Long before the event someone must carefully check all pertinent details with the people and places on the itinerary. If there are reservations or tickets, these must be confirmed. If counselors have been enlisted, their participation also needs to be confirmed, and appropriate materials, schedules, assignments, or other related resources must be gotten to them. If food is to carried on the trip, someone must see that proper arrangements and purchases have been made. If goods are to be purchased after arriving at the destination, others will need to be ready with shopping lists and funds. Transportation issues should be settled long before the day of departure. Don’t overlook registration fees that will have to be established, collected, and documented.

In some cases it will be helpful to use permission slips along with sign-up sheets. This will help motivate the teens and their parents to commit to a given activity. These sheets should include all pertinent activity details such as dates, schedules, costs, materials, directions, etc. Somewhere on the registration sheet place a paragraph that addresses what is expected of the participant and the parents, and ask the parents to sign the sheet confirming their agreement to the venture and granting permission. Registration fees that are collected at this time will be used to prepare for the actual retreat expenses, be they reservations or advance purchase of needed resources and materials. Have everything ready and in order a couple of days before the actual retreat or trip. Long before the scheduled event the youth minister will want to review his plans and evaluate the preparation. Make every effort to complete all arrangements and purchases a couple of days before the departure date. All registration and permission forms should have been received along with accompanying fees. The activity schedule should be finalized and printed. If the activity involves a long trip or a complicated schedule, the youth minister may decide to make room, seating, and job assignments long before the group leaves the parking lot. The point of all of this detailed preparation is to avoid serious conflicts once the actual retreat is underway.

Common sense responsibilities
Before leaving this topic, let’s take a look at some matters of common sense.
1. The youth minister should always leave detailed copies of planned trip activities with the pastor and church office. He will include schedules, addresses, telephone numbers, e-mails, and a list of all participants. In the event of an emergency there will be no difficulty contacting someone in the group.
2. If travel is by several vehicles, then develop a plan of how you will stay together on the highway and what to do in the event of an emergency or separation. If there is a problem on the road, and all vehicles are together, the group can lend a helping hand.
3. Be alert for boy/girl relationships. Individuals should never wander off from the youth group, and all teenagers should be present for all activities. A few brief unguarded moments can ruin the event for everyone.
4. Rules are necessary and practical. Insist on proper behavior, and make sure all participants respect the rules and schedules that were spelled out in the original registration forms.
5. The youth minister should learn early in his ministry the importance of arriving back to the church thirty minutes ahead of schedule following a retreat or trip. The parents will appreciate this mature and responsible attitude. If there is a delay, then parents must be notified accordingly. Keep in mind that the best retreat in the world can be spoiled by angering parents and others who have grown worried and impatient waiting back at home for a late arriving youth group.
6. NEVER WORRY A PARENT!
(To be continued)