Youth workers tend to be huge fans of opportunities that stretch students spiritually, if not also a variety of other ways. We’re often in our sweet spot when we see teenagers growing beyond what’s comfortable.

Parents, in contrast, tend to be huge fans of making sure their kids are safe. It only makes sense that they might be in their sweet spot when their son or daughter isn’t in a foreign country and being exposed to strange foods, strange people and strange outhouses.

Is it any wonder why we feel like our vision doesn’t always resonate with some households?

For all the preparation that mission trips require, we can’t overlook preparing families for what’s ahead. It’s one thing to get a mom or dad’s permission for a kid to attend and another thing to truly partner together on the deeper opportunities mission trips provide.

How do we prepare parents and leaders for this?

• Nurture a relationship: You don’t want your first contact with parents to be a phone call asking to take their kid out of the country. Start getting to know them on a weekly basis, whether you’re hanging out in the parking lot before and after your youth gatherings or making phone calls to ask how you can pray for them. We also host a “parent’s night” twice a year to share stories, enjoy video highlights, laugh through some games and reflect on Scripture about what it meant to raise the next generation of Christ-followers.
• Pitch the dream: Have an initial meeting to share the concept of your mission trip and discern who’s on board. You can also determine if any parents are open to coming on the trip or perhaps pitching in through prayer, fundraising, advocacy or communication. Aim to give every parent something to do, even if it’s simply shopping for snacks or packing the van the day of departure.
• Maximize the fundraising: Not every household will need help financially, but every student will benefit by taking part in a few mandated fundraisers. Require all participants to take part in at least half of them to build community and resources that will support the trip overall. Encourage parents to jump in on this as well to get a sense of the other students their teens will be serving alongside of.
• Tweak the strategy: Invite parents to give input into any experiences they think will best stretch and reach their kids. For example, if you’re going to be working on a construction site you may want to get a sense of what students know how to do around the house so that you don’t overwhelm them beyond what’s appropriate. You can’t obviously meet every parent’s request, but you can tweak most plans and trips to best minister to fit who’s going.
• Guide the logistics: Families will obviously want to know what to pack. Go further by explaining the purpose for each item and why other items (such as portable electronics) aren’t allowed. Another way to deepen things is to create a one-week devotional or collection of Bible verses that can prep everyone’s attitude. Include some questions for them to ask after the trip to debrief the serious stuff, especially since students may be more inclined to just talk about the fun or disappointing parts of the trip. (If you want help preparaing for the trip spiritually, check out the book Flipping Missions).
• Honor the investment: Talk with parents about how often you will have students call home, along with any emergency numbers they might need to have on hand to call you while you’re on the trip. It also helps to set up a liaison on that end who will be a communication hub for families. This can be another leader on your team who isn’t going or a parent who is willing to share this information through text messages or social media updates.

This is all merely a template meant to raise your awareness that you can never overcommunicate when it comes to preparing parents for mission trips. Part of your this will require really listening to their questions, yet you will also be helping them ask about things they didn’t even know they should ask. Most mission organizations that you might work with can help you with this to a point, but make sure to find out anything that isn’t shared ahead of time.

After all, the end goal isn’t merely a great trip – it’s creating a climate for life change before, during and after the experience. That requires the home front, so do what you can to set parents at ease with information that matters.

What questions does this raise?

What have you found that works well for you?