The Personal Weblog of Travis Kaiser

Trek-X, an elite journey for the next generation missionary was birthed out of Chris White’s Mobilizing Students. Rather than me trying to explain Trek-X I’ll give you Chris’ words: “If you’ve answered the call to missions and still want to pursue your education, then apply to join a select group of 60 college students from around the globe as they come together to begin an ELITE- 4-YEAR JOURNEY that will change their lives forever. You will pursue your COLLEGE degree at an online university/seminary of your choice, be intentionally DISCIPLED by our staff, and travel the world leading student MISSION teams.”

To learn more about Trek-X click HERE, otherwise check out why as a youth pastor I think Trek-X is a viable option for students!

1. Trek-X uses a strategy that our culture is moving towards – the shift of colleges to provide off-campus degrees (See the link below about the Kaplan video). The church throughout history has always used the latest technology
2. Financial freedom! Students going to college online will pay less and therefore making it more affordable to get their degree. Some colleges will even allow students to clep out of classes they already have knowledge about making a degree less expensive. The more people who are debt free the more money there is to go toward Kingdom work.
3. Students will be on a directed path of discipleship. Sometimes it’s assumed that if a student interested in missions and goes to serve alongside a missionary that discipleship will just naturally occur. This is usually not the case due to the demand on the missionary’s time.
4. Trek-X helps break the mold of the Twixters (the age group of post-college to early 30’s named by Time magazine - http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1018089,00.html ) to take responsibility rather than putting it off. Youth ministries are currently wrestling with how to help students continue in the faith through college and this provides an excellent bridge. This approach will quantum leap students beyond their peers.
5. Trek-X lines up with our high school ministry philosophy to help students have challenging spiritual experiences, to serve the needs of others, to learn and practice the spiritual disciplines, to have significant relationships with role-model adults, and to develop a Christian worldview. We believe these will help students develop into a healthy Christian adult and sell-out to the causes of Christ.
6. Trek-X calls students to a higher standard of living and to dream God-sized dreams as they see God at work here in the U.S. and around the world!
7. Trek-X captures the passion of young people and immediately gives them the opportunity to simultaneously be trained and be mobilized. Too often young people’s dreams and passions are postponed because adult or cultural standards force them to jump through hoops. This generation is geared more towards volunteering and more apt to serve than any previous generation in history (see David Wraight’s book The Next Wave).