Q. Why does Savannah Christian Church place such a high emphasis on involving members in short-term mission trips (STMT)?
A. The primary purpose in going on a short-term team is to learn. You may ask, “what about all the lectures on serving?” Serving is the best means of showing the love of Christ in any culture, but learning is the goal...resulting in a reshaped life:
Ø learning to see the world more as God sees it;
Ø learning to bond with brothers and sisters of other cultures;
Ø learning to see the diverse ways God can use you for His glory;
Ø learning that our cultural worldview is not the only one out there;
Ø learning to discern if God is calling you into cross-cultural service.
Our goal is not just to get people “involved” or to have “programs” but to make lifelong, mature disciples of Jesus with a heart for the world. In summary, this means learning to trust God in all things.
Q. It seems different churches and agencies use different ways of funding STMT. Why does Savannah Christian use this model for going on trips?
A. One of the stated goals of STMT is to discern whether or not an individual is called to cross-cultural missions work. The methodology SCC uses for preparation in being sent to the field for a short trip imitates the one most full-time missionaries use. There are distinct phases of the process: hearing God’s call, building a support team, preparing one’s heart and mind for the task, and then going. We believe building a prayer/financial support team is a critical element to this process. Even if you are in a situation of being able to pay for your entire trip, building the team is critical.
Q. Why do you ask for a copy of my support letter and a list of my potential supporters?
A. This is not an attempt to access any private or personal information. Asking for these two documents allows us to better determine your willingness to do the minimum required to build a support team in a timely manner and follow the guidelines established in the STMT training manual.
Q. Why do you need a criminal background check on trip participants?
A. In a desire is to protect the children we meet on our trips we have determined this to be a necessary step in the application process.
Q. What are the critical elements of a support letter?
A. Letters should only be sent to people with whom you already have a personal relationship; they should be sincere and focused – why do you feel called to go? What will you be doing? Why is building a
support team important to you?
It is also important to give specifics: When are you leaving and returning? How much money do you have to raise? Important – give a deadline for any financial contributions to be received based on the established deadlines you receive from your trip leader.
Remember, sincerity will resonate with supporters.
Q. Why am I required to contribute a minimum of 10% of my own money?
A. 10% is a relatively small portion of the overall cost of a trip. If someone isn’t willing to do as they ask others to do, namely give sacrificially for this effort, very possibly they are going for the wrong reasons. If 10% of the trip cost isn’t available, a longer preparation time may be necessary.
Q. Will the financial gifts given toward my trip be tax deductible for my support team?
A. While tax laws are constantly changing, the key factors in the gift being tax deductible include: the contribution must be made payable to Savannah Christian Church; the person’s name may be on the memo line of a check but the giver must relinquish control of the gift once it is made. In other words, once received the gift can not be refunded or directed to another designation. All that being said, we always encourage people to seek professional advice as it pertains to tax consequences.
Q. Why can’t I see how much each of my individual supporters has given to my account or the name of the individuals that gave?
A. We ask team members to seek God’s leading in identifying the members of their support team. Following Jesus’ example in Luke 6:12-13 of choosing his inner circle after praying for a significant
amount of time, these people should all be regarded as valued members of the under girding team whether they contribute financially or not. You will always know the total amount contributed; but the human tendency will be to place value on the amount of the gift given rather than the overall team; maturity comes from trusting God to provide our needs according to His purposes. The policy of the SCC Missions Department is that we don’t disclose information about specific contributions or individuals who gave to your account. We believe in the principle that everyone who receives a request for support from you (whether they give financially or not) should be considered as a partner and their value to your team should not be based on the finances they contributed to your account.
Q. Can I designate surplus support from my account to others on the team?
A. No. A fundamental truth is you can’t trust God to provide in a time of need – and then want to personally control any extra He has provided.
Extra funding will always first go to help another team member who hasn’t raised their full support; then if the team is fully funded it will be used for blessing your host ministry (with the involvement of the Missions Pastor and team leader) or by funding a shortfall for another SCC team. It will not go into the general missions account.
Q. Is it possible to receive a scholarship if I am unable to raise the full cost of the trip?
A. Obviously our goal is to have as many SCC people as possible experience the blessing of serving on a STMT. There are several factors in determining whether a person should receive assistance with the funding of their trip. These factors include the financial status of the team overall, the willingness of the individual to do what is asked of them (provide a copy of the support letter and names of support team) and submit to the process of preparation - namely attend the team meetings and work to be as prepared as possible for the upcoming experience. Only active SCC members would be considered for assistance.
Q. I received a partial scholarship last year. Can I receive help again this year?
A. Anyone receiving financial assistance for a trip is required to be fully funded the following year. In anticipation of this, there may be a longer time of preparation required based on circumstances. In fairness, we are willing to evaluate each situation individually.
Q. Will I have an airline ticket purchased for me as long as I have enough in my account to cover the ticket?
A. No. If your trip is not fully funded and no other arrangement has been made involving the team leader and the Missions Pastor, you will not have an airline ticket purchased. Two primary reasons:
1) There might be several hundred dollars difference between the expense of your overall trip and the airfare. This is the team member’s responsibility. The expectation of all team members is that full support will be raised by the final deadline established for your team, not just the airfare.
2) Because of the first reason, and in terms of acquiring the best combination of airfare and itinerary possible, the welfare of the entire team can not be sacrificed in good faith for the individual who is not prepared for the trip. We can not wait until “the last possible moment” to lock in airfares because it gives us no flexibility
Q. If I contribute my own money to meet the deadline, what happens if additional contributions come in for me? Can I get my own money back?
A. We can not refund money solely based on it being defined as your “personal” money. There should never be an expectation that someone else will fully fund your trip; if so, you may be going for the
wrong reasons. The key to avoid this situation is in sending support letters out as soon as possible, clearly defining the deadline for support contributions, and prayerfully knowing in advance what you can realistically contribute financially to the trip. The expense of passports, immunizations, supplies, etc. should be included in this decision.
It is also important to see the bigger picture regarding the administrative work involved in potentially hundreds of people asking to have a portion of their funding returned because it is “personal” money
Q. Why is the final payment deadline 60 days before the team’s departure date?
A. After sending over 100 teams to the field over the last few years, we have found the optimal window of opportunity in purchasing the best airfares to be between 60 and 45 days prior to the team’s departure. Any closer to departure, airfares tend to increase (unpredictably) and seats can become scarce, especially for larger teams.
The deadline is set at 60 days out to best control this significant cost on international trips and to best determine which individuals are prepared and funded to go.
In almost every case where a problem arises in the preparation process, it is not an issue of an early deadline but rather procrastination at the beginning of the process.
Q. Can I arrive earlier than or depart after the rest of my team on an international trip?
A. Outside of extreme circumstances, we ask that all team members travel to and from the host destination together.
Q. What if I can find a cheaper airfare on the internet?
A. Occasionally you may find a lower fare. But after exhaustive (and ongoing) investigation we have established a working relationship with a travel agent specializing in STMT which provides many benefits that aren’t always obvious to the individual – flexibility in adjusting the numbers of team members booked, additional insurance, 24 hour assistance, as well as the lowest fares over the course of all our trips.
It’s important to remember two points - an advertised, discounted fare is typically offered for a very limited number of seats on any one flight; and we work diligently to find the best combination of airfare and itinerary. In other words, it would defeat the purpose to book an airfare that is slightly cheaper if it requires an additional stop, or an excessively long layover, etc. which significantly reduces the time in the field for the team.
Q. Can I use frequent flyer miles to cover my airfare?
A. It is very important that our teams travel together to any and all international destinations. We can not have team members arriving at different times on different flights because of the increased unpredictability and security concerns. There might be the possibility of using frequent flyer miles to reserve a seat, but booking seats on the same flights as the team has proven to be very difficult to accomplish in the past.
Q. What if I am not able to go on the trip for any reason?A. If you need to withdraw from a team, your funding will be placed in a restricted account (minus the initial $100 deposit) and be available for your use on a future trip within the next 12 months. It is imperative that you communicate your change in plans to your entire support team.
Q. Is it acceptable for my team to do fund raisers?
A. Savannah Christian Church does not do sanctioned fund raisers outside of the general giving to the church. An individual or team may develop creative ideas to raise the necessary finances for their trip as long as our Christ-like witness to our community is not adversely affected. We ask that any questions about the validity of an idea be reviewed with a Missions staff member.
Q. What is the one thing that causes most people to miss out on the blessing of a mission trip experience?
A. Easy answer – PROCRASTINATION. Delay in asking questions, delay in making a decision to go, delay in sending out support letters, delay in beginning daily prayer for the Lord to bless your faithfulness, delay, delay, delay. The Enemy is never threatened by someone who will neutralize themselves by putting off important decisions.
