It’s final, after much prayer, you’ve decided to take youth from your church on a mission trip.  “Now,” you may ask, “what do I do next?”
The first item of business is prayer.  When deciding where to take your team, you must first realize there are hundreds if not thousands of opportunities for mission work. Pray, asking God to lead you to the place where your team can serve the best. 
The next step would be to set the date for your trip.  Most places are flexible enough to work with you on the trip date if you begin your planning soon enough. It is important to begin planning at least six to eight months prior to the date you choose.  Allowing this much time ensures the chances of scheduling the trip when it best suits your team.  You can plan a trip in less time, but I would advise against trying it.
Putting a team together is somewhat difficult.  Rules and guidelines should be in place well in advance of the trip.  Once you decide where you are going, the missionaries in that area will help you in deciding the dress code, expected rules of conduct etc.  You should have written, clear and defined guidelines for members to adhere.  Communicate your expectations to the team.
Most ministry areas have age or grade completion requirements.  Usually youth must have completed ninth grade to participate.  In addition to age requirement, you will need to consider your youth and the qualifications of the team. 
Age should not be the only qualifier.  The youth need to realize volunteering for missions is a huge commitment. It is important to schedule sign-up opportunities for around a month. During this time advertise and promote mission opportunities.  If at this point you already know where you are going, I do not recommend announcing the trip location. Those choosing to go should do so for the mere reason to serve. 
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?
Now that you know the date and your team is in place, you should determine the type of work your team can do.  Is your team more of the service type?  Do they want to paint, clean, build or do some other service work?  Maybe they are a creative ministry team, or more of a sports camp team, or possibly a resort ministry team.  What exactly does your team want to do?
Once you determine the kind of ministries is best for your team, this is the time to visit the North American Mission Board website (namb.net).  You will find many opportunities depending on your team’s abilities.  Clicking on the Find Opportunities button will lead you to the bridge.
The Bridge is an excellent web tool on the North American Mission Board website (namb.net). Southern Baptist Missionaries across the United States who are seeking teams to help in their ministry, provide a list of their needs.  After registering, you will have the chance to review and select a project type. Narrow your choices by region.  At this point, you should decide [...]