This post is for all my friends and family who are asking, “what exactly is the world race?” I went on the World Race website and took some of their frequently asked questions for you to read! Enjoy! (also, if this brings up any further questions, feel free to message me!)
Much Love,
Sammiera
The following FAQs are also found here: https://www.worldrace.org/?tab=about&subtab=faqs
What qualities are you looking for in World Race participants?
We are looking for followers of Jesus. We are looking for participants who are emotionally healthy, flexible in unpredictable situations, and adventurous. Our participants need to focus on the purpose of the World Race: to establish the Kingdom of God in the world.
Check out expectations of a Racer for more details.
How are teams and leaders organized and selected?
Our staff follows an intentional process to organize Racers into teams. Teams are smaller groups within the squad and are created with prayerful guidance to ensure the gifts and passions of each member work well together.
Squads are the larger group of 20 Racers who travel together on the same route or trip. Squads are made up of teams. For each team, there will be one team leader.
Team leaders are selected by their squad leadership at training camp. Team leaders are peers who we ask to have an extra level of responsibility.
There are other team leadership roles. These include finance, storytelling, logistics, and other ministry specific roles.
Squad Leaders are World Race alumni.
For 11-month World Race squads, Squad Leaders will travel with your squad for the first few months, training team leaders and helping your squad learn the ropes. Then, these alumni Squad Leaders raise up new Squad Leaders from the Racers on the squad.
While alumni Squad Leaders continue to lead remotely, the raised up Squad Leaders have a chance to grow as they provide field leadership.
In addition to Squad Leaders, we have another group of staff leadership for each squad.
Admissions Advisors help you get everything together you need to actually get on the field. This includes passport and visa needs, fundraising help, answering your questions, and so much more.
Squad Mentors lead your squad from a mentorship position. The Squad Mentor leads the squad remotely throughout the year and is in constant communication with the leadership on the field. A Squad Mentor will join the squad on the field for various lengths of time throughout duration of the trip.
Squad Administrators handle the logistic components for your squad and will occasionally join the squad on the field.
Squad Coaches offer spiritual guidance and prayer support for your squad. Coaches are usually a married couple with wisdom to offer and a desire to pour into the next generation. They travel to the field multiple times throughout the trip to help debrief with the squad in person.
In addition, each squad has a member of our senior leadership team who oversees the activity of that squad.
What do we actually “do” on the Race?
Each day on the World Race looks a little different. Some days will be packed full with construction, VBS, evangelism outreach, relationship building, or praying for the sick. Some days could be slower — shopping for groceries at the market or spending time in prayer for the community and ministry.
Regardless of the pace or the activity, every day will be focused on being a part of God’s Kingdom work. Just Contact Us and we’d be happy to share our stories about life on the Race!
How much does a World Race participant have to fundraise?
Each World Race program has a required fundraising amount. Each route or trip is priced separately, you can find the fundraising amount for a particular trip on the trip description.
We encourage Racers to connect with a community of supporters for both prayer and financial support. We understand raising money can be intimidating, so we have Admissions Advisors committed to help you through the support raising process. (For more information, Fundraising 101.)
If you’re worried about finances, don’t be. Over the years, we’ve learned time and time again when God calls, He provides. Still concerned? Check out this blog for some encouragement: A Perspective Shift of Fundraising.
What is covered in the fundraising amount?
The funds you raise cover all team costs once the trip begins. This includes food, lodging, travel and medical insurance. It also covers set up, coaching, debrief, training, and administrative costs prior to and throughout your Race. You can learn more about the travel insurance plan here.
It does not include vaccinations, personal spending money, travel to and from training camp, travel to the launch location, and travel home from a major U.S. city at the conclusion of the Race.
When I fundraise, is the money actually mine?
The short answer is no. While we do credit donations toward your specific fundraising goal, it’s technically donated to Adventures in Missions.
The long, official answer is that Adventures in Missions is a 501(c)(3) organization and is bound by IRS regulations and ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) guidelines. These regulations require donations to be non-refundable and non-transferable. Tax deductible donations must be made to an organization, not an individual, and funds are managed under the full “control and discretion” of the organization. To see a copy of our donation policies, click here.
If you are not able to launch for some reason, you may be offered the opportunity to defer to a later launch. In this case, funds raised – minus anything already expensed (e.g., for training camp or plane tickets) – can typically transfer to your new fundraising goal with the understanding there may be both time and program restrictions.
Is the World Race affiliated with any particular denomination or organization?
The World Race is a program of the interdenominational mission organization Adventures in Missions (Adventures).
Our staff and leaders come from a wide range of Christian churches and denominations. Read our statement of beliefs for a deeper look at what we believe.
With the different backgrounds of staff, Racers, and ministry partners brought into the experience of the World Race, you will most likely experience worship styles, Bible teachings, and Christian community different than you’ve previously experienced. We encourage you to dig into scripture and have ongoing conversations about these things. We love this picture of the body of Christ coming together, united in purpose to bring Jesus to the nations.
How safe is the World Race?
We recognize travel brings risk. We have worked hard to put extensive safety protocols in place. But, all racers need to consider things happen that we can’t predict. People get sick and accidents happen. It is likely you will meet people suffering from a variety of diseases.
To address the issues we face, we have an experienced risk management team. They monitor political, health, weather, and other risks in the regions that we minister. This information includes the U.S. State Department travel warnings. All Racers are covered by a strong travel insurance policy. The insurance company works closely with us to ensure you will receive the care you need. For more information about the insurance policy, click here.
We have external consultants who assist us in designing and managing our training and field implementation for safety protocols. Our internal risk management team creates contingency plans as needed so we are ready to move teams quickly if the need arises. We also have an extensive network of ministry partners and ministry connections worldwide who provide us with “eyes on the ground” as we assess situations.
For more information, please see our Safety and Communication Protocols Video, prepared by our external risk management team for parents and loved ones.
