Policies
Each GO Journey participant is expected to raise the necessary prayer and financial support for their trip. The model is that GO Journeys are completely separate, funded by support-raising. That is, the church does not set aside a portion of the budget to fund these trips. A common target amount is established for each team member in order to cover the full expenses of the Journey. (If there are 10 team members, this would be 1/10th of the total projected expenses). While we encourage each team member to raise the target amount of support, some may raise more while others may fall short. We REQUIRE that each team member do their part by sending out a sufficient number of support letters (30+ letters for every $1,000 needed) AND by following up with those who do not respond.
Specific timelines for GO Journey participants who are:
- Self-funding:
Must bring in 100% before the date that the GO Journey Coordinator secures plane tickets, this is usually about 2 months out. - Raising support:
One month out: If not at 50%, must tell GO staff their action plan ("I have sent at least 30 letters per $1,000 needed and will now follow up with those who haven't responded").
Two weeks out: If not at 90% with the understanding the remaining 10% could come in at the last minute, it should be considered whether it's God's will for them to go on this GO Journey or future one.
Non-Perimeter Members/regular attenders must either pay the balance or forfeit their participation in the trip. If the latter, funds remaining after the airline cancellation fee will be rolled over to the next GO Journey they register for.
Perimeter members/regular attenders must have financial approval from GO Staff before getting on the plane; approval will be based on current account balance and progress that has been made through support raising process. - Cancellations
If a GO Journey participant cancels after the airline tickets have been purchased, the airline cancellation fee (typically between $100-$350) will be deducted from any support they raised so far. If their support level is too low to cover the entire cancellation fee, the individual is responsible to pay the difference. If they can provide a medical excuse/doctor's letter and the airline accepts it, the cancellation fee is waived. Donations cannot be returned to donors, but support can be rolled over to the next GO Journey they register for. - What exactly does the support cover?
GO Journey support covers the international airfare*, traveler's insurance, visas, transit hotels and meals, ministry expenses, and all in-country expenses including transportation, lodging, food, translators, and team-designated events. It does not cover souvenirs, mini-bar purchases, airport parking, hotel incidentals, etc. There are two items that are reimbursable if the team raises more than necessary to cover expenses AND a participant raises more than their goal for the journey: 1) Immunizations and 2) Postage used in support letters. To receive a reimbursement, a participant must fill out the reimbursement form found on the website, include the corresponding receipts, and turn them in to the Global Outreach Office within 30 days of the Journey. Passports, luggage, airport transportation or parking, clothing, snacks, team supplies, gifts to ministries, or other personal items are NOT reimbursable. *If you are coming from another city, you will need to book your own flight to ATL to be able to fly out with the rest of the team. IF you raised more than the cost of the GO Journey, you may turn in the domestic flight receipt for reimbursement out of the team support account. - Using Airline Miles for GO Journey Airfare :
If a team member wants to use personal Airline Miles to fly to & from the GO Journey destination, they must follow ALL of these instructions:
1. Apply online for a particular GO Journey. WAIT until you hear from the GO office or your team leader that you are accepted onto the team before proceeding.
2. Notify the GO Journey Coordinator of your desire to use Airline Miles BEFORE the team's ticket purchase date (the day the team leader authorizes the ticket purchase).
3. Reserve your Airline Miles ticket for the same exact flights out of Atlanta, GA as your team.
4. Immediately upon purchase, send or bring a copy of your reservation to the GO office. At that time, the GO office will take the cost estimate of the GO Journey and subtract the amount that everyone else's plane ticket costs, then add the amount of your Airline Miles fees associated with this reservation. The results will be the amount you are responsible for raising to go on this journey. - How to Earn Airline Miles for GO Journey related Travel:
While the GO office does not apply Airline Miles numbers to individual's tickets at the time of reservation, the team member (upon check-in on EACH leg of the trip) may ask the desk clerk to apply it. In addition, he/she should keep boarding passes if the miles do not appear on their account later on.