Why do we take mission trips?

At Champion Forest, we take Christ's call to reach the world with the Gospel seriously. Scripture makes clear that every Christian is responsible for sharing their faith locally, domestically, and globally. That's why we lead trips at all three levels. Four goals drive our passion for missions:

1. Expanding God's Kingdom: Christians are commanded to do this (Matthew 28:19–20).
2. Encouraging indigenous partners and pastors: We don't take trips where we simply go somewhere, build something, and leave. We only go where we're connected with a local partner we can encourage, bless, and equip to reach their own community.
3. Encountering God's heart for the nations: We believe something powerful happens when obedient believers follow God's call to reach the world with His Word. What God loves, we seek to love; and God loves the nations.
4. Going to bless and be blessed: We go to serve others, but we consistently see that those who go are blessed by the experience in return.

We hope you'll pray about joining us, whether that means praying for our trips, giving toward them, or participating yourself. As you're blessed through missions, we pray your passion for the Gospel spreads to your friends and family back home.

What's the process for joining a trip?

The first step is simple: fill out a trip application. Filling it out doesn't commit you to a trip; it just gives us basic information about you and your interest and gives you a clearer picture of what our process looks like.

If you're accepted for a trip, you're still free to say no if the timing doesn't work. If you accept, several steps follow before departure: submitting documents (like your passport), attending trip-related meetings to prepare you well, and a few other logistical steps to keep things running smoothly.

If you're considering a trip, go ahead and check now that your passport, ID, and other important documents are current and won't expire before your preferred trip date.

How do I pay for the trip?

We use a platform called Go Method to organize all of our trip information, including payments. Funding is entirely up to the individual. Some people raise support through emails and letters (we're happy to share tips on doing this well), others save and pay for the trip themselves, and many do a mix of both or find their own approach; all of these are welcome. Champion Forest is not responsible for covering the cost of a person's trip, and all payments must be made by the deadlines set by the trip leader/CF. Missed payments will result in a person being unable to go on the trip. For example, if you've raised enough for your plane ticket but miss a later payment deadline and can't go, you're responsible for that ticket; CF isn't reimbursed by the airline for unused tickets, so we can't refund it either. If you have any further questions about airfare, including if you can use personal flight miles, please communicate with the missions department. We can't promise that trip members can use their personal flight miles.

If you are trying to give or know someone trying to give to a specific team member on a trip and want to know if your donation is tax deductible, please reach out to the missions department. We also cannot guarantee that any donation is tax deductible, but we are happy to work with you to figure that out. Bear in mind that payment has to be made to Champion Forest and NOT to the trip team members directly for it to be tax deductible.

I can't go on a trip, how can I help?

This is one of our favorite questions. We love that CF members want to be involved in missions in whatever form that takes.

First, we ask for prayer. Nothing we do at CF happens apart from God's guiding hand — please pray with us for the world, our trips, and our mission partners, and pray for our church staff as we build a healthy culture around missions. Second, consider giving financially (reach out to us directly if you're not sure how). Most trip attendees rely on support raised from fellow CF members to get there, and by God's grace, we've been able to meet those needs again and again.

How do our short-term trips actually help our partners?

A common, and fair, question about short-term missions is whether they really help. Some short-term trips have earned a reputation for doing more harm than good, and we work hard to avoid that.

We do this in a few key ways: we carefully vet our mission partners and only work with local ministries, so any short-term work we do has a positive, lasting effect the partner can sustain. We also make sure everything we do on a trip genuinely meets the needs of the community and the partner. Not everything that feels helpful actually is, so we think carefully about our ministry approach to avoid long-term harm. Above every physical need, we believe everyone's greatest need is the Gospel, so sharing it with as many people as possible remains our top priority on every trip.

I've never been out of the country, what do I need?

Once your application is accepted and you know your trip, you'll attend meetings and training that cover this in detail. In short: you'll need certain travel documents (like a passport), and you'll receive training on cross-cultural experiences and what to expect during your time abroad. You'll have everything you need to feel prepared.

Be aware that for a first time passport purchase it can take as much as 10 weeks to receive a new passport in the mail. The base fee for a new passport is $130, and there are usually additional fees. Champion Forest is not responsible for trip members getting a passport; this is a personal expense, and must be done well before going on the trip.

I've never been on a mission trip, can I still go?

Yes! While we can't guarantee a spot for every applicant, we do our best to include as many people as possible. We believe a mission trip is one of the best ways for CF members to grow in faith and strengthen their worldview, whether it's your first trip or your tenth.

What's covered by the trip fee?

The trip fee covers the essentials: flight, lodging, transportation, and food. It does not cover personal items, travel gear, souvenirs, or other personal purchases. If you need travel gear you don't already have, or want to make additional purchases, those are on you.

What are the rules of conduct for team members?

We're glad you asked; this is covered in depth during our pre-trip meetings. In short, every team member should keep three things in mind:

1. You represent Jesus and Champion Forest.
2. You're a guest in a foreign place, and you should honor and respect the culture you're in.
3. You'll be around teammates, mission partners, and local people who don't know you; respect their boundaries, give space when needed, and be gentle in how you engage.

Are you prepared for an emergency?

We can't predict everything, but we do everything possible to protect our teams through travel, arrival, and the work itself. Our partners are carefully vetted, and we work directly with them to keep each trip as safe as possible and address risks proactively. The safety of our mission teams is our top priority.

We also require travel insurance for our international trips. Our trip insurance covers evacuation, medical emergencies, limited personal property costs, and more. If you have any questions, please reach out to the missions department directly.

How do we choose our partners?

We're very intentional about the partners we choose. These relationships come through different avenues: some partners reach out to us, some connections come through our own church members, and others we pursue directly. We always look for partners who are local to, and familiar with, the community we're serving. We run thorough background checks to confirm they're trustworthy, and we look for alignment with our core values: loving community, making disciples, and strengthening the church.