International partner trips
How do we support our International Missional Partners through trips?
Learning Trips (Short Term Missions Trips) is an opportunity for our COTC neighborhood churches to see God through His creation, His people, and His work throughout the world and support the work of our missional partners. Our desire is to do this in a manner that is helpful and not hurtful to those we are going to serve. Learning Trips allow for mutual transformation to both the international community and members of COTC. Therefore, the goals for these trips are not to go and do, but rather to go and learn, fellowship and encourage.
What are the goals of the trip?
Learn: Humbly going to learn from the materially poor, from those involved locally in poverty alleviation, and about the culture, geography, and lives of our brothers and sisters in a different part of the world.
Fellowship: Enjoy engaging relationally with those we are visiting. Spending time with our brothers and sisters in reconciling relationships is time well spent.
Encourage: Encourage and bless those who are in the field over the long haul.
How do we prepare?
Helping Without Hurting training curriculum will be used with EVERY short term trip that is sent from COTC. This process fosters discipleship, develops our worldview, and helps us steward this experience in the larger context of our lives. This three phase training helps develop a new perspective of why and how we go as well as engage us to think of missional living as a lifestyle not a missions trip experience.
