In 2009, my wife and I decided to hop over to Napa Valley after a long ministry meeting—our first getaway without the kids in a very long time. Money, as you might guess, is always a bit tight in ministry. As it turned out, a couple of our colleagues from the same meeting were also headed to Napa…yet they had booked a nice Marriott and had even been upgraded to a suite. Needless to say, we had not. “How in the world can you travel like this on a pastor’s budget?!” I had to know. This would be my first introduction to the world of low-cost luxury using credit card points and miles.  

Since then, points have become my passion, my favorite side hobby. Some guys fish or play fantasy football—I work every angle to maximize my points. And as you can see from my wife’s pics, we’ve been to some pretty sweet places because of it. But my greatest joy comes from helping others, especially those in the ministry, find their own adventures, getaways that are sorely needed but mistakenly believed to be “out of the budget,” or “maybe when we retire." If you think flying business class or spending the week in an upgraded suite is only for the 1%, you, my friend, have come to the right place. 

Like most pastors, my schedule stays hectic, and our family travel usually consists of dragging our kids to a fully-covered church conference. Don’t get me wrong, that is a great benefit to the job, and certainly appreciated. But can I suggest that you also need time with your family and your spouse that falls outside the lines of “ministry?” If that resonates with you, let’s connect. Your upgrade may be just around the corner.