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Mission2go > Short Term Mission Trips
Benefits of short term mission trips The person going - There are some great benefits of international travel. Loosely quoting Mark Twain, "Travel is the best antidote to bigotry, narrow mindedness, and self centeredness". Most Christian travelers find that their first mission trip results in these standard benefits: Realizing God's material blessing, spiritual growth, renewed faith, increased commitment to the great commission, etc. These things and a new perspective on life are significant benefits of your first mission trip. The person receiving - Serving the church and spreading God's good news to a needy world is the primary purpose of mission trips. Amazingly, just the presence of an outsider can be a great encouragement to suffering people. Ultimately the goal of all missions work is to spread the good news of the new life available through Jesus Christ. No matter where we serve in the spectrum of Christian service, people will benefit from our willingness to go. The church as a whole - Short term missions work is good for the health of a church. Self-centeredness and an inward focus can stifle the growth of any church over a period of time. When anyone decides to go, the whole church is able to participate in the work through the training of, giving to, and praying for the one going and the one receiving. When the whole church is focused on being a witness to others, faith is put in action and the whole body grows together. Finding the Right Short Term Mission Trip The best place to start your search for the right mission trip is in your local church. More than likely your church body and individuals within your church are already involved with some good Christian missions organizations. There are several benefits to working with an organization already supported by your church.
Talk with your pastor, missions director, chairman of the missions committee, etc.. and let them know of your desire to serve. They should be able to guide you in the right direction and also help with your spiritual preparation. Choosing a Mission Trip Style God has given each of us a unique personality for His specific purposes. As such, all the arguments about which style of mission trip or which function of ministry is the most important are needless. They all need to get done, and like the parts of the body, the greatest good comes when all parts work together instead of in opposition to one another. Unless God has burdened you for a specific service, it is a good idea to look for a trip that is line with your interests and personality. If you simply want to lend a hand and don't care where you travel, consider visiting one of the career missionaries supported by your church. You will usually find missionaries receptive to guests visiting from a supporting church. If this is your first international short term mission trip you will also have the advantage of a host who speaks your own language. Just remember that you are there to serve the missionary and not vise-versa. Your servant attitude will keep them excited about future teams visiting from your church. If you are interested in a specific style of trip, or a specific type of service not available through your local church you'll have to find a new organization. There are many Christian organizations doing every type of service imaginable. Here are some ideas to help you find the right short term mission trip organization:
As a Christian you are blessed with many tools for discerning God's will for your life. Whether your mission trip is simply the best way for you to use your recreational time, or you are clearly being called to a specific service, God has guidance for your life. He has given you the Holy Spirit to teach and guide you, the Bible to instruct and train you, He communicates with you through prayer, and He has put other people in your life to give you counsel and encouragement. Use all of these to help lead you to the right short term mission trip. Evaluating Mission Trip Organizations The emotional warm fuzzy you get from the brochure or website pictures is nice, but the problem with feelings is.... they don't have a brain. Here are some things to consider and some questions to ask when evaluating mission trip organizations: Statement of faith - Does the leadership of the organization have the same beliefs as you? Are they open to working with people from differing backgrounds? Denominational type differences are not necessarily a reason to rule out an organization, but it is important to know these differences before you depart. For example, if you are uncomfortable with Pentecostal doctrines/practices, it is good to know that the trip leader happens to be a pastor of a Pentecostal church well before you arrive at your destination, or vise versa. Mission purpose - What exactly is the organization trying to accomplish? You need to get past some of the common missions clichés' such as, "we do missions the way Paul did it", "we follow the biblical model of missions", "we don't just come in and do our own thing, we work with the local church", "blah, blah, blah". You need to find out more. If there are no organizations that would make a contrary statement, the statement is meaningless. Are they primarily involved with building structures, conducting training for local Christians, advocating causes, training pastors, conducting initial evangelism, providing medical care, etc.? Do they partner with the local church to reach the un-churched, or is the local church exactly who they are intending to serve? Do they engage in immediate relief projects, or do they look for long term development projects? All these missions activities are needed and it is a good thing that different short term mission organizations focus on different areas of ministry, just make sure their primary focus is in line with what you expect. Finances - How does the organization handle their finances? What costs will you be expected to pay before and during the trip? Is the organization registered with the tax authorities (IRS in the US) as a non-profit organization and do they accept tax deductible contributions? How will money be handled during the actual trip, who pays for incidental costs (taxis, meals, etc) during the trip? Does the organization have independent audits performed regularly and are they a member of an oversight organization such as the Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability (ECFA)? Your role - Find out why the organization is interested in having you on the mission trip. Is there a specific service they want you to perform during the trip? Many organizations are simply interested in your coming along to see and get excited about missions in general, and their ministry specifically (this is usually coded as, "you'll just be helping out wherever needed"). They also hope that after seeing the work, you will become a supporter of the organization. There is nothing wrong with this as it is a good way to get exposure to mission work and a new organization. However, It is important to know your role before you arrive. Then you won't be disappointed if you were expecting to be integral to the work. Interpreters - If you do not speak the local language at your destination, it is worth asking about how interpreters are arranged. It is common to only have one or two interpreters for the team. This interpreter will spend most of their time interpreting on behalf of the team leader. If you want a lot of interaction with the local populace, you might be disappointed to find out you are mostly listening to your team leader interact. If you have never used an interpreter before, check out the how to use an interpreter article. Track record - How many short term mission trips has the organization sponsored? To the specific area you will be traveling? By the actual leader of the trip you will be on? It is generally a good idea to make sure that the leader's experience compliments yours. In other words, if you are not an experienced traveler, it might be best to have a leader who is, and who is familiar with the specific area. Friendliness - Don't discount your gut feeling when interacting with people from the mission organization. Organizations themselves tend to develop personalities, often based on the personality of the director. During most trips you will spend extended time with these people in close proximity. Never feel bad about asking tough questions and expecting answers that increase your confidence. Proceed with caution if you come across a "that's none of your business" or a "just trust me, I know almost everything" type of attitude in response to your questions. Good leaders will be happy to share information with you and to teach you with a humble attitude. Crisis management - Ask the organization how they prepare to handle a potential crisis such as the hospitalization or death of a team member, or of your family member back home. What is the organization's policy on paying ransoms, or on paying "legal fees" should you end up in prison for something as simple as a car accident, etc. You should feel confident that the organization has either the competency and experience to handle such cases on their own, or they are contracted with a travel assistance company to handle it for them. Even small organizations need competent crisis managers both at the home office and on the team. Take your time and don't be
hurried into a decision. Great short term mission trips are like
investments, the deal or trip of a lifetime comes around every month or so....
so don't rush in to something you don't understand. |
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