etc).
For most of the 7-day trips to IN/KY or to hurricane disaster areas, the trip price includes all group expenses (building/project materials, food, lodging, even sightseeing), but not INDIVIDUAL expenses (souvenirs, passports, etc) once you get to the location. These trips are priced from "on-location," meaning you need to get yourself there (or have us help you).
Q: How much of trip costs go to Teen Mission, USA?
A: The registration fee of $30 (for ground travel trips) or $50 (for trips involving airfare) per person goes directly to Teen Mission.
After all other expenses are then covered, TM, USA, will try to reimburse themselves for other costs put into the Mission Journey.
This helps cover items such as team T-Shirts, Devotion Books and Trip Liability Insurance. Also, partial reimbursements for Salaries, Office Operation, Mileage & Expenses for Trip Business & Presentations, MAILINGS (1st Class, Bulk, Account Reports, Mail Supplies); PHONE & FAX (Coordinators, Team Members, & Host Mission); PRINTING (Packets, General Guide & Guidelines, Devotion Books, Newsletters); MEDIA (Photos, Videos, Display, Internet, Website).
When all is said and done, the funds we receive from the Mission Journeys are only 15% (roughly) of our overall income as a ministry. However, we spend about 80% of our total efforts on the Mission Journeys outreach.
In other words, we're not trying to "get rich" on these Mission Journeys, just cover some of our time and effort we put into them.
Regular giving by churches and individuals, plus special fundraisers help offset the other operational costs of Teen Mission and Mission Journeys.
Q: What cities will Mission Journeys involving air flights leave from?
A: Our trip prices are based upon leaving from an airport as close as possible to the “core” group.
The airports used are usually major Midwest airport (IL, IN, KY, OH, and MI). Other airports, though, may be used.
Please plan on arriving in the departure city the DAY BEFORE your scheduled flight.
There will be a Pack Day, Covenant Time and Orientation for all team members the day before departure.
If you need help in getting to your departure city, let us know and we might be able to help arrange getting you there.
Q: Will I need any shots?
A: Immunizations are not required for stateside travel. However, we highly recommend having an updated tetanus immunization. We are often working around building materials where rusty nails to rusty metal might scratch or cause small cuts.
Immunizations are not usually a requirement for countries to which we travel. We will let you know if you are going to a country where immunizations ARE required. It would also be wise to check with your doctor concerning shots or medication he might recommend for you.
Q: Will I need a passport?
A: We require all of our Mission Journey members traveling outside the United States to have a valid US passport. Some of the countries we travel to require VISAS as well (BRAZIL, INDIA, TANZANIA, for example).
Q: What constitutes a Mission Journey “team” and how is one put together?
A: We've found that 15-16 people are a very good number to work with. We've taken more (up to 60), but it gets much more difficult in keeping the team "one" and keeping everyone busy with meaningful tasks to do.
The minimum number for a group (traveling by air) would be 11 or 12. That is because of the difficulty to get decent airfares with any less than that number in your group.
Trips using ground travel can have as few as 4-5 team members.
If we have enough people sign up from one church or particular area, the entire team can be filled with people from one church or area. We've also had 2 or more churches come together to form one group.
However, we can most always fit one or two individual sign-ups onto any existing trip.
Q: How many adults/sponsors are needed on a trip?
A: We strive to have a ratio of 1 adult for every 2-3 youth on each trip. That seems to work best.
Q: What if I have to cancel?
A: The application fee is refundable only if the trip is canceled. The airline reservation fee is refundable only if we can retrieve it from the airlines.
There are no refunds in the last 30 days before a trip.
Other money raised by a Mission Journey participant may be transferred to another team member.