Now is the time of year where many churches are planning foreign mission trips. This is such an important ministry and can have a huge impact on everyone involved. But a trip gone wrong can have a lifelong negative impact. We want to offer few tips to help in your planning.

Figure insurance coverage into the mission’s budget

Passport to Ministry is an outstanding coverage. Call me and would be happy to provide a quote. Here are some details of the coverage.

• General foreign liability ($1 million)
• Medical expenses: Accident and sickness ($10,000, $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000 limits per person)
• Emergency cash advance
• Political evacuation

Get written proof of coverage. If you are using an outside company or organization to help you, It’s easy to assume everything’s covered when a mission trip organizer says the trip is insured. Ask for proof of insurance coverage and examine the details of what’s covered and what’s not.

Think before driving in foreign countries. From traffic laws to insurance requirements to security concerns, the driving environment in other countries is often very different from what Americans are used to.

Check the political status of the country you are going to. The Federal Government has daily posting on which countries are ok to travel to.

Here are a few additional tips

• Check all team members vaccinations for the county you are traveling to
• Eat yogurt two weeks before you go. This builds up bacteria in your system
• Take first aid kits
• Don’t take your expensive watches or jewelry
• Always travel in pars
• Try to understand the culture you are traveling to, this may require certain dress
• Avoid using slang or jargon that might be misunderstood
• Carry power bars, apples, and other handy foods with you in case your transportation is delayed
• Make copies of your passport, credit cards, driver’s license, vaccination certification, airline tickets and traveler’s checks. Leave them with someone you trust who has a fax machine. This will help you replace your documents in case they are lost or stolen
• Photocopy your travel arrangements and leave them with a friend or relative so you can be reached in case of an emergency.

Tags: Christian Insurance, church liability insurance, ministry liability, Missions

This entry was posted on April 12, 2018 at 6:02 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Posted in Church Risk Church Safety Missions by Scott Stuart Comments Off on Foreign Mission Trip Planning