Go Missions to Mexico
Mission Trip Promotion & Planner Guide
Steps to Plan & Promote Your Mission Trip
Dear Group Coordinator,
You are an answer to prayer and the key to the success of what God desires to do through your group in Mexico. We are deeply grateful for your willingness to serve God in this special way. Be prepared to be deeply challenged and blessed. God has raised you up as the leader of your group and therefore, you play the most important role! Remember to have a Christ like attitude and be a good example for all to follow. Be excited about the trip and let your enthusiasm overflow to others. God has positioned you in a place to be greatly used by Him. It could very well be possible that what you do over the next months could be the most important work you'll do this year. God, for some reason, has chosen to greatly touch Americans while they're in Mexico, and also the lives of the Mexicans through your ministry as Americans. It's a win, win, situation. Your group will be able to hear and see things that they're unable to hear and see in the states. Be prepared to see God greatly work in your group's lives. Enjoy it, pray for it, and do your part in allowing God to get as many down to Mexico as possible.
Promotion Tools
There are some very important Promotion Tools we have on our website that will play a vital key in promotion your trip be happy to send you a DVD version if the ones on the Internet aren't able to be downloaded well enough to work for you. Here are some promotion tools:
Promo Videos
Promo Brochures & Flyers in Non-editable Format - Ready made, just print off and hand out!
Promo Brochures & Flyers in Editable Format - Ready made in Microsoft Word and can be changed or just printed off and handed out!
- Brochures - Ready made Tri-fold version in Word.doc editable format
- Flyers - Ready made Flyer in Word.doc editable format
How to Plan & Promote Your Mission Trip
1. Promote, Promote, Promote - Start Spreading the Word As Soon As possible
- Use the Above Resources - Above are some great resources for getting the word out and promoting your trip. Be sure to use them.
- Talk With Your Pastor - Ask his blessing and help in promoting your mission trip. Ask him if he would promote and talk about the trip from the pulpit.
- Put Announcements in Your Church Bulletin - Announce it up front, promote it from the pulpit, call people, talk to people; ask for stories of people who have already gone on a short-term mission trip, do a skit, do whatever you can to get the word out.
- Put a Sign Up Sheet In The Lobby of Your Church - Put out a nice, attractive, sign-up sheet in a well known spot and encourage people to sign up if they’re interested in going. Your first step is to throw wide the net and gather all who have any interest.
- Put Together an Information Trip Packet - Along with the sign-up sheet, if you have the capability, put together a mission trip packet that answers as many questions as you can think of. This will provide information prior to your information meeting to better inform those interested.
- Set a Date For an Information Meeting - About one month after you have started promoting the trip, have an information meeting to inform those interested and to answer everyone’s questions. Some issues to cover would be; finances, food prep, VBS prep, trip schedule, meeting schedule for trip planning, and etc.).
- Announce the Procedure for Group Registration - As part of your meeting, let those at the information meeting know how to get on board. It works well to set a $25.00 or more non-refundable registration fee for group registration. For some reason, money firms up decisions.
- Establish the Total Mission Trip Price - Take into consideration travel, insurance, food, and other costs. Take into account the three following factors in planning your trip that need to be decided that will affect your trip cost:
- Food costs - We provide an option (highly recommended) to groups of eating the Sunday evening meal and the noon meals at the church you will be serving at, prepared and served by the women of the church (Monday-Thursday). This is a wonderful way to save time, money, and get to know the people and culture of Mexico. It’s a popular hit among all groups. We recommend a donation of $3.50 per person per meal for this option. This amount also includes enough money so the Mexicans who are ministering with you can eat with you as well. More on food costs.
- Work projects - No need to worry about this, we will provide the building materials for you out of your group fees. We also have most tools you'll need too. However, If you want to de a major construction project you will need to raise additional funds. Click for more
- Ministry costs - You will have some costs for Bibles, tracts and Vacation Bible School supplies that you will want to take into consideration. Click for more
2. Establish Your Group
- Set Up Your Meeting Schedule for Group Preparation & Training - You will normally need a minimum of about 6-8 meetings to allow adequate time for V.B.S and ministry prep. Don’t forget your spiritual prep (the most important of all. We provide some helpful info for this on the “Trip Prep Section” of the web site and also provide some helpful links to Mission Trip Training Books. Click for more
- Set Up Money Due Dates - Set up a schedule for Team Members that lets them know when their funds are due for your mission trip.
3. Establish Your Mission Trip Prep. Meetings & Schedule
Here are some items you might want to consider in your mission trip prep. meetings:
- Fund Raising Help and Ideas for Team Members - An important part of making your mission trip happen is fund raising. Here's two links on our website that provide help in this area: Sample Fund Raising Letter Fund Raising Ideas
- Vacation Bible School Prep – You will be doing a total of five V.B.S.’s during your week in Mexico. Your V.B.S. crafts and snacks will need to be packaged in groups of ten, and each put in one larger bag. This is a very important detail that if not followed can cause us big problems during the V.B.S. time as we will be dividing the children at the V.B.S. in groups of ten in order to maintain control. This is the best way we have found to maintain crown control. Also, if you can bring some sports items for the playtime during V.B.S. it would be helpful. Click for more on Vacation Bible School help
- Community Outreaches Prep - Unless other plans have been made, you’ll be doing at least one Community Outreach and possibly a second one if you choose to do one Wednesday Evening as well. Click here for more on Community Outreaches.
- Testimony Prep - Your team will be doing a total of around 16 testimonies. We have great help for how to share your testimonies on our web site. Click for more on testimonies
- Meal Prep – An option to consider if you don’t have a cook, is to designate a kitchen and meal coordinator to oversee the meals and kitchen. Divide the group into food teams and allow them to plan the meals (with the oversight of the kitchen and meal coordinator). Some meals can be pre-cooked in the States and then prepared in Mexico. Make sure you have healthy meals as you will be exerting extra energy while on your trip. Take into consideration the option of eating the noon meal at the church you will be serving at. This will cut down on the amount of meals to prepare. Also, many groups like to eat out at least once during the week. More on meal help
- Mission Base Prep for Your Stay in Mexico - We offer some great ways to get ready for your stay on the Mission Base. Click for more
- Spiritual Prep - Don’t neglect this important area. Without right hearts we have nothing to offer. One of the great benefits of a mission trip like this is that you have a wonderful platform for discipleship training. You can go to the coordinator's page for helpful info in this area. The trip can serve a much larger purpose than the week while in Mexico; try to get as much mileage out of your discipleship training time as possible and think of ways to disciple and use the group or individuals upon returning home.
- Paperwork Prep - It’s good to start early if some don’t have Passports. It can take up to a couple months to get them so let your team know up from so they can get started on them. Passports are now required (with some exceptions) for re-entry into the U.S. Adults (17 and older) need a Passport for re-entry into the U.S. Minors 16 and younger will need a Passport or an original Birth-Certificate (Passports are best) and photo ID for re-entry into the U.S. (Children exempt who are too young for photo ID) More on passports and etc.
- Training Prep - Don’t forget you’re going to be ministering cross-culturally and you need to prepare you team for this. We offer many tools for doing this. Also, we have some links on our web site for using Study Books for this as well. Training Material Training Books
- Alleviating Safety Concerns - It’s common for folks to be concerned with all the media attention on Mexico. From a purely factual and statistical point of view, it’s safer than its ever been. We have help for safety issues to hand out to parents or concerned folks. Click for more
- Parent Section - We have a Parent Section on the Website for helping parents support and understand their student’s mission trip. Click for more
4. One Month Prior to Trip Departure
- Pay One Half of Mission Trip Fees - Mission trip payment due one month prior to trip departure and needs to be sent to the address below.
Payment Form - For paying mission trip fees due one month prior to your trip departure
Send your Per payment fee to:
Missions to Mexico (make check payable to this name please)
PO Box 186
Sutherlin, OR 97479
- Double check the Master Checklist - Make sure you’ve covered all your bases and nothing is forgotten.
- Order Bibles and Tracts - If not already done yet, make sure to order Bibles and Tracts for your ministries.
Bibles - Click here for ordering Bibles
Tracts - Click here for ordering tracts from Chick Publishers
Click here for tracks from ATSTracts.org
Click here for tracts (Free) from Fellowship Tract League
5. Final Departure Plans
- Paperwork for Go Missions to Mexico - Bring the following paperwork and give it to us in Mexico:
- Payment Form - For funds to be brought to Mexico with you for purchasing materials for your work projects
- Please remember that we'll need you bring 1/2 of Mission Trip Fees in the form of U.S. Dollars (Cash) for purchasing your building materials and etc. for your work projects. More on paying mission trip fees
- Paperwork for Your Own Purposes
- Passports for all. More on Passport Info
Important note: We recommend that all paperwork be kept in a briefcase or etc. in the possession of the leader at all times. Teens can easily loose their paperwork.
- Driving Directions - It would be an excellent idea to print off the following driving directions for all your drivers:
To Go Missions to Mexico’s Mission Base Returning Back to U.S. Via Tijuana Returning Back to U.S. Via Tecate
- Review the Master Checklist - To be sure you’ve remembered everything.
Addition Items to Address
- Daily Devotionals - During the week while in Mexico, we encourage you to have group devotions each morning. We as the site missionaries will do a Cultural & Ministry Orientation meeting Sunday morning, and the last chapel on Friday morning. You will be responsible to do the group devotionals Monday - Thursday. Daily devotions can start at 7:45 and last 45min. Your group will be in charge of your own music and teaching for your daily devotions. Click for more
- Traveling in Mexico - Traveling in Mexico carries no more inherent risk than in the U.S. A custom that is used in Mexico which is helpful, and at the same time confusing, is the way they use their left blinkers. If you are on an open stretch of highway, and following a slow vehicle, they will often put on their left turn signal. This tells you that no one is coming and you can pass them. (But be careful here, they might actually be going to turn left!) A valid driver’s license from the U.S. is valid in Mexico. Thievery is also common in Mexico, so leave your valuables locked up, or out of sight.
- Group tee-shirts - If you would like, you can design your own tee-shirts for your mission trip. This can be very valuable and acts as a great keepsake and reminder of God’s work in each person’s life.
- Entering Mexico - When entering, or at a different checkpoints you might be asked some questions. It’s possible they might ask you what your purpose is in Mexico. Tell them that you’re coming as a tourist. Mexico has no real law for handling mission groups so it’s best to come under their recognized category of tourist. Click for more on tourist cards
- Sleeping Bag & Pillow - The bunk beds have wood bottoms and foam cushions, however each person will need their own sleeping bag and pillow. More on sleeping accommodations
- Clothes for the Beach - We have lovely close-by beaches that you'll certainly want to take advantage of while here. Please bring modest swim suits for this. Click here for more on our beaches
- Vehicle Insurance - Although vehicle insurance is not required in Mexico, you might want to have it just in case. We strongly recommend that you purchase insurance prior to your trip. Purchasing insurance at the border can be costly and time consuming. More on Auto Insurance help
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