Mission trends - how do we evaluate them?

[Pergamum]

From The Mission Handbook:


(1) in the past four years, the number of North Americans in full-time missionary service declined by 3.8%,

while

(2) the number of non-US/non-Canadian workers supported from North America increased by 32.3%.

Also:

(3) in the past four years, “Increasing financial and human resources shifted away from agencies reporting primary activities in the evangelism/discipleship category and toward agencies reporting primary activities in the relief and development category” (p. 47);

and:



(4) “The explosion of short-term missions has yet to have any type of proportional impact on long-term missions” (p. 27). The number of short-term missionaries going out from North America keeps on growing, while the number of long-term missionaries keeps on declining.





What think ye, brothers? Any of this good? If not, what do we do about it? What long term effects will result?

 

[Shane]

This may be a bit simplistic but I belive its right.

The answer is to preach the Gospel. The authentic Gospel where we dont water down any truth. Its through this that true conviction comes and from our spiritual growth in Him and His truth the numbers will take care of themselves.

People no longer believe in Gods judgment to come and therefore we think helping people in practical ways ( Which I am not saying is wrong) is done instead of preparing people to face eternity. If I truly believe as a Christian that people are facing eternity in Hell, it seems much of preaching and evangelism would be much more serious and urgent.

Its something I struggle with and I am convicted with more and more lately.

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

Americans tend to contribute to "missions" by means of philanthropy and less with man power and regrettably gospel. We send lots of money, clothes and food to the impoverished but seldom the good news of Christ Jesus.

We are a soft hearted nation that can only be matched by our occasionally soft head.

 

[Mushroom]

Short term missions = vacations for the overfed wealthy. Mostly a complete waste of the Church's resources. Teenagers banging their thumbs to "build" facilities in Latin America at 20 times the expense of hiring a local to do a far better job is ridiculous and insulting to the local congregants who have to entertain the spoiled little tykes. All to give them an "experience" and hopefully instill a "heart for missions"? Buy 'em a book and forward the money to a real missionary. The Holy Spirit will instill a heart for missions in His people, not this sort of arrogant waste. Eradicating them will send more dollars to the real work.

 

[Pergamum]

Brad, I agree somewhat with your sentiments.

But most long term missionaries have taken at least one, and often 2 or 3 short term trips as a prelim before being called as a long termer.

About half of the folks I have talked to were impacted to become a full time missionary by a short term trip.


Therefore, how do we use these trips for max impact and as a means of discipleship to call long term workers?

 

[Mushroom]

Brad, I agree somewhat with your sentiments.

But most long term missionaries have taken at least one, and often 2 or 3 short term trips as a prelim before being called as a long termer.

About half of the folks I have talked to were impacted to become a full time missionary by a short term trip.

But I'd like to see the evidence that the trip inspired the missionary rather than it just being a matter of someone who already possesses a heart for missions simply taking advantage of what's available to them. Maybe we're seeing that from the wrong perspective?

Therefore, how do we use these trips for max impact and as a means of discipleship to call long term workers?

The money and enthusiasm expended on these junkets could be better used to support real missionaries and in educating congregants in the importance and effectiveness of missions. If we could get as excited about those things as I've seen whole Churches get about sending kids halfway around the world to babysit in Japan for Church conference attendees, I believe we'd be far more productive. $2500-3000 for a week of babysitting seems a little steep, eh?

 

[Davidius]

Short term missions = vacations for the overfed wealthy. Mostly a complete waste of the Church's resources. Teenagers banging their thumbs to "build" facilities in Latin America at 20 times the expense of hiring a local to do a far better job is ridiculous and insulting to the local congregants who have to entertain the spoiled little tykes. All to give them an "experience" and hopefully instill a "heart for missions"? Buy 'em a book and forward the money to a real missionary. The Holy Spirit will instill a heart for missions in His people, not this sort of arrogant waste. Eradicating them will send more dollars to the real work.

*stands and applauds*

 

[Pergamum]

Short term missions:

The majority of long term missionaries have taken at least one short term trip.

Whether this is due to inspiring them or confirming the seed of a calling does not matter to me.



Since short term missions IS a trend, we can try to ameliorate its effect and try to improve the process.


Yes, the "waste" of money does get us fired up and many of these trips are nothing more than "holy holidays"...but they do not have to be. Many long term missionaries are equally wastes of money.


Short term mission trips appears to be a trend that will stay around for a decade or so at least...how do we make the most of them:

• One way to make these trips worthwhile is to recruit those who have an openness to later service and to only take those people.
  
• ANother is to engage in pre-trip discipleship through the Perspectives course or even give assignments to those that would go, such as a spiritual journal, reading of John Pipers Let the Nations be GLad, etc.
  
• Another way is to have those that come back to be responsible for long term gathering of missions news and data and be a resource person to help facilitate the link between the missionary and their sending churches.
  
• Another is to have elder supervision and regular teaching

throughout the trip.

God uses opportunities to open hearts and if an elder accompanied those that went on a short term trip and if a deep introspection and soul-searching were cultivated during the trip, this could be a very effective means of discipleship for young people who are open to misions...the long term benefits would outweigh any costs.

 

[cih1355]

My church has a different conception of short term mission trips. My church does not send kids to a far away land to "build" facilities or to babysit for someone. The leadership of my church goes on short term mission trips for the purpose of teaching at a Bible school or college, preaching at a pastors' conference, or equiping local church leadership to do the work of ministry.

 

[Pergamum]

Why not have your pastor take young people with him overseas as he goes to engage in intense times of discipleship in a foreing country?

Many long term missionaries DO usually have at least one or two short term trips under their belt. There does seem to be a "confirmation factor" in these short term trips in that young people begin planning and preparing for becoming long term missions after a short term trip begins to confirm their call.



But, many churches do not see short term trips as a training opportunity for long term service. Short term missions become and end in itself and thus any benefits die and many groups merely engage in holy holiays.

 

[py3ak]

But, many churches do not see short term trips as a training opportunity for long term service. Short term missions become and end in itself and thus any benefits die and many groups merely engage in holy holiays.

At great expense and inconvenience to the missionary in question.

 

[cih1355]

I have noticed that the people whom my church sends out on missions trips are those on the pastoral staff, elders, those who lead Bible studies or those who teach adult Sunday School.

I don't know if my pastor would take young people with him overseas.

What kind of ministry experience a person should have before going on a short term missions trip?

 

[Pergamum]

When we think of badly planned short term missions trips, we usually think of youth without direction doing a lot of activities that are not really strategic.

I do not want to be critical of pastors who go for week teaching trips to countries. These are pastoral staff who go teach pastors in other countries.

They too, however, get caught up in some of the negatives of any and every short term approach.

Even pastors and elders from the US often come with much advice and little understanding of the local situation and give strong advice to locals what they should be doing - often without fully knowing the situation. They too can be a great headache for long term resident workers.

Also, we tend to think of Western Christians as better qualified to teach on any and every subject just because we are Western. We can be quite insulting to many sound local men.

Usually, many local (especially in poor countries) churches will receive visitors and teachings, not because they are so much impressed by your knowlege but they are hoping for a friendship...and friendships almost always lead to reciprocal obligations - include money flowing from the richer to the poorer friend in a patron-client relationship.

Thus paternalism on one end is fostered and local churches shirk local responsibilities to mature to own flocks. And on the other end, Westerns continue to think of Third World Bothers in Christ as step children and never our equals. Not healthy for either party.


I think that many short term teams could provide a better overall blessing to the wordwide church by sitting and listening to the needs and teachings of many locals about the struggles of ministry in their local Christian contexts. A mutual exchange of ideas would work better in many cases.


The key problem with short term missions of every type - whether young people, students or pastors is that they are SHORT TERM.

Short term solutions are almost always inadequate for world missions, unless it is sustained and much follow up occurs.



Now, if we are to tolerate short term missions and make the most of a present trend, I do not think we should disparage young people from going in "student" roles. We should actually encourage this.

One big mistake is to think that young people who are never given opportunity to teach in their local contexts are sometimes able to teach in a foreign context. I have even heard of 16 year olds given opportunities to preach to locals. It appears that young people can do many, many good things and should be nurtured,, but they should not run before they are sent. Young people are sent as students to watch the older pastoral staff minister; they being still unqualified to minister in the Word themselves, though they should be encouragement to help out in many other ways.

CIH1355: Perhaps your church sees the abuses of short term trips involving young people and has concluded that only pastoral staff should go in order to avoid these mistakes.

That makes sense.

I would assert, however, that if young men who are being groomed for the ministry were taken along on a 2-4 week trip with senior pastoral staff and spent virtually every waking moment together - often in uncomfortable situations - this would be the perfect way for elders to groom their future ministers and disciple them intensively. It is a missed opportunity of this is not being done.

A guided program of reading and a written journal should be assigned the young person and this should be thought of as ministry to that young person, not that young person ministering to locals of their host country.

 

[Raj]

"I would assert, however, that if young men who are being groomed for the ministry were taken along on a 2-4 week trip with senior pastoral staff and spent virtually every waking moment together - often in uncomfortable situations - this would be the perfect way for elders to groom their future ministers and disciple them intensively. It is a missed opportunity of this is not being done."

This is a good suggestion. The youth should know that in future, they are going to minister, before hand, so that when they come to the mission field, they see things from a "missionary heart" and try to explore things and the meaning of a missionary life. When Jesus saw the needy, his heart was full of compasson. Unless we see someone, it is hard to get motivated.

If believers from any Church want to see and experience what the missionary are doing on the mission field should be permitted too. This will show how they can help and contribute in future to the needs of the mission field.
One more thing- People interested in missions must see Where they are investing their energies, I see many resources going to particular organizations, to the new missionaries no one asks how they can also be effective in the misson field.

 

[Larry Hughes]

From The Mission Handbook:


(1) in the past four years, the number of North Americans in full-time missionary service declined by 3.8%,

while

(2) the number of non-US/non-Canadian workers supported from North America increased by 32.3%.

Also:

(3) in the past four years, “Increasing financial and human resources shifted away from agencies reporting primary activities in the evangelism/discipleship category and toward agencies reporting primary activities in the relief and development category” (p. 47);

and:



(4) “The explosion of short-term missions has yet to have any type of proportional impact on long-term missions” (p. 27). The number of short-term missionaries going out from North America keeps on growing, while the number of long-term missionaries keeps on declining.

I agree with Brad’s austere assessment and would add much to it, because it’s not just about a wealthy nation Vs. poor nations. Beating up on U.S. Christians because they simply live in a wealthy nation, by providence mind you, is PURE theology of glory (fallen religion). For our so called outward wealth hides our REAL need (the same Good News) and such delirious guilt mongering (especially from the pulpit – shameful sermons if you want to call them such) only sets such persons onto “working their way to heaven” (but really hell).

If I had to pin it down it is really quiet simple. These data are a result from American churches, and this is going to hurt because NOBODY wants to hear of it (especially so called protestant churches), that have by in large stopped preaching the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. It is either not preached point blank, covered up, over thrown or assumed, pick your poison. The Gospel begets itself (more on that below), when it’s largely not there, well then this is what you get or some variation of it.

The increase in helping the local physical need with the correlated or rather driving phenomena of the decrease in Gospel ministry shows this very thing. The emphasis of church preaching and teaching by-in-large on “good works”, per se, with the simultaneous decrease of the Good News (or even a shift of emphasis such as to assume the later) produces this very thing (of which churches like Saddleback are merely the archetypical examples).

The growth of “short term missions” (and support) is merely an outlet for guilt driven works due to the sans Gospel relief (and this I’ve seen happen in churches not just like Saddleback but supposed “Calvinistic” churches, supposed high end doctrinal churches) that the flock should be receiving and the law light preaching that replaces both Law and Gospel. These trips then become to the conscience a quasi-sacramental “relief valve” that the Word (Gospel) and sacraments should be. At length they become the outward manifestations or “badges” of “what I’m doing” in the “church yard piety box” to “make sure” I’m “saved, elect, regenerate, chosen” – again, pick your poison. And the fact that we teach this to our youth is flat out demonic. Missions are not a means to bring youth to Christ, the same Gospel IS and ONLY IS! And missions are NOT means of grace, that’s what the sacraments are for, but you would hardly know that today in American churches. I polled the youth once in a former church of ours and was shocked, deeply stricken in heart (the pastor wasn’t though, very nonchalant about it) by what they thought “got them into heaven” (and this was not a loosey goosey doctrinal church either)!

There’s a difference in a message (from the pulpit, SS’s, broadly out there in Christian circles, etc…) that is largely a message of “evangelISM” and a message that is the “evangel”. The difference at length is the difference of two religions, one of works or fallen with some Christianese white wash and one of Christ and Him crucified or the true religion. At many churches, especially one’s I formerly belonged to, the message is not the Good News but one of “evangelism, missions, get busy some how”. The later has the appearance of wisdom but at length is utterly vain and produces much of what you see in these statistics. The Good News begets itself or as Paul says “is the power”, and not some other message! I was once talking to a family member who was very pridefully, because they were very “involved in this way”, saying, “I wish Christians had the same zeal that Mormons do” (we were doing Mormon missions at the time). I replied, “Do you realize just how asinine that is? Of course they are zealous, they have some idea of a hell and know they are going to physically die some day – the filled grave yards with its stones in every city and burg are the most tangible evidence of this to us – death is sure and certain for ALL. So, it’s no shock whatsoever that they are zealous in working their way to heaven. Fear of punishment and hope of reward can generate a great ZEAL, so much that one will turn one’s mission unto righteousness into flying planes into buildings giving ones very life. But these merely, at all levels, are witnesses of their perdition – even and especially outwardly good looking works, not just the later. Have you ever thought that a man could really be working his way to heaven EVEN by missions and evangelism and is in reality becoming a martyr to his own perdition?” Of course that wasn’t received well which merely proves the point. The Law does strike its blows deeply.

None of that is to be speaking against missions or evangelism but to point out the deception and then drive to the cure, namely the Gospel in strength. If one REALLY wants REAL missions and REAL evangelism, STOP preaching on those and declare Christ crucified and risen for them constantly throughout the Word and with the Sacraments, and this Gospel WILL beget itself. To not believe this is to call God a liar, there’s no sugar coating for that.

E.g. a few months back a close brother/pastor/co-worker of mine was on a long trip to a meeting with another individual in a different department. He, the other guy, was Roman Catholic, life long. The guy kept asking my friend questions like, “Since you are a Christian what do you think about ________(some moralism generally). To make a long story short (it’s a great story though) my friend kept pressing the Gospel to him, 200 proof and would not let up. Finally at one junction my friend explained to him that what Christ came to do was to have our sins imputed to Him and His righteousness imputed to us so that there is literally NOTHING left to do, NOTHING period, you are free. A good roman catholic like today’s protestant gets the former while largely missing the later, thus missing the Gospel. It absolutely stunned him, literally. He said, “That’s the most compelling thing I’ve EVER heard in my entire life!” My friend said he kept repeating that phrase all the way home (a 3 hour drive). Day’s later, my friend found out, that this guy went home and told his mother and family (all RCs), and continued to tell other high end folks in our departments and etc… I told my friend, “See! The Gospel begets itself. If you had given to him as a fellow Christian some moralism affirmation to his query or some vain message of “do evangelism or missions”, it would have NEVER left the car. But you gave 200 proof Gospel to him and guess what! It stunned him and it could NOT help but leave the car and fall on other’s ears! That’s, my friend, is the power of God that is foolishness to the world’s messages.”

That’s the problem and solution in a nutshell.


Blessings,

Larry

 

[DMcFadden]

Short term missions = vacations for the overfed wealthy. Mostly a complete waste of the Church's resources. Teenagers banging their thumbs to "build" facilities in Latin America at 20 times the expense of hiring a local to do a far better job is ridiculous and insulting to the local congregants who have to entertain the spoiled little tykes. All to give them an "experience" and hopefully instill a "heart for missions"? Buy 'em a book and forward the money to a real missionary. The Holy Spirit will instill a heart for missions in His people, not this sort of arrogant waste. Eradicating them will send more dollars to the real work.

One of my sons, a civil litigator, has participated in three 5 -wk missions to Northern Ireland and a number of shorter trips in Mexico and Latin America. I shared with him your quote and asked for his response. Here it is . . .

There is some truth to that position laid out in the posting, depending on the heart of the student who is being sent and how the mission trip is done. Do I think that youth groups should advertise mission trips in the same way they do summer camp and then send whomever wants to go? NO! Under those circumstances, the mission trip may not be worth the money. A good portion of those who go, do so for social reasons and the result is a bunch of complaining students who offend the local congregations. I have been on those trips.

However, I have been on trips with a much different result. The main differentiating points involve: the selection process, training, and interaction with the local churches.

First, it is important to have an application process. Good short term mission trips require students to go through an application process [requiring both written questionnaires, a typed testimony, and oral examination in front of a committee. These trips are well worth the money and the effort. They tend to attract students who do have a heart for missions, either as foreign missionaries, or as those who are called to send others. It is my experience that these types of short term mission trips can be used by the Holy Spirit to strengthen ones calling.

Second, there needs to be training and team building for months in advance of the trip. Simply dropping a group of students off in Mexico to build a church, is often a waste of time. Those who are interested in having an impact will have no problem sacrificing one evening a week for several months plus two Saturdays. This time can be used for community worship, simple language/cultural training, and team building.
If one is going to have successful mission opportunity in such an abbreviated time frame, the group must be fully prepared, both spiritually and culturally to take on the challenges that the Holy Spirit provides. You have to hit the ground running or the ground will hit you.

Third, it is not about the Americans, it is about the Holy Spirit and the local churches. One of the most important things that can be done to change a short-term mission trip from a "vacation" to a missions opportunity, is to truly partner with the local churches and let them take a leadership role. Simply dropping in for a week and doing a VBS that is totally run by the American team is a waste of time if there is no follow-up by the local church. I have been involved in three short-term trips to Northern Ireland. On these trips the leadership coordinated with all of the local churches in the town and incorporated their church deacons, youth leaders, and lay people to contribute in the ministry during our time there. We had involvement from the Baptist Church, Presbyterian Church, Methodist Church, Bible Church, and even the Church of Ireland. On the latter trips we even made inroads with the local Catholic Churches. The result of this coordinated effort was that those who came to Christ were not abandoned after the Americans went home. Instead there was follow-up from local church leaders who have a much greater stake in local ministry in their towns than we did.

If done correctly, short term mission trips can have a profound affect on both the students involved as well as the ministry of the local churches in the community in which the mission trip takes place.

 

[Pergamum]

DENNIS:

Your friend seems to have written a very solid and balanced reply.

Yes, many churches are not following your friends advice.

On one side of the issue are those that swallow anything and think any short term missions trip is useful....and then there are those who want to condemn all short term missions.

Many long term missionaries have had at least one short term trip. Short term missions done right is a development tool for potential long termers. SHort terms done wrong is a huge waste of money.

 

[DMcFadden]

Pergy,

Actually, it was my second son who wrote the reply. Another son, my eldest, did a master's project in seminary on constructing a selection, training, logistics, etc. manual for short-term mission projects. He has led a number of them during his decade of ministry.

Frankly, I have often been more of a nay-sayer about STM's with sentiments much like Brad's. So, it was out of genuine curiosity that I sent the quote to several of my children in order to solicit their input on the issue. All five of my kids have done repeated missions trips and it seemed like an opportunity to get a view from the other side.

 

[Pergamum]

Great..always get to get the other side's views...