How to Plan a Group Mission Trip

How do you plan a group mission trip for your church or school? The idea of sending a team to serve overseas is exciting—it provides an opportunity to partner with a ministry, explore a new culture or context, and learn about mission.

But planning a group mission trip can also be daunting.

From choosing your destination to raising funds and booking flights, Resonate Global Mission’s Volunteer Ministries team recommends that you start to plan about ten months to one year in advance. Here’s a helpful timeline for your mission trip planning checklist.
 

The idea of sending a team to serve overseas is exciting—it provides an opportunity to partner with a ministry, explore a new culture or context, and learn about mission.

9 Months to 1 Year Before Travel

Think About Your Goals and Motivations
Consider why you want to go and how your trip fits into your community. Is there something you’re hoping to learn or specific skills you’d like to share? Do you already have connections with a missionary or ministry you’d like to deepen?  

Determine Where You’re Going
The first step is to determine where you’re going, who you’ll be serving with, and what you’ll be doing. Explore opportunities to serve with Resonate by chatting with someone on our team to help you find the right fit for your group.

Set the Dates
Set the dates for your trip, your orientation, and your debriefing. Spending time preparing for your trip as a group and processing your trip after you return is just as important as the trip itself, so it’s important to get those dates on the calendar too.

Agree to the Budget
Work with the Volunteer Ministries team and the field staff to determine a budget for the trip. The budget will include things such as transportation to and from the field, international medical insurance, transportation, lodging, food, and ministry expenses while you’re serving overseas.

Gather a Group
Who will be joining you on the mission trip? Promote the trip, ask people to join, and then share your list with Resonate’s Volunteer Ministries team.

Develop a Fundraising Plan
Once your budget is set, you’ll want to develop a fundraising plan to meet your goal. For group mission trips, it can be helpful to have a team goal you work to meet together and individual goals everyone works to meet on their own.
 

You’ll want to start raising support as soon as possible.

2-10 Months Before Travel

Raise Support
You’ll want to start raising support as soon as possible. Some people can feel awkward asking people to give, but you shouldn’t! Fundraising is an invitation for people to partner with you and the ministries you’ll be working alongside through prayer, care, and financial support. To fundraise, you can visit people and make personal phone calls. Or you might want to organize events like an auction, dinner, or dessert evening. If someone isn’t able to give financially, ask them if they’ll support you in prayer!

Have Team Meetings
Host team meetings a few times before you travel for team building, preparing spiritually for your mission trip, and learning about the ministry context where you’ll be serving. Resonate provides teams with country guides to help prepare you for what to expect.

Solidify an Itinerary for Your Trip
Resonate will work with your group to map out an itinerary for your group mission trip. This will include things such as work days, devotions and debriefing times, worship with local churches, ministry site visits, cultural and historical tours, fun excursions, and more.
 

Host team meetings a few times before you travel for team building, preparing spiritually for your mission trip, and learning about the ministry context where you’ll be serving. 

6-8 Weeks Before Travel

Reach Your Fundraising Goal
At this point before you’re trip, you’ll want to have met your support-raising goal so you can make the payments you need to.

Purchase Airline Tickets & Get Visas
Resonate’s Volunteer Ministries Team will work with you to purchase airline tickets. If your destination requires a visa, Resonate will provide you with instructions on how to get one.

Get Any Immunizations You Need
Some countries require or recommend certain vaccinations or medication for travelers. We recommend following government health guidelines—and either your healthcare provider or a travel clinic’s recommendations—for vaccines or things like antimalarial medication for your trip.

Orientation from Resonate
Resonate hosts an orientation for every group mission trip. This orientation covers postures and practices that are important while joining God on mission, the basics of cross-cultural communication, safety on the field, and more.
 

Share specific prayer requests such as prayers for health, safety, team dynamics, and the people you’ll be working alongside. 

1 Week Before Travel

Be Commissioned 
Ask your church to commission your group the week before you take off. Ask for some time to share about where you’ll be going, what you’ll be doing, and why. Share specific prayer requests such as prayers for health, safety, team dynamics, and the people you’ll be working alongside. 
 

Debriefing after your mission trip is an important part of the service and learning process

1 Week-6 Months After Travel

Hold Debriefing Gatherings
Debriefing after your mission trip is an important part of the service and learning process! Re-gather your group a couple of weeks after returning home to reflect on your experience and how you’re hoping to integrate what you learned into your life.  You can have another gathering 6 months after your travel to check in with each other and how you’re living out what you learned.  

Report Back to Your Supporters
Find ways to share about how God worked through your mission trip with your supporters—sharing in a worship service, with small groups, a special presentation or meal, or written reflections can all be meaningful.

Are you ready to start planning your group mission trip? Resonate has opportunities for your groups to serve with ministries and missionaries in Greece, the Dominican Republic, and more. Get started today.