Frequently Asked Questions

Global(x) is not a separate company. Since 1997, it is the in-house missions ministry of North Point Ministries and serves all of our Atlanta-area campuses.

With so many journeys to choose from, we understand that it may be overwhelming to decide which one is best for you. Ultimately, you’ll want to consider your talents, skills, interests, preferences, and previous experiences. While there’s no hard and fast rule for selecting a journey, we suggest that you first choose among the types of journeys: Adult, Family, InsideOut Students, and The Living Room.

Next, you might consider the partner you’ll be working alongside or the destination. Maybe you’re restricted to traveling during a particular time of year. Is there a place you love to read about or study? Do you feel drawn to gain more insight or perspective in a certain area of the world? What issues break your heart?

Ultimately, the best course of action is to pray and ask God for direction as you consider this opportunity. Wherever you feel called, God will surely work through you.

Find a Journey

Applicants are generally approved for most journeys, with the exception of those teams with very specific needs or requirements. Should a team have more applicants than available space, the global(x) staff will work to find other opportunities whenever possible.

The minimum age requirements vary by partner. Age requirements are listed on each journey information page in ServiceReef. Please note that all minors must submit an application or have one submitted on their behalf in order to apply for a journey team.

Family journeys are open to any combination of immediate and extended family members. For some journeys, it’s preferable to have a child/children included in the family unit, but it is not a requirement. Check the journey information page for details. These journeys are an ideal opportunity for a family to create lasting memories and grow in their faith together.

Yes, all applicants are required to be engaged at one of our Atlanta-area churches in order to apply for a global(x) journey.

Global(x) launches spring, summer, and fall journeys. Applications typically open in October for spring journeys, January for summer journeys, and April for fall journeys. Visit the Journeys page for specific dates.

If you’re an actively engaged attendee at one of our local campuses, you’ll receive an email notification about upcoming global(x) journeys and application dates. Specific dates are listed on the Journeys page, but we also encourage you to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Once you submit your online application, you will receive a confirmation email. This confirms that global(x) has received your application. If you don’t receive a confirmation, please contact us.

Global(x) will notify you within two weeks after the season’s journey application period closes. While we are eager to welcome everyone on a journey team, our partners establish a maximum number of participants per team. If you are not selected for a particular team, we will always do our best to offer another opportunity that fits your interest and availability to serve.

If you are not chosen for a particular journey team, your name will be added to the team’s waiting list. In addition, you’ll also have the opportunity to join another team that still has space.

Your commitment to your journey team includes actively participating in four to six pre-trip team planning meetings (which may be virtual or in person), serving alongside your team for the full length of the trip, and participating in one debrief meeting upon return.

Team members are responsible for fully funding their individual trip cost either through self-funding or raising funds through donations. They are also required to complete all assigned tasks, sign a Team/Code of Conduct agreement, medical release, and financial agreement.

We recommend that you consult with your personal medical team to determine the health, safety, and appropriateness of your participation on a journey. We also suggest that you use your own judgment as you choose a journey. Some global(x) journeys include long flights or drive times, rigorous travel, long service days, and/or strenuous activities. If you have questions about the rigor of a specific journey, please contact us.

When you apply for a global(x) journey, you will be required to submit a deposit, which will be credited toward your fundraising goal. Moving forward, you and your other team members will be required to self-fund or raise funds through donations. In addition to individually inviting family, friends, and co-workers into your journey through sponsorship, some teams may raise funds together through group initiatives. While many people can’t manage to take a short-term journey themselves, they may have a desire to be involved in some way—and one way is through supporting others. Each year, hundreds of journey-goers raise thousands of dollars as their supporters generously join the adventure of a short-term journey.

The journey cost includes airfare, baggage fees, transportation fees, lodging, food, group travel insurance, supplies, team building activities, and any costs incurred by the partner for hosting the team and organizing the service opportunity.

Yes, donations are tax deductible. Donors will receive a Giving Statement from North Point Ministries at the end of the tax year, typically in January. Global(x) is a division of North Point Ministries, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 58-2203569. In order for donors to receive a tax credit for cash donations, donor contact information (name, address, phone number, and email address) must be included with the cash donation when it is submitted.

Checks should be made payable to North Point Ministries, Inc. and should be mailed to North Point Ministries, Inc., f/b/o Global(x), P.O. Box 3300, Alpharetta, GA 30023-3300. Please include a memo with the journey and team member’s name.

For ease and efficiency, we prefer to have donations submitted electronically:

1. Go to globalx.org/give.

2. Enter the name of the journey team member and select Search.

3. Locate the correct journey team member name and select Donate.

4. Enter the donation amount and select Donate.

5. Complete the billing information and select Submit Payment.

6. A confirmation email will be sent to you.

All journey donations should be submitted to your Journey Leader in the form they were received. When a donation is received in cash, it should be submitted in cash, along with the name, address, phone number, and email address of the donor. This information is required for the donor to receive the qualified tax deduction for their donation.

You should not deposit any funds into your own personal bank account. If a check is made payable to you, simply endorse it by writing “payable to global(x)” on the back of the check along with your signature.

If for any reason you need to mail a donation to global(x), please clearly include a note with your name and the journey name as it appears on our website, and mail it to North Point Ministries, Inc., f/b/o Global(x), PO Box 3300, Alpharetta, GA 30023-3300. Please include a memo with the journey and team member’s name.

Please advise the donor that the check should be made payable to North Point Ministries and should be accompanied by a letter that includes the team member’s name and the global(x) journey it is meant to support. Global(x) can be found under the North Point Ministries organization and our EIN is: 58-2203569.

You can opt to have donors donate to individual accounts, choose one of your accounts to represent the entire family, or a combination of both. Our system does not have the functionality to automatically distribute the donations evenly among your family, but as long as the total sum of your family’s accounts meets your combined family’s fundraising responsibility, global(x) will take care of associating the funds.

Any additional funds raised will be credited to the team’s combined fundraising goal.

When you join a global(x) journey team, you’ll be introduced to a schedule of milestone dates designed to facilitate many of the financial tasks required prior to the team’s departure. If you withdraw from the team at any point, some costs may have already been incurred by your participation and cannot be refunded. Any remaining funds will be used to support the global(x) journey team or partner.

In any case, if you or any of your donors have extenuating circumstances and are in need of a refund, please contact us.

If you’re not able to raise all the funds needed for your journey, you’ll be asked to self-fund the remaining balance. In some cases, underfunded participants will not be permitted to participate in the journey.

Yes, but you’ll need to apply now for a passport if you haven’t done so already. If your passport expires within six months following your trip’s return date, you will also need to renew your passport as soon as possible.

As soon as you receive your new passport, upload a color copy to your ServiceReef account profile. This is especially important since global(x) is required to obtain and send the expiration date of your passport when booking travel as well as when making in-country hotel reservations.

The “six-month validity” passport rule is a requirement of other countries accepting foreign travelers. If your passport is not valid for six months after your journey ends, you may not be permitted to depart from the United States for an international destination because entry into the destination country will likely be denied.

Some countries require visas for entry. Any visas that must be obtained prior to traveling are the responsibility of the team member. If a visa is required, the deadline will be listed in your ServiceReef account under your required tasks. The cost to obtain the visa is an out-of-pocket expense and is not reimbursable.

Visas are currently required for entry into Kenya and Uganda. Note that countries may change their entry requirements at any time and without notice. Global(x) will notify you of any changes.

Some countries require vaccinations for entry. Any vaccines that must be obtained prior to traveling are the responsibility of the team member. Unless the country has a vaccine that is required for entry, vaccines are optional and should be discussed with your medical professional. The cost to obtain vaccines is not reimbursable. Currently, the yellow fever vaccine is required for entry into Uganda. Note that countries may change their entry requirements at any time and without notice. Global(x) will notify you of any changes.

The airfare costs are included in the fundraising responsibility for all international and most domestic journeys. Currently, adult/family team members are only responsible for transportation while on our Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina journeys. For student journeys to these destinations, transportation will be provided.

Global(x) works with an outside agency to secure group tickets for travel. We are not able to upgrade individual tickets for several reasons. Most importantly, it can cause individual tickets to be separated from the group, and we require the team to travel under the same booking.

Yes. If you add your frequent flyer number while you are completing the journey application, it will be automatically connected to your booking. If you did not enter the number at that time, you have the opportunity to add it once tickets are purchased either through the airline’s app, website, or during check-in at the airport.

No. For liability reasons, it’s imperative that all team members travel together.

We know you’ll be excited to hear about the journey, you’ll want to check in to make sure things are going well, and you’ll miss them while they’re serving, but the team’s experience is always better when they’re disconnected from daily life. That’s not to say you can’t speak with your family member, but we recommend communicating only when absolutely necessary. It’s also important to note that cell service is not always reliable or available depending on the journey location.

If you have any dietary restrictions, please include details in the journey application under “Please list any health concerns that may impact your ability to serve.”

Global(x) will share this information with the partner. However, the partner may or may not be able to accommodate food restrictions or preferences. We recommend that you plan to bring supplementary food and/or snacks with you in case some meals do not meet your needs.

Yes, you must have medical insurance. Global(x) does provide secondary medical insurance for all international and domestic journeys.

Just as if you were at home, team members may need to rest and/or isolate until they are feeling well enough to resume their service. Team members are never left alone during their week of service, so another team member and/or leader will stay at the hotel to care for any of their teammate’s needs. Should the need arise, we’ll work closely with our in-country partner to secure professional medical care and make sure the individual feels safe and supported during their recovery.