A Jet Set Vision Trip isn’t your typical mission trip. Then again, the people you’ll meet won’t be your typical missionaries.
Jet Set Trips, hosted in various cities around the world, provide a week-long opportunity for you to experience mission to other cultures by getting to know the people and those who minister to them. Prayerwalk the streets of Barcelona’s Gothic neighborhood. Meet with artists in Istanbul. Talk to a Christian businessman about what church is like in Tokyo. Ask a professor in Paris about the worldview of the students he teaches.
The point of a Jet Set trip isn’t that you come in and present the gospel to the masses. The point is that you first listen, then learn, then live out the gospel as you meet individuals – much as you would if you were to move overseas yourself.
Jet Set vision trips will feature a variety of activities to help you catch the vision for the host cities: prayerwalking, orientation to local worldviews, interaction with local believers, introduction to formal and informal ministry already being done, and plenty of time to enjoy the attractions, but with the same purpose in mind: everything during your time overseas with Jet Set is to help you envision how God would have you, your church and individuals from your church, participate in His work overseas in a first-person, hands-on way.
Upcoming Trips
We’ve had a few people ask us why we call the Upstream Collective vision tours “Jet Set” trips. Here’s our explanation:
The term “Jet Set” was coined in the late 1960s in reference to a wealthy class of socialites who had the time and money to hop a jet for lunch in Rome, shopping in Paris, and stopping for drinks in Prague on the way home to a penthouse apartment in Manhattan. Of course, these privileged few were interested in little more than their own social stature, their gallivanting around the world had a surprising side effect - The “Jet Setters” learned about culture. As it turns out, visiting other countries affects how you see your own.
We would never condone such waste and frivolity. But relative to the rest of the world, we have ridiculous amounts of money and free time. We have access to places that we’ve never heard of. The opportunities are unprecedented. We want to redeem the term “Jet Set.” We want to bring responsibility to the opportunities we have. When we hop on a plane to see what God is doing among the nations, we do it not to climb a social ladder, but to get a glimpse of how God might use us outside our own cultures. We want to experience life from someone else’s vantage point. We want to cross cultures with intentionality.
These trips aren’t just for us. They’re for the people we lead and the partners we join. Jet Set vision trips are a privilege that bring tremendous responsibility. We want to be good stewards of what we see and do here. We feel an obligation to apply what we learn, to pray for those we meet, and to pursue the vision God gives us as we walk among unreached peoples.
Q: What is a typical trip like?
A: Trips are usually about a week long, and we usually keep pretty busy. Remember, the point of these traveling mission think tanks is for you to get a vision for how you and your church might get more directly involved in missions. We try to spend time each day talking about culture and missions strategy, but this is usually done in a hotel lobby, at a park, or in a café. We do lots of sightseeing, but from a cultural perspective. We do lots of leg-work before the trip to make it possible for you to sit down to chat or for a cup of coffee with someone who lives in the city. We help you connect with missionaries, churches, and other believers in the area. Of course you will have hands-on opportunities to do a little bit of city mapping (spiritual and ethnographical), and exploring different neighborhoods. We get around on public transportation, and we do a lot of walking.
Q: How much does a Jet Set trip cost?
A: We try to keep the costs down and help wherever possible, but you will have to make an investment to participate. You'll need to pay for airfare, hotel/apartment rental, food, transportation, and any other things you might want to buy. In the off season (not May-August in Europe for example), things can be pretty reasonable. Start by checking the conversion rate (not too good at the moment). We will post specific costs for your trip as we have them. By the way, we don't charge anything for organizing and leading the trips.
Q: What cities do you visit on these trips?
A: The best way to really teach you about missional engagement, and for you to get to know the spiritual reality of a city, is to visit one city per trip. One week is barely sufficient to even scratch the surface, so we like to focus on one place.
If there's a specific city or people group you'd like to focus on, or if you'd like us to put together a trip for your group or church, please let us know.
If you'd like to visit multiple cities on your own, you're free to visit those destinations before or after our scheduled visit. Travel within Europe, or within larger countries (India) can be amazingly easy and inexpensive.
Q: Do You have any packing advice?
A: We recommend that you bring one suitcase and one carry-on. Be sure to check with your airline about what's allowed. Just keep in mind that you will likely have to carry/roll whatever you bring.
In Europe, for example, they tend to dress more fashionably than Americans, so you might want to consult with somebody on what you bring. Standing out only serves to make you a more attractive target for pickpockets and thieves.
It may be risky to bring a laptop, but we'd love for you to blog through your trip and keep in touch with your church through email and Skype while you're here, so you make the call. Most hotels have wi-fi available.
Your mobile phone should work here (it needs to be “Tri-band” or GSM), but it will probably be pretty expensive to use. Before you leave, you may want to call your carrier and ask about roaming rates in Europe.
Packing List:
Q: I'm an overachiever. How can I dive into ministry right away
A: Some of you would prefer to hit the ground running. We respect that. We've had people join group hikes and bike rides, run in road races, show their art, and preach in local churches. If you're one of these go-getters, you can probably set it all up by yourself. If you'd like a little bit of help, please send us a comment or email.
We're excited about your interest in a Jet Set trip with the Upstream Collective. We need a little information from you to help us get you the right information.
2011 © The Upstream Collective
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