Aug 3, 2011

Taking a group of people on a short term missions trip, is one of the most transformational steps a leader can take.  A short term missions trip, short term mission tripsshort term mission trip yields long-term results both in passion gained and blessings acquired. And here are four reasons why:

1. A short term missions trip brings growth and life change. There are many reasons for this. First, by being removed from our comfort zone of familiar surroundings, new layers of character development can happen in our lives. Meeting people from other cultures, eating different food, communicating across language barriers: all of these things present a huge opportunity for growth. Youth mission trips provide a fertile growth environment!

2. A short term missions trip builds faith. Think about it: short term mission trips require faith at every phase. From the moment the decision is made “we will go,” until we step down out of the plane from the return flight, our faith is tested and grown. Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In a short term mission trip, there is a great deal of hope in the hearts and minds of everybody. Hope, by nature, invests a lot of emotion and energy in what is not seen. We hope things will turn out the way we envision them. We hope we can raise all the money we need to go. We hope we can connect with the people in another country. Kids who go on youth mission trips grow in faith!

Faith is the substantiation of our hope. It puts meet on the bones of our vision casting sessions. As faith grows, these bones come alive and awesome things happen. Short term mission trips afford the opportunity for faith to thrive and for awesome things to happen.

3. A short term missions trip opens our eyes. Few of us are aware of the depth of our blindness. It is impossible to stay in one culture for an extended period of time without succumbing to its illusions and blind spots.  Conversely, when we are exposed to new cultures, new people, and new ways of seeing and doing things, our eyes are opened, we experience a paradigm shift,  and our world is expanded. Teens who participate in youth mission trips gain intelligence!

4. A short term missions trip builds teamwork. Do you want to see your team work together, love together, pray together, and grow together? The best way to do that is to take them on a short term mission trip together! This is a model that has been around a long time. In the Old Testament, the “schools of the prophets” would go from village to village and proclaim the word and works of God.  When Jesus ministered, he used this model, traveling from village to village with his disciples.  When the Apostle Paul m launched into ministry, he used the same model. His teams were international, had both men and women, were interdenominational (people from both sides of the circumcision issue), were inter=racial (different skin colors), and were all interested in making an impact. Being on a team places our interests in the success and fulfillment of others and not just ourselves. This is where synergy comes in: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Teamwork! Having led many short term mission trips over the years, I can attest that all the above is true. Short term mission trips rock! And youth mission trips are the best investment a parent can make!