FAQS

All SQ Vision Trips and the daily schedule are customized for each location. A regular day may include time for personal devotions, team time for group worship and discussion as well as preparation and planning. Some trips may include ministry opportunities such as sports camps and clinics, evangelism opportunities, and building relationships with the community and partnering church, possible evening competition, fun games night with youth, etc. Other trips may include more hands-on service projects, serving alongside teachers and coaches in local schools, and other cross-cultural learning opportunities. Schedules and ministry opportunities will be discussed prior to departure, and each participant will receive a printed itinerary upon arrival. 

For student-oriented trips, all participants must be at least 15 years old by the time they arrive at their SQ Vision Trip. For family-oriented trips, children must be 5 years old or older. 

Safety is a high priority. During every phase of a SportQuest Vision Trip, safety is a key factor in making decisions. SportQuest staff members constantly monitor all travel advisories issued by the U.S. State Department and are in frequent communication with local contacts in each country. If at any time during the preparation process a country becomes extremely unsafe, that trip would be canceled and all affected participants would be given the opportunity to travel to another destination. If conditions were ever to become unsafe during the trip itself, the appropriate safety protocol for that destination would be followed.

We cannot eliminate all risk, but we believe it is our responsibility to take precautions and make sure our teams are aware of potential risks. We also highly encourage participants to invite their home churches to cover our teams in prayer during the project. 

Every team is assigned at least 2 trip leaders (usually male and female). Leaders are responsible not just for daily activities but are also responsible for the safety and supervision of every participant. During sightseeing days and any time teams are outside of their lodging facility, they are responsible to be in groups of 4 with a leader or adult present within each group.

Communication for participants 18 and under will be limited. Upon arrival at their destination, your child will be encouraged to contact you; however, this is not always possible. You will receive an email from a SportQuest staff member confirming their safe arrival. When possible, we will provide 1-2 other opportunities during the trip when your child can contact you. Please understand that although we give them time to call or email, it is completely up to your child to contact you during those designated times. Please do not expect to hear from your child every day. You can read project updates and see photos posted by SQ staff on our social media outlets as well as an occasional update on our blog.

All donations for Vision Trips are tax-deductible. Fundraising is not as hard as most people think. More than 80% of the participants who travel on a SQ Vision Trip raise the full cost of their trip through support letters and personal communication with family and friends. Once you register for a SQ Vision Trip, SQ can provide you with fundraising materials and sample letters that will be very beneficial in the fundraising process. A SQ representative can guide you through this process upon request.

• Housing
• Meals
• 2 T-shirts
• Lanyard
• Training and discipleship materials
• Ground transportation
• Visa fees (if applicable)

Airfare is included in the cost for some trips. Make sure to check with your group leader to confirm travel arrangements. 

Costs not included are:

• Snacks
• Souvenirs
• Personal expenses while traveling and in-country, including meals in airports

SportQuest Ministries is not affiliated with one specific denomination. Both our staff and the participants who travel with us represent a wide background of church denominations, and our teams partner with many different churches in our project locations. SportQuest places a high priority on the local church and always seeks to partner with the local church in each community where we serve. For a statement of our beliefs, please click here.

SportQuest Ministries Domestic Project Cancellation Policy:

Contributions are NOT refundable. If the participant cancels his or her plans to attend the domestic SQ Vision Trip 30 days or more before the first day of the trip, $250 will be deducted from the participant's account. If applicable, any remaining funds will be held over for up to one year to send the same participant or an immediate family member on another SQ Vision Trip. After one year, the funds will go towards SportQuest Ministries for their discretional use. If the participant cancels within 30 days or less of the first day of the project, no monies will be transferrable and all remaining funds will go towards SportQuest Ministries for their discretional use.

SportQuest Ministries International Project Cancellation Policy:

Contributions are NOT refundable. If the participant cancels his or her plans to attend the international SQ Vision Trip before international airline tickets have been purchased, $300 will be deducted from the participant's account. If the participant cancels after their international airline ticket has been purchased, 60% of the trip cost will be deducted from the participant's account to cover the cost of their airline ticket/other deposits and administrative expenses. If cancellation occurs within 30 days of the trip, the participant will be liable for 100% of the trip cost. If applicable, any remaining funds will be held over for up to one year to send the same participant or an immediate family member on another SQ Vision Trip. After one year, all remaining funds will go towards SportQuest Ministries for their discretional use.