Okay, I think this will be my last post for this series.  Here are some final little random tips.  I hope this series has given you some decent ideas for you trip this winter.  If you would like more information on this, see College Ministry From Scratch.  Here is my last bit of tips:

• Let students lead aspects of the trip. Leaders in your ministry will naturally take on things, but make sure to use this as an opportunity for others to step up and take on responsibility as well.

• Choose an age range for the trip (like 18-25), make it clear, and make no exceptions. Make sure you think through how you will address those outside of this age range beforehand. There can be some sticky situations, so make sure you think through your reasoning for the range you give.

• Have a theme and use that theme in as many aspects of the trip as possible (shirts, messages/studies, decor, etc). Have one thing you want people to embrace and then make sure that one thing intermingles in between everything.

• Do activities that everyone can participate in.

• Make sure any promotional material is clear and precise. For instance, if you’re not covering all meals, specify which one’s you will be and what they should expect for the others.

• Utilize internet based advertising. This can really save a lot of money. Having fliers can be beneficial, but maximize the tools available at no cost.

• If you’ve never done a trip before, use pre-registration as a tool to get an idea of how many people will attend. A good thing to do is have them make a non-refundable deposit by a certain point. It doesn’t have to be much, but this can give you an idea of how many people to expect actually going. But, be prepared for anything.

• Be careful with “mixers.” I’m not saying don’t do them, but for some people these can be very uncomfortable and feel forced. On retreats we don’t need to push relationships, they will happen naturally.

• When it’s time to clean up, make sure you do the bulk of it at a time when the most people can pitch in and help. For instance, have all the clean up take place right before the last meal or meeting.