Seek approval from the pastoral staff and Church Council

• Provide the Pastoral staff and the Church Council with a formal letter indicating:
  • The reasons for the trip
  • Who will lead the trip
  • When the trip is likely to take place
  • Who will be participating (youth or adults only?, district-wide?)
  • How the team will be selected
  • The funds needed and how you will raise them
  • The benefits to the senders (the church), those going, and the recipient/hosts.
  • The missionaries / hosts who will receive the team
  • What you would be expecting from the sending church (re-entry counseling, financial support, promotion time during service, prayer chain while gone, etc.)
  • What the plans are for debriefing and re-entry
• Note that formal approval is required to secure tax-deductible status of donations