bless.

go2bless trips are short-term, team    based mission experiences in Croatia  and France, usually during the  summer month of July. Working in    long-term relationship with local  churches, go2bless teams provide the  injection of energy, prayer, creativity  and missional initiative to enable the  local church to fully engage their  community.

go2bless teams are made up of individuals and groups from a range of nationalities and many denominational backgrounds. The minimum age for participants is 16, and teams are predominantly made-up of the under 30’s.

A founding philosophy of the bless network is the commitment to ‘Take something with you – bring something back.’ Our aim is to make a difference to the host community by our presence, and to our home communities on our return.

go2bless trips are more than ‘mission as tourism’. We do not select new destinations every year, but return to the same places. This means we can grow in our relational commitment to a given location. It also means that participants get to see where fruit has grown and lasted – and where it has not. The illusionary success of hit-and-run mission is no substitute for real and steady growth. The period of preparation for go2bless participants is built on the P.A.R.I.S. framework – an approach to mission that emphasizes:

Prayer – before, during and after the trip.

Adaptability – to the challenges of cross-cultural mission.

Respect – for the churches and communities with whom we are working.

Involvement – in all aspects of the mission, from cleaning to caring and packing to prayer.

Servanthood – as the over-arching value that motivates Christian mission.

Each trip is preceded by a training session that introduces the go2bless ethos and offers practical input relating to the particular trip. Participants will undertake a minimum of basic language training, but ability to speak a foreign language is not a prerequisite as we make use of translators once on ‘location.’ Trips normally run for 7 – 14 days in the summer, and costs are outlined per person. We offer support where possible with fund-raising ideas for those unable to cover this cost outright.

go2bless trips call for a whole range of skills and need team members of all ages to work with teenagers, young adults and children. Each team needs a combination of creative, practical and pastoral skills, and we make extensive use of the ‘international languages’ of youth – music, sport and the arts. We also have a strong focus on creative prayer and worship.

Click for more information on bless, or to find an application form.