Responsible organizer
It is important to clarify who is the responsible organizer of the trip and whether it should be classified as a church trip or a trip of a private nature.
As a general rule, trips within BCC should be organized by the relevant local church or association, which thus has full responsibility for the implementation. The same principle applies to associated organizations such as BUK and AK.
The organizer should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the current guidelines for budget, finances and participation in the relevant association.
Important clarifications:
- Who is authorized to enter into agreements on behalf of the association
- How the donor service works and what costs can be covered through it
- Whether the trip is included in an approved budget and the association’s annual cycle
- Members’ right to participate in the association’s activities
- How any extraordinary measures, such as costly trips, should be handled
Outlined below are the main principles that distinguish church tours (BCC tours) from private tours.
Excerpt from the Handbook for BCC Norway
Trips and activities organized by the local church:
All trips and activities that promote the Christian and charitable purpose are included in the local church’s finances.
Trips that contain elements that are both within and outside the Christian purpose must have a clearly defined program for the entire trip, with a start and end that delimits e.g. holiday stays for members before and afterwards.
Provided that the Christian content is the purpose and dominant in the program for the trip/activity, the costs of travel, accommodation, program elements and meals associated with such program elements can be considered part of the local church’s charitable purpose.
It is important that good documentation of the purpose and content of the trip/activity is prepared, and that this is stored clearly and tidily.
Activities that are suitable to fulfill the purpose are:
- elements with Christian content, both internally in your own business, Christian conventions and e.g. visits to places of Christian significance
- Visits/exchanges with local churches in other places (edification, celebrations, cultural exchange, activities, etc.)
- Basic costs for organized activities suitable for strengthening the faith community (e.g. transport, food, lodging, etc.)
- third-party experiences when it is suitable to realize the purpose (e.g. activating children and youth)
Church tour
Here are some key principles for conducting trips under the auspices of BCC. Associated organizations, such as AK and BUK, will generally have similar guidelines:
Purpose and content:
- The trip will help to promote the Christian and charitable purpose that is part of the local church’s activities
- Costs for travel, accommodation, program elements and meals are considered part of the local church’s charitable purpose, provided that the content of the trip is in line with this
- Satisfactory documentation of the purpose, program and content of the trip must be prepared. The documentation must be stored in a clear and verifiable manner.
Participation and communication:
- Everyone within the defined target group should be given the opportunity to participate
- The tour can be marketed through the association’sofficial information channels
Responsibility:
- The local association is legally and financially responsible for the planning and execution of the trip
Participation in trips for people without membership in BCC:
Questions about the participation of people who are not members of BCC must be clarified in cooperation with the leader of the local church. The following guidelines can usually be used as a basis:
- As a general rule, spouses of members can participate
- People who show a positive interest in the congregation and attend meetings regularly may participate by prior arrangement with the pastor
- Participants are expected to have a positive attitude toward BCC and to act in accordance with BCC’s ethical guidelines
- Since part of the costs can be covered by donations from members, a payment model should be established that is perceived as fair by everyone.
Private tour
Examples of private tours:
- Family trips – even if all participants are members of BCC
- Celebration of anniversaries such as birthdays, weddings, silver or gold wedding anniversaries
- Tours with restrictions on who can participate within a target group
- Trips for special interest groups such as running, golf, cycling, etc. where the trip is not related to the church’s purpose
Important conditions for private trips:
- The tour leader is responsible for bookings, and organizes the tour as a private person and not by virtue of their role in BCC
- All participants must be clearly informed that the trip is private
- The tour leader should ensure binding registration and payment to a private account to fulfill their responsibility
- Participants cover all costs themselves, according to the distribution model agreed by the group
- As a general rule, BCC’s information channels shall not be used for marketing or information about the trip
- The group must clarify who will enter into the agreement with Finca Alamo and thus bear the legal and financial responsibility.
- BCC is not responsible for conditions related to the trip