Suggestions of Some Important Trips for Youth Groups

Camp

Youth groups should take advantage of good camps and be sure to make attendance to camp an important focus of the summer.

Mission Trips

Few events make a greater impact on teens than taking them from their comfortable surroundings to a place of need and service.  “Discipleship runs full circle when the disciple becomes the discipler.”—Pastor Jason Wermager

College Trips

In a time when the teaching of our state schools are at best indifferent to Christianity and at worst actively undermining it, efforts must be given to encourage education at colleges that will not undo all that the parents have tried to do.  Taking time to present to parents and teens a variety of good Christian colleges will help families make wise decisions for their teens.

Vacation Bible School Trips

Taking teens to serve in or run a Vacation Bible School outside their church’s ministry is a valuable training and unifying time.

Adventure Trips

Many youth leaders bring unity to their youth groups by taking trips of adventure.  These vary from river rafting and canoe trips to backpacking and even amusement park trips.

Vehicle Safety

1. Take extra precautions with the vehicles as their condition affects the lives of many.
2. Before trips, make sure that the vehicles are in proper working order. Do this early enough to be able to repair the problems.
3. Assign the drivers to regularly check fluids during each refueling stop.
4. Buses need to be checked to see that they pass all the required tests. These include having proper safety equipment, properly working windshield wipers, and fully functioning air brakes system. A driver must not drive a bus that does not pass these tests.
5. Each vehicle should have a mileage log and a checklist to record proper inspections. Anything not in proper working order should be included in the log, which should be given to someone who will see that the problems are repaired.

Drivers

1. Have enough drivers to keep them fresh and alert during the trip. They should spell each other regularly and take extra precautions when driving through the night.
2. Consider having someone talk with the driver to keep him alert while driving at night.
3. Bus drivers need to be sure to keep up their bi-yearly physical.

Order and Supervision

1. When taking a mixed group on a trip, there should be a balance of men and lady leaders.
2. When traveling overnight, leaders should take extra precautions to give no opportunities for improper physical contact. Some of these precautions may include spreading leaders out for proper supervision  and splitting the guys from the gals in seating.  Ministry and reputation can be severely damaged by small lapses of supervision.
3. When staying overnight in hotels or other facilities, at least one leader should be in each occupied room.
4. Leaders should seek to build relationships with the teens and avoid giving off the idea of prison guards. It is important to treat teens with dignity and respect.
5. Use careful methods to keep track of each teen when leaving after a stop. Do not take for granted that each teen is back on the bus.

• Use teens as team leaders and assign them a small group for which they are accountable.
• Counting for the proper number is a good safety net.

6. Communicate clear guidelines for taking meals at various restaurants. Spread your adult help out and be sure to enforce proper road crossings and proper guidelines for which eating facilities are permissible. Do not allow teens to go alone or just in pairs. Larger groups are safer and allow for proper adult supervision.