What to do When Your Church Van Breaks Down on a Trip

Trips are important for student ministries. They are great opportunities for group bonding and spiritual development (Here is a fun tool to include on your next trip). These trips can be just day trips or they can be week long trips or weekend ones. In order for these trips to be successful there is a lot of preparation that goes into them. One of the biggest ones is to make sure you have the appropriate transportation is necessary. It could be a van, a caravan of vans or a bus.

Whether you take a van, a caravan of vans/cars or a bus all depends on numbers. If you have a small amount of students going, you can take a car or a van. As the number increases the more likely you are going to need a bus. Buses tend to be more expensive than vans and you have a lot more flexibility with a van. However, if you take a van or a caravan of vans, you really need to make sure you do a few things before you go:

• Make sure have gas in the van
• Make sure you have a responsible driver for that van
• Make sure the oil has been changed recently and that all the fluids are topped off.
• Make sure you have jumper cables and a spare time
• Make sure you have the contact information for AAA, if you have this service.

The reality is that despite all the precautions you take before the trip, there is always the possibility that the Church van breaks down. So, if/when you break down, here are some things to keep in mind.

Make sure everyone is safe. Safety is always the number one priority. If the van is able to, make sure you are either pulled over on the side of the highway or at a rest stop. Keep the students in the van and away from the cars driving by.

Contact Your Boss. It’s always a wise idea to contact your Direct Report at your Church so that they are aware of what is happening. They don’t want to hear about it from someone else and they don’t want to have to answer questions from a parent who may not be happy with what happened. The more they know and are kept in the loop, the better they are able to answer questions and stand up for you. Plus, maybe they can help you find a replacement vehicle or give you wisdom in what you can do.

Make sure your Leaders are updated. Your leaders can be a huge help to keeping students calm and making sure you process next steps for what you need to do as a group. As much as possible, keep them in the loop and have them help out where needed.

Arrange Alternate Transportation. When your Church van breaks down you will need to take care of the broken down van and arrange alternate transportation. It can look a variety of ways, that is why connecting with your boss and keeping leaders updated will help. They can help you connect with a towing company and rental car companies.

Trips are great opportunities for your student ministry to grow together. Unfortunately, trouble arises from time to time. When the Church van breaks down, it doesn’t have to destroy the trip. You can do the above suggestions that can help you do what needs to get done while also ensuring students have a great time during this trip and the they get to experience Jesus in a positive, life changing way during the trip.

What do you think? Share your ideas below or on social media using #ymsidekick when you share. 

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