Mission TravelNOTE: This grant is only for Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)-affiliated organizations that reside within the bounds of the Synod of the Trinity.

A short-term mission trip is an exciting, engaging experience in which faith is put into action by partnering with brothers and sisters from different cultures and life experiences. For us, such travel represents a special kind of experience, one that can influence a participant for life! In order to assist as many groups as possible, and to ensure consistency of awards, the following guidelines have been developed for Mission Travel Grants:

  1. For mission trips within the bounds of the USA, a range of $50-$100 per participant with a cap of $2,000 for any one trip.
  2. For mission trips outside the USA, a range of $100-$350 per participant with a cap of $4,000 for any one trip.
  3. To help congregations or individuals who may not otherwise have access to these opportunities, additional funding MAY be offered for mission trips open to multiple congregations.
  4. Preference will be given to first-time applicants and applicants within presbyteries that have not been awarded a Mission Travel Grant during the past two years.

To download the Mission Travel Grant application, click here. (After downloading this application to your desktop, it should appear as a fillable form. After saving the form, it can be emailed to the Synod of the Trinity at grants@syntrinity.org.)

Note: An entity may only apply for one Synod grant per year. Please choose carefully as you consider your application.

DEADLINES
Feb. 1: Funding decisions will be made by March 1
May 1:
Funding decisions will be made by June 1
Oct. 1: Funding decisions will be made by Nov. 1

Helpful Hints

Check out this quick video that explains how to download and prepare your fillable grant form, including three detailed ways to create that electronic signature that will allow for faster interaction between congregations and presbyteries. Find the video tutorial here. (For a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to help you view the application, click here.)

SYNOD GRANTS IN ACTION

North Sewickley Church sees fruits of its labor at Ugandan school/orphanage

For two weeks in March, a 25-person group that included five members of North Sewickley Presbyterian Church in Ellwood City, PA, traveled to Uganda, East Africa, to continue working with the God’s Love and Care School, a Christian School/Orphanage. Read about the trip here.

Trip to Nepal changes lives here and there

A group of 15 members from Plains Presbyterian Church in Cranberry Township (Beaver-Butler Presbytery) traveled to the hills of Ilam, Nepal, for 10 days to experience the culture, connect with the community, support local missions and make new friends. Read about the group’s experiences here.

Presbytery of Philadelphia sends team to experience life at southern border

Five members of the Presbytery of Philadelphia’s Leadership Collegium traveled to El Paso, TX, to get a firsthand look at what is occurring at the southern border of the United States. Read about their experiences here.

First Church of Allentown digs deep during time in Honduras

Seven people from the First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA, traveled to Honduras to dig a well in a little village of 200 families. Even though they didn’t completely accomplish their goal, those who went were not disappointed. Find out why here.

Trip to Malawi deepens relational aspect of mission work for volunteers

The wife-and-husband team of the Rev. Dianne Kareha and the Rev. John Deisinger traveled with other participants from New Jersey to Malawi, Africa, in 2018. While there, their experience deepened their understanding that “love” and “covenant” are about being in relationship and partnership rather than just giving handouts. Read more about the trip here.

Work in Ugandan village leaves everyone feeling blessed

A team of 23 individuals, mostly from the western Pennsylvania area representing at least 10 different churches and several denominations, traveled along with Healthy Communities Unlimited to Uganda to love and serve at God’s Love and Care School as well as surrounding remote villages. Read about the experience here.

Workers from western PA congregations leave mark on Corpus Christi

A group that represented seven churches from western Pennsylvania traveled to Corpus Christi, TX, to participate in disaster assistance following the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, which destroyed large areas of Texas one year earlier. A recap of the trip can be viewed here.

Marion Center, PA, Church gives to Navajo Nation through preaching, teaching, working

Fifteen people, ages 8-78, from the Presbyterian Church of Marion (Marion Center, PA) ventured out of their various comfort zones to serve and minister at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Chinle, AZ, in an area that is better known as Navajo Nation. To read about their experiences, click here.

Church of the Mountain delivers medicine but gets more in return on trip to Cuba

In 1998, the Church of the Mountain in Delaware Water Gap, PA (Lehigh Presbytery) made its first mission trip to Cardenas, Cuba. While there, it quickly realized that all of the good it was doing didn’t compare to the relationships it was forming. Twenty years later, the church has now taken eight trips to the Latin American country. Find a recap of the latest trip here.

Presbytery of Lake Erie uses Synod grants to connect with brothers and sisters in Ghana

The Presbytery of Lake Erie engaged in an international mission partnership trip to Ghana, with 11 people representing the presbytery making the trip. It was a fruitful trip that will continue to help both presbyteries to build on this seven-year international partnership. It takes time to build trusting relationships, especially when people do not see one another regularly. Read more about the trip here.

Two from Lehigh Presbytery experience Romanian beliefs, culture

In June of 2017, Lehigh Presbytery commissioned Jim Ferlino and Jack Felch to continue its decades of partnership with the Hungarian Reformed Church of Romania via a journey to Romania. The purpose of the trip was to extend greetings of Christian fellowship to the Joint Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Romania and the two Districts of the Reformed Church in Romania. More details are available here.

Concord Church mission trip offers ‘different point of view’

In July of 2017, a group of a dozen worshipers from Concord Presbyterian Church in West Sunbury, PA, traveled to the community of Mabscott, WV, for a week of community service that centered around repairing houses. Read about their experience here.

Olivet Church youth repair homes during Philadelphia Project

This youth group from nearby Prospect Park, PA, spent a week doing home repair, running a kids camp and doing mercy ministries such as working with the homeless. For more information and to view a video, click here.

Columbia PC’s mission trip leaves lasting effect on ‘Dream Team’

On the surface, there aren’t a lot of similarities between the city of Los Angeles and the small community of Columbia, PA. But one thing the two have in common is homelessness, and the Rev. Dave Powers felt that by having a mission team make the trip west to see how the situation is handled on a large scale would be beneficial to his congregation. Read about the trip here.