Today is “Black Friday,” the unofficial start to the Christmas shopping sprint. As storefront and online retailers ramp up their advertising push, and shoppers scour for the best Christmas deals, there are other deals to consider beyond the Christmas season. You see, now is the time to be thinking about airfare for next summer’s international mission trips.

While summer may seem a long way off, it is not too soon to make your airline reservations, especially if you want to save money. “The airlines only allot so many discounted seats, so once those are gone you can expect to pay more. We already have a lot of groups who have started their summer preparations,” said Ministry Travel President Beth Banfill.

What many travelers do not realize is that through its special missionary contracts, Ministry Travel is able to hold space on many of its airlines now without any payment or deposit. “If you wait until the beginning of the year to arrange your summer missions travel you may find it difficult to get the flights that you want or you may have to pay a premium for them,” said Banfill.

Her recommendation is to begin working on the air portion of the ministry trip now, even if all the other details are not in place. She also recommends doing trip information meetings before the end of the year and gathering names and birthdates of those interested. “If we have the legal names and birthdates of those interested, then we can go ahead and begin locking in the airline space, depending on the number in your party.” Also, if you can be flexible with your travel dates you may be able to realize additional savings.

Airfare is usually the single largest cost of a mission trip, so having accurate cost estimates is important to good budgeting and setting the trip price. You cannot assume that next year you will pay the same for airfare as you paid this year. “There can be huge fluctuations in price year to year, especially if your dates are different,” Banfill remarked. Ministry Travel agents offer no-obligation price comparisons and can recommend the best travel options for your unique situation. They can be reached at 1-877-541-5726.

Ministry Travel is closed today as part of the Thanksgiving observance, but will re-open on Monday. You can, however, submit a quote request anytime online at www.MinstryTravel.com.

While it is easy for international ministry team leaders to get caught up with logistics once they arrive on the field, it is important to step back and consider some over-all needs that your team has. Think of your ministry time abroad as having three parts: the beginning, the middle and the end. Each part requires a different emphasis by the team leader.

The early part of the trip is often filled with anxiety and uncertainty by team members, especially those who are rookies. While this may be old hat to you, remember that everything is new to them: new culture, new setting, and new people. It can be overwhelming to some. So your team needs a leader who early in the week seeks to calm them. The two best ways to do this are through information and organization.

Talking frequently about what to anticipate, both with the group and with individuals, can go a long way in calming nerves. Also, they are comforted when they see that you are organized and “on top” of things. How you handle challenges and changes sends a powerful message. If you are on edge, then your team will be on edge. They are watching you, whether you realize it or not!

In the middle of your trip, physical and emotional exhaustion can begin to set in. Be sensitive to this, and take particular note of how each team member is doing. You may need to encourage them to get more sleep, or you may need to carve out a little extra “down time” to get them over the hump.

On the emotional front, giving your team the opportunity to discuss their feelings and experiences helps them start processing the trip. This assists them in getting through the tough middle. Consider having an extended sharing time half way through the outreach where team members can tell about their most meaningful experiences.

As your time abroad winds down, you probably could put your team members into two groups. One would be comprised of those who can only think about getting home. The other is those who can’t imagine leaving. The first group needs to be encouraged to finish strong and to maintain their focus. Both groups need to begin looking beyond their experience to how it can impact them long term. They also need ideas for how they can continue their ministry even after they get home.

Regardless of the length of your trip, you will find your outreach flows through these three parts. Being sensitive to that and providing the right words and opportunities to your team at the right time will go a long way in ensuring an outstanding experience.

It happens often with mission teams where participants have to raise financial support. There is at least one person who struggles to get in all of their funds. They sincerely want to go. You want them to go, but now it’s time to buy their airfare and they don’t have enough money to cover it. What do you do? Or they covered their airfare but it’s two weeks out from the trip and they are still short, then what? As a trip organizer, here are some tips that can help you deal with these difficult situations.

Be proactive. Do everything you can up front to help your participants raise the needed funds. This includes providing sample support letters, fund raising ideas, social media tools, and other resources. Don’t assume that they know how to raise money.

Have clear deadlines with a cushion. Make sure participants know when each portion of their funds is due. Build some time into this. If you know you need half of the money on a certain date to buy the airline tickets, then set a deadline at least five days before that. Some people wait until the last minute to do everything. Don’t let their procrastination make it difficult for you. Make sure your deadlines are clear and that they have a cushion built in.

Monitor the financial status of your participants. Don’t wait until it is time to buy airfare to realize that he or she doesn’t have the money. Regularly check to see how their support raising is going. Offer advice and encouragement to those who seem to be struggling. If you have someone who has organized a group of people to go with you, enlist his or her help to monitor their team members.

Establish a policy on “fronting” money. As a general rule, it is not advisable for your church or organization to put up money for participants on the hopes that they will raise it. Far too often it is the organization that gets stuck holding the bag. It is best to always keep the responsibility on the individual to find a way to come up with the funds. If it is time to incur an expense for the person, like buying airfare, don’t do it unless the money is there. Whatever policy you do establish on this, make sure that it is clear to everyone involved.

Finances can be one of those sticky issues when it comes to mission trips. You can, however, avoid many potential problems by being proactive, establishing clear policies and deadlines, and by keeping a close eye on the financial progress of your participants.