Aims:

• To facilitate, enable and equip churches, or other groups, to go on short-term international outreach trips
• To participate in practical projects taking place at local level
• To work alongside local Christians as they carry out the work
• To engage in cross-cultural exchange overseas
• To explore options for participating in longer-term international links
  
  
• To be challenged and inspired, and to use the experience to increase their own participation   in local and global mission on return
  
  
• To help in raising up a church that is more visibly outward looking, involved in greater social change and justice, and that people from outside will look at and want to join
  
  
• In so doing to move towards bringing about a wider church that is focussed on issues that matter to the world
  
  
• Mentoring and partnership liaison, including help with training and support to churches and other organisations in reaching out to their local communities (especially needy children, youth, and young parents)
  
  
• Developing and delivering advice, guidance, training and support to churches and other organisations as they seek to clarify their purpose, vision, aims and direction and supporting them as they implement agreed changes
  

How:

• Designing a short-term mission trip in conjunction with the team members and leader as well as the receiving partner, to produce an itinerary that is in-line with the requirements and skill-base of the team, as well as acceptable to the receiving partners
  
  
• Practical arrangements of planning the trip and all logistical aspects of creating and realising the trip
  
  • flight arrangements
  • visa requirements
  • advice re health issues and immunisations
  • advice re suitable insurance
  • budget and finance advice and oversight
  • security and safety issues, risk assessment
    
    
• Assistance with team selection process
  
  
• Pre-travel orientation workshops and team preparation meetings, at time and location convenient to team
  
  • cross-cultural issues
  • practicalities
  • security and safety issues including policies relevant to the trip
  • orientation to partner agencies, projects, itinerary
  • advice re team, and individual, preparation process
  • Christian-based preparation materials
    
    
• Leading the team overseas
  
  
• Post-travel debriefing on return, at location convenient to team
  • re-entry issues, including ‘reverse culture shock’
  • advice and guidance on ‘what next’ for individuals, churches and groups
  • 6-month follow–up for team members

Workshops available:

1. Pre-travel orientation
2. Post-travel debrief