GO Team Guidelines

Application Process

1. Anyone who wants to be considered for GO Team participation must submit an application. If a child is too young to fill out an application, then a parent must complete it for the child. An application will not be considered until a $100 nonrefundable deposit (per individual, with the exception of the Canada Team, which requires a $100 deposit per family) is received with it.
2. All information on applications may be seen by Global Outreach staff, team leader(s), coach(es), and if necessary, WBC senior staff.
3. Wheaton Bible Church Global Outreach makes the final decision to approve or not approve any applicant.

Team Member Requirements

1. Most team members must be regular attendees of Wheaton Bible Church. If there is space on a team, interested applicants from outside WBC will be considered.
2. Most team members must be at least 18 years of age. Exceptions may be specified in the trip description (such as on a designated family team), and requests for individual exceptions may be considered. However, any participant under 18 must be accompanied by a parent. 
3. Team members must agree to participate in all the required team orientation meetings before the trip and attend the team debriefing meeting(s) after the trip is completed. Any reason for missing a meeting must be approved by a team leader.
4. Team members must be in good health.
5. We send general teams, which need willing, able servants to serve our missionaries or partner ministries and need no special skills, and specialty teams, which require specifically skilled people to meet certain needs of our missionaries or partner ministries. Team members should possess any skills or gifts needed for the identified ministry and express interest in the purpose of the particular GO team.
6. Team members must demonstrate the maturity and life experience to fit well as a team player and to respond to the leadership of another person.
7. Team members must be known to possess characteristics that will enable effective service within a cross-cultural environment.

Finances

1. All participants are personally responsible to pay for, or arrange funding for, their portion of the team costs. Once a participant is accepted on a team, s/he is responsible for any non-refundable costs (i.e., airline tickets, etc.) incurred by Global Outreach if s/he withdraws or if the entire trip is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
2. All of the funds raised for a GO Team are received and receipted as charitable contributions to Wheaton Bible Church. All donations are designated for use in the project for which they were given. Any surplus funds for your GO Team will be used for other GO Teams.
3. Support-raising methods and WBC:
   • GO Team members are not allowed to solicit financial support in Adult Classes or other WBC venues. If a GO Team member is making a presentation, s/he may express a need but not openly solicit the class. If a GO Team member is privately asked about a specific need (i.e. after class), it may be discussed privately.
   • A GO Team member can ask a friend to host a gathering in a private home in order to present the ministry and ask for financial partners.
   • GO Team members should not use official WBC communication methods (i.e. AC email list) to ask for financial support. They can, however, send an email or letters out to their friends (which may include fellow AC / community group members).

Travel Arrangements

1. Participants must travel with the team. 
2. Any exceptions to this must be approved by the team leader and Global Outreach staff.

Immunizations

1. Each team member must confirm that s/he has an updated Tetanus / Diphtheria immunization on record. S/he must obtain any immunizations required for his/her team and must check with his/her doctor, the CDC, the DuPage County Health Department and/or Walgreens at Central DuPage Hospital for recommended immunizations. Recommended immunizations are encouraged but ultimately up to the team members’ discretion.