Missions on the Frontline
a ministry of WorldVenture
"Short Term Missions: why they don't measure up to their fullest potential"
We've heard so much about short term missions! Effectivity, purpose, problems, results, missions exposure vs vacation, etc. In my training of Filipino young people for cross cultural missions, I have found that one very effective key is HOW we prepare them for their STM. Young people join our ministry team called "180 Degrees Music Team" because they love music and they want to grow musically. We also tell them up front that they will be trained in cross cultural missions. When we are preparing for our "outside the country" STM, we ask them to go with this question in their mind: "Is this a country God might be calling me to, or "what am I going to do with what I am learning?" Any other question is secondary to that. Yes, we want to help the nationals in that country. yes, we want to encourage the workers who live there, yes, we want to help them build bridges for future ministry after we leave, yes, we want to catch a vision, yes, we want to share the gospel, etc
Those may be good reasons to go, but what happens when they return from that STM without the number one question being answered? The trip ends, people feel good, they are exposed to another part of the world, they are grateful for what they have in their home country, but then what? WHAT LIFETIME ACTION WILL COME OUT OF THIS EXPENSE OF MONEY AND TIME TO SEND THAT PERSON TO ANOTHER COUNTRY?
A key factor here are the leaders of the STM. The leaders must fully understand the tremendous importance of INTENTIALITY in every part of the preparation process. The leaders' main goal in leading an STM is to make sure the short term team members themselves are well prepared, culturally sensitive, but most importantly, spiritually tuned in to hear the voice of God in their life. We love to help people, but if that is all we are told to do, we are falling short of the purpose of the short term trip in the first place. God wants to reveal Himself to the team through every experience they have.
In our preparation for 180 Degrees youth to go cross culturally, we require them to complete the Condensed World Missions Course and other trainings such as Cat and Dog Theology. We need to have them see the world from a global perspective BEFORE they arrive at their first destination.
I believe God will raise up many more harvest workers IF we prepare our Short term teams to have a long term mentality. God wants us to be involved in one of six ways in world missions. Any STM should cause each and every participant to move forward towards the niche God has planned for him for the rest of his
life: it might be GOING, SENDING OTHERS WHOM GOD HAS CALLED, MOBILIZING FOR MISSIONS, INTERCESSORY PRAYER FOR THE WORLD, GIVING, SENDING OTHERS, And WELCOMING (INTERNATIONALS WHO COME TO YOUR HOME COUNTRY).
To me, this is often missing in Short Term Missions. What do you think?
Those may be good reasons to go, but what happens when they return from that STM without the number one question being answered? The trip ends, people feel good, they are exposed to another part of the world, they are grateful for what they have in their home country, but then what? WHAT LIFETIME ACTION WILL COME OUT OF THIS EXPENSE OF MONEY AND TIME TO SEND THAT PERSON TO ANOTHER COUNTRY?
A key factor here are the leaders of the STM. The leaders must fully understand the tremendous importance of INTENTIALITY in every part of the preparation process. The leaders' main goal in leading an STM is to make sure the short term team members themselves are well prepared, culturally sensitive, but most importantly, spiritually tuned in to hear the voice of God in their life. We love to help people, but if that is all we are told to do, we are falling short of the purpose of the short term trip in the first place. God wants to reveal Himself to the team through every experience they have.
In our preparation for 180 Degrees youth to go cross culturally, we require them to complete the Condensed World Missions Course and other trainings such as Cat and Dog Theology. We need to have them see the world from a global perspective BEFORE they arrive at their first destination.
I believe God will raise up many more harvest workers IF we prepare our Short term teams to have a long term mentality. God wants us to be involved in one of six ways in world missions. Any STM should cause each and every participant to move forward towards the niche God has planned for him for the rest of his
life: it might be GOING, SENDING OTHERS WHOM GOD HAS CALLED, MOBILIZING FOR MISSIONS, INTERCESSORY PRAYER FOR THE WORLD, GIVING, SENDING OTHERS, And WELCOMING (INTERNATIONALS WHO COME TO YOUR HOME COUNTRY).
To me, this is often missing in Short Term Missions. What do you think?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ramona Simons on -
Great testimony to what we're talking about! I certainly see that adventure is one thing that appeals to youth when we talk about STMs. It's a matter of balancing that with the other, making it one huge adventure package,,,,for a cause!
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Finzel on -
Aram, great post. I think one of your most significant ideas, which really cuts to the core of the issue, is changing the name of these trips to reflect more accurately the intention behind them. You really hit the nail on the head with "cross cultural exposure trips". One must ask himself, is it really possible to achieve "missions" in the short term? In that context, the word "missions" would have to be defined. Can you truly win people over for Christ in two or thee days? A week? A year? Will your impact be lasting if you leave after such a short exposure? Are the only true "missions trips" trips that involve deliberate, intentional evangelism?
I went on a month-long "tour" of Africa when I was 12 years old. It was an unbelievable experience, and a wonderful opportunity that I will never forget. However, looking back, the trip could best be summarized as a "cross cultural exposure trip." And that is really what I took away from it; I gained a dramatically new perspective on the world and on poverty and on different cultures. But I would not say that my time there changed anyone's life significantly other than my own.
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Permalink Reply by Ramona Simons on
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Probably changing the lives of the STM members is one of the greatest results of going. In fact, I sometimes feel that the country we go to is doing us a favor in allowing us to come. It's lots of work for them and then, what are the results on their side?
To keep this balanced, the length of time from tilling the soil to fruit can be years. So, I figure if 180 Degrees can fit in to the time line towards the end goal of bearing fruit, we want to be a part. (and it IS a part, a significant part of the gospel journey.
In Japan we were told it takes 8 years from hearing the gospel to making a decision. We expected to just be part of the water-ers in the gospel soil. But, it so happened, that God allowed us to see two souls come to Christ during our 18 days! (one 80year old and one 14 year old) It was just their time on the timeline and we happened to be present and usable!
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Permalink Reply by Ramona Simons on
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Pastor Aram, I think you are already showing a ministry focus change when you say how you preach is being impacted. That falls into the area of MOBILIZING. You are reflecting in your preaching that it is more than just your own church family out there. As our brother said earlier, if the core of the church BEGINS with ALL NATIONS WILL WORSHIP HIM AT THE THRONE, (KINGDOM MINDSET) then it trickles down from there to permeate all the church programs/ministries/focuses. Well, that's another topic to move to!
And your daughter, how she makes films may evolve into a different worldview that started during her STM. Films could have a HUGE impact on shaping our minds. Spiritually speaking, she might consider one step more in asking the Lord HOW He wants her to respond in a practical way to how He changed her mindset on those STMs. Maybe she will invest financially more, serve on your Misssions Committee,, mentor someone younger who has the missions DNA, help train or lead an STM. I think she is on the brink of some great moves!!! It's all there now in her heart. It was definitely the right move for her to experience life and ministry in another country. Let's face it, MOST of those going on STMs won't ever return there as a GOER, but there are still 5 other ways they can give bakc to the cause of reaching the nations, right from home! You might be right. "STM exposure trip" might be more accurate to what most STMs are.
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