2017 Annual Report

seth-barnes

Thank you for joining with us in our mission this past year. 2017 was a year of rich and fruitful ministry! With your help we saw God move in so many ways.

At Adventures, our goal is to raise up a generation of radically committed disciples of Jesus Christ. We are excited about the progress we’re making to that goal!

This past year we discipled thousands of young people – teaching them how to make Jesus Lord of their lives. We planted hundreds of churches in countries like India where we are deeply involved in church planting movements. In Swaziland, we fed and discipled more than 7,000 vulnerable children each day. And in countries like Guatemala and the Dominican Republic we helped the local churches send out missionaries to spread the Gospel.

It was your financial support and prayers that made our work possible. Thank you for believing in the mission God has given us to carry out and for investing in the people He has given us to steward. We wouldn’t have been able to do this great work without you!

Thanks to our partnership with you, the Kingdom is coming around the world! God is on the move and we’re excited about what He’s going to do in 2018!

Seth Barnes
Executive Director
Adventures in Missions

-2017 AT A GLANCE-

A monthly timeline of our year at Adventures.

January

120 Racers fresh off the World Race come to Project Searchlight to process through their transition home and determine what the Lord has next for them.

World Race sends out 183 Racers on 4 squads and hosts 255 parents at Launch.

Adventures first-ever storytelling team made up of all alumni World Racers launches to South East Asia to film a project called Wider Lens: Stories from the World Race.

February

We host a church planting conference in Vizianagaram, India with 48 local pastors.

Two World Race squads and one Gap Year squad host a Regional Awakening in Johannesburg, South Africa.

March

The Thailand Pioneer Team, led by Scott & Christina Kwak, settle into Chiang Mai to start preparing for our new Thailand base and hostel.

April

Four World Race squads host a SE Asia Regional Awakening in Siem Reap, Cambodia at the Adventures Hostel, Overflow Guest House. 

May

150 more Racers fresh off the World Race come to Project Searchlight.

June

The Short Term Missions department kicks off the summer season ultimately hosting 138 trips and 2,280 participants.

We complete construction on our 3,300 sq. ft. dining patio to better host training camps.

July

World Race hosts its first ever training camp specifically for Gap Year with 250 Racers.

150 more Racers fresh off the World Race come to Project Searchlight.

Construction begins on our new Guatemala Long Term Missions Base in Parramos, Guatemala.

August

Adventures hosts another church planting conference in Andhra Pradesh, India for 98 Pastors.

World Race sends out 157 Racers on 5 squads and hosts 252 parents at Launch.

September

Gap Year hosts its biggest Launch ever with 400 parents and 250 Racers on 6 squads.

130 more Racers fresh off the World Race come to Project Searchlight.

October

World Race sends out 87 Racers on 3 squads and hosts 125 parents.

Center for Global Action (CGA) hosts it’s 2nd annual Parents Weekend.

Thailand Long Term Missions team begins training and preparing to launch.

CGA welcomes 30 participants to fall semester.

November

Adventures purchases Zion Hostel in Chiang Mai, Thailand to become the new Long Term Missions Base and Adventures Hostel in Thailand.

Adventures celebrates 11 years of the World Race on the weekend of 11/11 by gathering 40+ alumni passionate about planting churches to pray into what God has for the future of World Race Alumni.

December

27 Adventures Long Term Missionaries come from 9 countries for their retreat in Gainesville.

The Applegate family becomes the first official Base Elders at our Guatemala Long Term Missions Base.

Thailand is added as an official Adventures Base.

An Adventures ministry base is added in Battambang, Cambodia.

PEOPLE

303,870

Days served on the mission field

visa

5,497

visas issued

hosted

1,816

women’s retreats hosted

Total Churches Planted262
Planted in Swaziland

3

Planted in India

243

Planted in United States

3

Planted through the World Race

13

FINANCIALS

Below is a breakdown of the our total revenue for 2017 and how those costs were allocated across the ministry. Program costs include everything involved with running our trips/programs. Admin costs include everything involved with running our ministry day to day. Fundraising costs include all money spent to help staff members and programs raise the financial support that goes back into the organization.


Total Revenue:                                                $18,570,551

Total Expenses: $18,064,060
Program: $15,521,778 – 85.9%
Administration: $2,249,269 – 12.5%
Fundraising: $293,013 – 1.6%

Financial Supporters: 47,538

Finances

FINANCES

Although the majority of our employees raise all or a portion of their own salaries, Adventures has ongoing material, administrative, and technological expenditures associated with maintaining the organization. We take great care to make sure we conduct our finances with integrity.

stat-missionaries-sent

ACCOUNTABILITY

Fiscal transparency and accountability direct the financial actions of Adventures in Missions. We are members in good standing with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and commission an independent auditor to conduct a thorough annual audit. In addition, our board of directors meets routinely to regulate ministry management and performance.

Dollar

STEWARDSHIP

As an organization, we work diligently to keep expenses low. As a ministry, we see the available resources as gifts to be judiciously administered. Our desire is to make the greatest eternal impact by making resources go as far as possible.

STORIES

Stories Through Video

Bihar Boyz: The Baba (10:16 min)

Heidelberg, South Africa (3:26 min)

Be Seen. Be Known (5:02 min)

A Testimony of Freedom (6:03 min)

Stories Through Picture

We Are The World Race

world-race

Sunset on the Delta

the delta

Hopeful Heart

MakingFriends_AlyssaMcGrail

Orphan Kiss

NiceToMeetYou_AlyBadinger

Stories Through Blogs

purple saree

The Woman In The Purple Sari.

Thank you for what you did seven years ago when no one was watching. You obeyed God’s voice and expected nothing in return. You transformed not only the lives of two small children, but also the lives of two girls from America. You are forever imprinted on our hearts. We promise to share your story and to never let our faith waiver when times are rough. You have inspired us beyond measure and we pray that this story will touch lives in the same way.

sweet-mary

The Thai Breakfast Club

Thank you for what you did seven years ago when no one was watching. You obeyed God’s voice and expected nothin

She was eating an ice cream cone, giggling as small rivers of melted vanilla slid down her fingers. With an effervescent grin, she licked the sides of the cone, hoping not to lose any part of her sweet treat to the heat of the afternoon. Her friend sat beside her, also giggling, knowing that it was futile trying to stay clean while eating this cone. And yet, the girl persisted, enjoying every little taste of her treat as if it were won in sweet victory. 

that smell

I’ll Never Forget the Smell

Last night we were watchmen. Our shift, midnight-9:30am. We will have this shift for 2 more nights, a shift they call the graveyard because time seems tick slower and your body is fighting to stay awake and be alert. I was a floater. I would be giving relief to the gatekeepers throughout the night into the early morning. My job was to walk the camp and report of the activity if it was a major disturbance or an intense conflict. 

untold-story

Her Untold Story

This blog was tough for me to post. It’s been sitting on my laptop since the 27th (the day after it happened). When God puts it on my heart to intercede for someone, it’s a painful but beautiful feeling. I feel my heart breaking, and then I feel the Father’s heart break within me for the specific person. I never feel more heartache and love for someone than when I intercede for them. That being said, I felt it important to share this story. I wanted to give the woman in this story a platform for her voice to be heard when she has no way to speak for herself.

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