GO Trips

What is a GO Trip?

We support our Global Partners by sending teams on GO Trips to serve alongside them at their ministry location. GO Trips are short-term mission trips that typically last 7-10 days. We believe these trips can both positively impact the lives of the participants from our church body while simultaneously maintaining the dignity of people in the communities they visit. To achieve this, we ask our Partners what kind of teams they could use and plan according to their timing and needs. We also are purposeful in training our teams with the key lessons of building relationships with our Partners, taking the posture of learners, and submitting the local leadership.

STEPS TO JOIN A GLOBAL OUTREACH (GO) TEAM

Pray - Ask the Lord for direction and timing. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone.
Passport - Passports take time so start now!
Information - Check out the list of trips from the Global Outreach page by clicking on "GO Trips". Talk with the Global staff or others who have gone on trips.
Application - Click on the application from the trip page

TEAM MEMBER REQUIREMENTS

Be a Bethel member or in process
Be connected to a small group
Be a regular and joyful giver
Have a cleared background check on file

Explore Trips

FAQ

Trip costs are determined beforehand and usually include airfare, on the ground transportation, lodging, food, insurance, visas (if required), and ministry expenses.

Each member contributes a $250 personal non-refundable deposit which is due at the Initial Team Meeting. The focus is then on fundraising through friends and family or through approved team fundraisers. Team members are responsible for any remaining funds which are due before the team departs. Support funds cannot be used for any personal expenses including passports, luggage, souvenirs, immunizations, etc.

All gifts to individuals/team are tax-deductible, including self-funding gifts.

Throughout this ministry you will function as part of a team. Your effectiveness is determined not just from an individual standpoint, but also as a team. Each person's ability to raise funds varies depending on who they know, how many people they know, their ability to communicate effectively, etc. Therefore, since the goal is to fund the entire team, any monies given beyond what you need will go to support other team members who are struggling with their funds. If the team as a whole receives more funds than needed those funds will be designated towards a future GO trip in accordance with IRS guidelines.

We work carefully with experienced mission travel agencies who help us find group rates in accordance to the best price and schedule combination. These costs may differ from when you are looking for an individual ticket on travel search engines. The travel agents are often able to find great group rates with humanitarian fare which allows for extra luggage and are also able to assist us throughout the travel process.

If you decide to cancel: The initial $250 deposit is non-refundable. All support monies received stay within Global Outreach.

If Bethel cancels the trip (i.e. due to civil unrest, security issues, etc.): Deposits can be refunded or held for a rescheduled trip or to join a trip to a different location. Fundraised donations will be held for the rescheduled trip, go towards a different trip, or will support another Global Outreach team.

There will be a number of meetings before you go on a mission trip depending on the needs of your trip and will be decided by the team leader. These meetings are mandatory and critical for the success of the mission trip.

In addition, all teams attend a mandatory GO Team Training sometime prior to their departure. It typically occurs on a Saturday within a month before the trip. This training includes multiple teams preparing for their trips.

A visa is an entry requirement required by a foreign government in addition to your passport. Not all foreign governments require a visa. A visa may be stamped on your passport, or a paper visa may be affixed to your passport. If a visa is required, we will provide the appropriate visa application form for you to complete. Most visa applications require 2-3 passport-size photos as well. The visa fees for each team member are included in the team budget. (Note: if you are not a U.S. citizen, please make sure that the team leader and the Global Outreach Coordinator know this. It may mean a different visa process for you.)

New passports and passport renewal can be a slow process and should be started as soon as possible. Most countries require that travelers' passports not expire within six months of the end of travel. Please check your passport immediately. If it is set to expire within six months of the end of this trip, please begin the process to renew it now.