Short term mission trips are valuable and are critical in fulfilling the Great Commission. My first mission trip/ministry training experience was as a senior in high-school on an Operation Barnabas Team. I learned the joy of serving the Lord and am still using much of my training that I learned that summer in training up future student leaders.
When I was a student intern at Grace Church of Willow Valley learning under Shannon Hollinger, who was the current youth pastor, I became aware of the need and importance of developing weekend, weeklong, and summer long short-term mission trips. So many youth programs don't have a vision for regular short-term missions. Not having regular local, national, and international trips can be fatal in the development and perspective of your students.
Here are some reasons why short term mission trips MUST be offered in youth ministry:
1. You get to REALLY know people when you live with and minister together! Believe me, you get to know a lot about people's sleeping habits, likes and dislikes, and goals by being together 24/7 for a week.
2. Missions is what should drive the engine of your youth ministry! Reaching and being outward focused gives your youth ministry a sense of purpose!
3. It helps students develop a greater concept of the world! God has created a huge world that needs to be reached, not just your local community. Sending students out on mission trips helps them to develop an understanding of God's redemptive work throughout all of the world!
4. Serving helps qualm most ails! Students learn that by working and serving together they can get a lot accomplished. If you are feeling inadequate or lonely serving brings a God-given fulfillment to your life.
5. Training, Training, Training! Offering a mission trip gives you time to train your students through sessions beforehand, during the trip, and having a debriefing time afterwards. Help your students to understand their experiences and prep and train them throughout the entire process.
6. You can help set their course for life! I was molded and shaped by people like Shannon Hollinger and programs like Operation Barnabas that taught me an 'outward' perspective. In helping teenagers to be others and servant focused you can help them develop habits and attitudes that will last a life-time!
7. Missions leads to other ministry opportunities! Once your students get a heart and passion for missions it will lead to other ministry opportunities at home. For example, our youth program had two campuses in which we did ministry training and outreach this year. Also, you get an opportunity to build relationships and offer positive feedback because of the trust earned while on a mission trip.
8. Students will take what they learn and it will impact their families at home! As soon as I returned home I ran into a student who was influenced through our missional mindset. She asks for prayer requests from all of her waiters/waitresses even though her mother, who is an atheist, dislikes it! Parents care about their students and hearing stories of changed lives will motivate the parents.
9. Mission trips require administrative planning, vision, and praying! To pull of a successful short term ministry trip one must work hard BEFORE the trip and get others involved.
10. You and your students feel God's blessing! God has created us to serve Him. I feel most in His presence when I am serving other people. No wonder why Christians complain, get lethargic, and don't feel God's blessing. It's because they are not SERVING and REACHING out!
Be a person that is not afraid to GO and to SERVE! You always must give something up in being missional focused, but the rewards are so worth it!
A picture of many of our students who worked hard this past week.
What a group of potential life-changers for Jesus!
No comments:
Post a Comment