Sending Experience FAQ

General Questions

5 Student Sending Experiences

• Clarkston, Georgia  

• South Dakota, USA 

• Sao Paulo, Brazil 

• Brussels, Belgium 

• Bangkok, Thailand

15-­20 Adult Sending Experiences

• Bangkok, Thailand 

• Brussels, Belgium 

• Sao Paulo, Brazil 

• Central Asia 

• India 

• South Dakota

• Clarkston, GA

The first step in getting more information about a particular Sending Experience is to fill out the Interest Form. Click here to fill out the interest form. Once you fill out the form, a LifePoint Sending Team Leader will contact you with more information about the Sending Experience and interest meeting dates.

Interest meetings are the best place to sign up for a Sending Experience. They are usually held 6­-8 months before the date of the Sending Experience. However, you can turn in your deposit for a Sending Experience as early as one year out, as this helps ensure you have a spot on the trip.

People are encouraged to sign up for a Sending trip at the interest meeting which is typically 6-­8 months prior to the trip. However, people can still sign up for a trip anywhere from 5 to 6 months out. If they are signing up for a global Sending Experience, they must already have a passport as we purchase airline tickets 3­-4 months out. 

Sending Experience teams meet once a month starting at 6 months out. Team leaders determine the dates and times of the trainings. The trainings are mandatory meetings that cover a wide range of topics (Mission of God, The Gospel, Culture and Religion, etc) that are extremely beneficial for you to learn before serving in a new culture. 

Most Sending Experiences leave on a Friday and return the following Saturday/Sunday totaling to 9-10 days.

• All participants going on a Sending Experience outside of the United States must have a passport that is valid for six months after the return date to the U.S. 

• In some countries, a visa is also required to enter the country. A visa is permission from the government to enter and exit the country you are visiting, and will be stamped in your passport. Your team leader will provide you with more information if a visa is required, the LifePoint Sending office will handle the visa application process for you. If you have a non­ U.S. passport, please let the Sending Office know as they will have to research to see if you require a visa for entry. 

• LifePoint Sending volunteers include students, working professionals, families, and groups from around the world! 

• If a minor wants to participate in a Sending Experience, they must have a parent or immediate family member going on the Sending Experience with them claiming responsibility for the minor, unless the minor is going on a Student Ministry specific Sending Experience. 

We believe that all people have something amazing to contribute! Our Sending Experiences are designed to accommodate all levels of skills and experience. 

• Our LifePoint Sending Staff is on hand to answer any questions that you might have and to guide you in living sent through LifePoint Sending Ministry Partners and Campuses. 

• You can call the church office at 615­-459-­3311 and ask to speak to Joshua or Erica.

Sending Experience Fees and Fundraising

The cost of each Sending Experience covers airfare, travel insurance, visas, training materials, and on the ground costs once you arrive at the destination, including lodging, food, and project costs. Some Sending Experiences have set excursions planned; these fees are also included in the total cost. 

A $100 deposit will hold your spot. It can be turned in as early as one year out from the trip date. However, most people turn in a deposit at the interest meeting for that Sending Experience. 

• There are a few ways to turn in money for your Sending Experience trip and ways people can donate to your trip.

• Give Online via Managed Missions 

  • All LifePoint Sending Participants have a managed missions fundraising link that you can give online to their sending trip. Please ask the Sending Participant for their link. 

  • This online platform has fees associated with donations. With that being said, we ask that you please pay for credit card fees so that 100% of your donation goes to the sending participant. If you opt to not pay the fees, the participant will receive the donation minus the fees. After you make your donation, you will receive an email confirmation that we ask you to save for your tax records. 

• Give via Bank Online Bill Pay Service 

  • Log into your bank account and navigate to its online bill pay feature. You will then set up LifePoint Church as a person (not a company) and authorize your bank to send donations on your behalf. 

  • LifePoint Church address and phone number is:

  • 506 Legacy Drive 

  • Smyrna, TN 37167

  • 615-459-3311

  • After the church is set up, you can choose a one-time or recurring gift under the AutoPay link. In the memo line box, please add the Trip Participants name so that the gift will go to their account. 

• On Campus at LifePoint

  • Each campus has a time of response where the tithe and offering basket is passed on Sunday Mornings. Cash and checks can be placed in the tithe boxes located near the exits of the Auditorium. 

  • Please put your gift in a Sending envelope, these can be found at each Go Center. Please ensure the Trip Participants name is denoted on the envelope, not on the check. 

  • At the Smyrna Campus, you can drop payments in the black metal box on the near entrance D. It is labeled "Sending and Student Payments". Make sure you put your money in a Sending Envelope, not a student ministry envelope. 

  
  

• Through Mail 

  • If you wish to mail in your giving/payment, please send to: LifePoint Church Attn: Sending Department  506 Legacy Dr Smyrna, TN 37167. 

  • Please ensure the participants name is denoted on the envelope or a note inside, not the check. 

Many who serve on a Sending trip successfully fund raise all or part of their fees. We know that many people don’t have the time or ability to go on a Sending Experience but have the desire to be involved in some way. With that being said, we encourage you to fundraise, as it allows others who cannot go to be a part of spreading the name of the Lord! You will have access to a fundraising guide on your managed missions account.

Any fees turned in for your trip that do not come from a fundraiser are considered 100% tax deductible. If you have questions about fundraiser funds being tax deductible, please contact Erica at erica@lifept.org before turning those funds.

Due to IRS regulations, money given for a Sending Experience trip is credited as tax deductible and cannot be refunded to individuals. However, in most cases the money can be used for future trips depending on what has already been purchased for the original trip. Contact the LifePoint Sending office if you have more questions about tax deductible contributions. *Funds cannot be applied to another LifePoint event such as a student camp or adult event due to to the tax deductible credit the individual receives when turning in funds.

Health and Safety

It sure does! All volunteers are provided with comprehensive coverage for a short term trip from Gallagher Charitable that includes coverage for medical, evacuation, property, crisis management, accidental death and dismemberment, disability, liability, and more. It is designed for people who have medical insurance in the U.S. but provides $50,000 in primary medical coverage while overseas. 

The LifePoint Staff has taken every precaution possible to reduce unnecessary risks involved with our Sending Experiences. We continually monitor the personal, social, political, and environmental factors that might heighten the security issues of our teams and consider the security of our teams very important. 

A lot of our safety procedures have been put in place to help protect against illness in-­country—like traveler-­safe food and bottled drinking water. But, in the case of an illness, we are ready to ensure that the volunteer receives appropriate and professional care. Whether it means a warm bowl of soup and a comforting hand, or an appointment with a local doctor or hospital, our experienced missionaries are trained and ready to handle any situation. It starts with our comprehensive travel medical and emergency evacuation insurance, which provides the peace of mind that your needs will be covered in the event of a medical issue (up to $50,000). Our in­-country missionaries and ministry partners will be there every step of the way.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact Joshua Mohammed at joshua@lifept.org or 615-459-3311.