Short term missions for reformed churches
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Mushroom
Puritan Board Doctor
I've already said that I thought those were great previously, Pergs, along the lines that Mary and others had described. And again, this is just my opinion, and not to be given any real weight; I'm just a simple layman.
Just to be clear, my problem is with these trips of kids or even adults sent for very short periods to perform work for which they are woefully unqualified with an underlying intent of giving the participants a "taste of the real world" by making a gazingstock of their brethren who have less, and calling them "missions". I don't think the Church should be involved in any way. For individuals to do so at their own expense, or even organized groups outside of the local Church, to me that's no different, albeit perhaps more commendable, than a group vacation to Disneyworld, or maybe closer to an "eco-vacation" to the jungles of Costa Rica by a tree-hugger club to watch birds or frogs or something. If someone wants to spend their money on something like that, that's their business. But it is not the Church's
All the others; qualified teachers proclaiming the gospel, doctors going to provide health care and procedures, other similar professional services, medium-term internships by individuals interested in the mission field & etc. are not what I am describing, and on the whole look fine to me.
Kim G
Puritan Board Junior
Maybe I'm clueless, but I've been on two mission teams and neither one looked like anything I'm reading about in this thread. In both cases, I spent my own money--plane ticket, food, place to stay, etc. No church gave me any money.
The first trip was for two months in South Korea. I stayed at some missionaries' apartment while they were in the US (and the apartment was ten times cleaner when I left than when I got there), and I taught at their Christian school because the teachers were in the US, and I played the piano at church because the musician was in the US. I bought and cooked my own food, visited students, passed out tracks, etc.
The second trip was for two weeks in Cameroon. We went to visit some missionaries who LIVE there. Not "now I'm on furlough, now I'm not", but missionaries who have a house they built on a mountain and they never leave. A small group of people (20-40 year olds, not teens) went to encourage the missionaries. One person in our group had taught at a seminary in Cameroon and was returning to speak at the graduation ceremony that was going on. While we were there, we held Bible studies, took medical clinics to the jungle, held a Bible Conference, helped build cabins for a Christian camp, etc. When I left, the missionary's oldest daughter (my age) told me that these were some of the most encouraging weeks of her life.
I guess as long as I call both of these my "vacations" that I paid for, then I'm okay. But if I call them "mission teams" then it was a waste of time and money?
Also, the church I attend now sends our pastor to visit our missionaries on a regular basis. He is able to come back to report what has been going on, how we can better pray for the missionaries, etc., and our missionaries tell us that one of the biggest encouragements they have is knowing that our church cares so much about them and their ministry.
The first trip was for two months in South Korea. I stayed at some missionaries' apartment while they were in the US (and the apartment was ten times cleaner when I left than when I got there), and I taught at their Christian school because the teachers were in the US, and I played the piano at church because the musician was in the US. I bought and cooked my own food, visited students, passed out tracks, etc.
The second trip was for two weeks in Cameroon. We went to visit some missionaries who LIVE there. Not "now I'm on furlough, now I'm not", but missionaries who have a house they built on a mountain and they never leave. A small group of people (20-40 year olds, not teens) went to encourage the missionaries. One person in our group had taught at a seminary in Cameroon and was returning to speak at the graduation ceremony that was going on. While we were there, we held Bible studies, took medical clinics to the jungle, held a Bible Conference, helped build cabins for a Christian camp, etc. When I left, the missionary's oldest daughter (my age) told me that these were some of the most encouraging weeks of her life.
I guess as long as I call both of these my "vacations" that I paid for, then I'm okay. But if I call them "mission teams" then it was a waste of time and money?
Also, the church I attend now sends our pastor to visit our missionaries on a regular basis. He is able to come back to report what has been going on, how we can better pray for the missionaries, etc., and our missionaries tell us that one of the biggest encouragements they have is knowing that our church cares so much about them and their ministry.
Mindaboo
Puritan Board Graduate
"I guess as long as I call both of these my "vacations" that I paid for, then I'm okay. But if I call them "mission teams" then it was a waste of time and money?"
I don't think anyone would say that your trips were a waste of time and money. But one thing you point out is that you spend your own money, that makes a huge difference. And it sounds like you were very productive over there, sending medical clinics into the jungle is a wonderful thing, and so is being an encouragement to a missionary.
My impression of missionary trips was that the intent was to spread the gospel and you can do that in a variety of ways, but I think we have a responsibility to make sure those people know the gospel themselves.
Sadly for us, (my husband and myself), most of the experiences were missions trips that involved teenagers, they were inexperienced in the work they were being sent to do, they didn't know Christ themselves, or they were sent on trips to Japan to babysit. These were all church funded, by the church itself or the congregant members.
There is a big difference, at least most of the time, between a 20 year old and a teenybooper. A pastor, a doctor, a person seeking to be a missionary, or an adult who has something to contribute should go.
The purpose should be for the benefit of the gospel, the people we are helping and not giving our teenagers an experience they will never forget. It is not all about us, it should be about the good news of Jesus.
I don't think anyone would say that your trips were a waste of time and money. But one thing you point out is that you spend your own money, that makes a huge difference. And it sounds like you were very productive over there, sending medical clinics into the jungle is a wonderful thing, and so is being an encouragement to a missionary.
My impression of missionary trips was that the intent was to spread the gospel and you can do that in a variety of ways, but I think we have a responsibility to make sure those people know the gospel themselves.
Sadly for us, (my husband and myself), most of the experiences were missions trips that involved teenagers, they were inexperienced in the work they were being sent to do, they didn't know Christ themselves, or they were sent on trips to Japan to babysit. These were all church funded, by the church itself or the congregant members.
There is a big difference, at least most of the time, between a 20 year old and a teenybooper. A pastor, a doctor, a person seeking to be a missionary, or an adult who has something to contribute should go.
The purpose should be for the benefit of the gospel, the people we are helping and not giving our teenagers an experience they will never forget. It is not all about us, it should be about the good news of Jesus.
Mushroom
Puritan Board Doctor
Kim, both of those trips sound like real and helpful missionary work. They are hugely different than the types of shenanigans I am addressing. That's the kind of stuff I'd love to do myself, if I were qualified, and it sounds to me like you are.
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