How to launch a successful church travel program

By Kevin J. Wright, Christian Post Correspondent Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Did you know that more than half of all Americans take a vacation each year? And did you know that one in four travelers prefer a spiritual vacation? What does all this mean? Every church and organization is ripe for hosting a Christian travel ministry.

Launching a church travel program is much easier and important than you might think. First of all, most congregations already have enough people who are interested in traveling together for faith, fun, and fellowship. Secondly, finding a volunteer to head up such a program is usually quite easy, as many people are drawn to combining their faith with travel. With this in mind, how can you start a travel ministry at your church or place of worship? Here are five steps:

1) Choose a Christian travel ministry leader First, you will need to identify someone who could serve as the coordinator or leader of the new Christian travel ministry program. What's the best way to make this happen? Publicize and make announcements at your church or organization about the new position. With the large number of travel enthusiasts in every Christian crowd, you are sure to find more than enough willing and qualified leaders.

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

Subscribe

2) Develop a calendar of Christian travel events Christian travel ministry isn't only about long-distance vacations. Actually, many travel ministry activities can take place right in your own church hall or auditorium. Examples include hosting international potluck dinners, watching biblical documentaries, and inviting Christian travel agents to guest speak. In addition to these experiences though, be sure to offer a few local trips (i.e. short getaway retreats) as well as maybe one or two "big trips" such as a faith-based Caribbean cruise or Holy Land pilgrimage.

3) Find a travel agent or tour operator specializing in Christian tours As the organizer or leader of your program, you should definitely search for the best possible travel professional or company for your ministry. A good travel agent or tour operator is vital to any successful travel ministry. How can you find such a professional or company? First, search internally within your own church. Secondly, ask your fellow members for recommendations. Thirdly, research various travel providers on the Internet. By doing one or more of these activities, you are sure to find the right travel company.

4) Survey your church members for their travel preferences Since the majority of your church members already take vacations, find out what travel destinations and experiences are most popular with them. Do a large majority visit Disneyland every year? How many of them travel overseas each year? Is cruising a popular choice of vacation for them? Whatever their preferences, be sure to have your vacation offerings mirror their travel interests. By doing so, you'll be sure to generate much "buzz" and excitement from your fellow members about your trips.

5) Get your pastor involved with the travel ministry There's no better way to guarantee the success of your travel program, than by obtaining the support of your pastor and ministry leaders. Hence, you might even consider asking your pastor (or ministry leaders) to serve as the spiritual leader of your trips. You will be surprised at how popular a trip or vacation becomes, once people learn that their religious leaders will be traveling with them.

So there you have it, the top five ways to launch a rewarding Christian travel ministry. Just remember – by offering your fellow members an opportunity to travel together while combining the joys of faith, fun, and fellowship, you are providing a tremendous service to your church and community. This is the essence of Christian ministry.