Mission Trips To Distant Lands
Short-term summer mission trip plans are in high gear in many places. I am already preparing to receive two mission teams this Summer. This is the third time we are receiving short-term missioners from this particular Christian body. So far, each trip has been of great benefit to all of us. I believe this is because we share the same theological understanding of mission and approach to mission partnerships.
Therefore, the success of our arrangement results from our approach to mission opportunities, seen as partnerships. We are co-labourers in God’s world. I cannot say the same for some of the mission arrangements I have seen and participated in. Based on what I see still taking place in some neighbouring congregations, I wondered if all outreach mission trips are that or simply excuses to have a Summer destination travel paid for by donations.
So who really benefits from these mission trips?
I couldn’t agree more with Tony Woodlief over at World On The Web. I have often wondered myself and even raised that concern in my earlier article Christian Mission: The Age Of Mission Partnerships.
In Mission Trip or Summer Vacation Woodlief asked the following crucial questions,
So I’m wondering, what should our response be to the onslaught of youth missions this summer? What questions ought we to ask? Should we simply be thankful that young people are showing any interest in missions at all? Should we politely suggest that they can have experiences that are just as meaningful in our own inner cities, children’s hospitals, and poverty-racked rural areas? Should we pony up and keep our mouths shut? Am I a bad Christian for asking?
I encourage planners of short-term mission trips for summer to become more conscious of the need to answer these and other tough questions. It is not enough to ‘get youth to do something’ or to provide value-added travel options for retirees. The whole experience should be more than just something cool or awesome.
Mission Trip or Destination Travel?
Unfortunately, some Christian youth return home from mission trips just as ignorant about the meaning of mission as before they went. Some cannot truly engage the culture beyond its exotic value and hype for YouTube videos! They come passionate about ‘saving the natives’ with little knowledge, usually gleaned from the CIA World Fact Book, and very often end up offending their hosts with their ignorance.
Receiving countries of missioners are growing more and more disenchanted with the whole notion of shrt-term mission trips. And sending congregations have grown very skeptical and tight-fisted about sponsoring mission-trips that to their mind are either:
(a) funded vacations
(b) neo-imperialism in Christian disguise
(c) a waste of their money when they have so many bills to pay
(d) who cares about other people in other countries anyway
What do you think?
Take care as you plan this year.
Marvia
