In this episode, Calla Parker, from Gateway Church, shares a complete strategy and process for student mission trips. Calla works for the Missions/Global Impact team at Gateway, but has a huge passion for the next generation. In her different ministry roles, she has fostered collaboration and alignment between Global Impact and student ministries for maximum impact. Her strategy and process that she carries through adult and student mission trips covers everything from choosing leaders and preparing teams, to when you're in the field, to discipleship, to what happens after the trip is finished.
Calla Parker
Connect with Calla on Facebook and Instagram
Email: Calla.Parker@gmail.com
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Links Mentioned in This Episode
Student Mission Trips: A Timeline from Gateway
- Fall: Promote winter camp
- January: Winter camp announces all teams on the last day of camp
- Mid-January through Mid-March: Application process
- End of March: Process Applications
- End of March through Beginning of April: Assign people to teams and communicate with them
- April through May: Pre-field trainings where teams meet 3-4 times on Sunday evenings
- June: Teams are sent out after a Sending Sunday
- Mid-June: Celebrate service
Team Leader Training for Student Mission Trips
- Culture and worldview
- Poverty and brokenness
- Crisis management
- Biblical basis for mission trips
- Leadership skills
- How to work with students
- Spiritual maturity
- In-field coaching
- 4-week class
Thrive Studies – Small group and devotional resources for students
Managed Missions – A platform that can house applications, training materials, support and fundraising info, and any other pertinent documents for your mission processing support and funds coming through, all pertinent documents
Action Items
- Evaluate your current ministry – What do you do? Where is it strong? What is missing?
- Create a timeline from beginning to end of the mission trip process and develop the pieces of the timeline
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