March 2016 – In light of the recent decision by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention to cut back on fulltime missionary staff and reduce funding, it is a time of transition for many in missions. Some are returning home or looking for a new place to serve; others are at the beginning of the road searching for the best route. And those among the approximately 2.4 million Americans who sign up for a short term trip each year have more to do than simply pack their bags.

At the core
Representatives from a few missions agencies spoke with AFA Journal about key criteria for planning a missions trip.

Most people start with considering where there might be a place for them to do the type of work they are called to do, and how they will fit into an organization. As Rodney Pennington with Overseas Mission Fellowship pointed out, even within one organization there can by countless opportunities.

“Just at OMF, we have so many areas for missions work in all types of fields, from two weeks in length to several years,” he said. “As a truly international organization, our teams are made up of people from all over the world.”

The philosophy for how OMF operates is born out of a long history and consistently maintained principles.

“OMF was founded by J. Hudson Taylor as the China Inland Mission, 150 years ago,” Pennington explained. “He set a precedent for missions by adapting to the culture of the people he was trying to reach and not pressing a Western mindset, but celebrating the diversities of different cultures. Today, it’s a beautiful thing to see brothers and sisters going into new cultures to sacrifice everything in order to see people know Christ.”

Matt Allison, associate director of missions at Serge, emphasized the impact of theology.

“Find the organization that lines up with your theology, and values that resonate with you,” he said. “Those things will matter when you go on the mission field. Serge is a reformed, nondenominational organization, so we take seriously the idea that you need to preach the gospel to yourself as you’re preaching to the world.”

That is reflected in Serge’s focus on discipleship and member care.

“All new members participate in Sonship (serge.org/mentoring), our one-on-one discipleship curriculum open to all and designed to help mature believers see their need for Christ as they grow in faith,” Allison explained. “Likewise, our member care isn’t about spiritually and emotionally patching you up so you can go back to the battlefield of missions. We give people the freedom to own that, at any given moment, they may be a mess. But though they’re more of a mess than they thought, they’re more loved by the Father than imagined, and He is faithful to pursue and make them into new creations.”

On the field
Matt Green spoke for Pioneers USA to say that teamwork is invaluable, and it begins with a sending church.

“We believe really strongly that team ministry sets the stage for long term fruitfulness,” Green said. “Every single one of our members has a sending church that is responsible for them through financial support and prayer, and in spiritual accountability while preparing and on the field. We help with placement and specific mission training.”

This carries over into how Pioneers sets up mentoring relationships through its short term missions trips.

“The goal of our short term program is to give people an opportunity to serve alongside an experienced long term worker, learning what it’s like on a daily basis and being mentored as they discern whether God wants them to serve long term,” he said.

Steadman Harrison, mission director at Global Outreach International, headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, stressed culturally sensitive leadership.

“Our missionaries are very self-directed in determining needs in context and meeting those needs without bringing a Western approach or outside solution to a problem that may be very unique to the dynamics of that place,” he told AFAJ.

Doing that requires adapting missionary work to changing times.

“Models are shifting,” he said. “In a flatter economy, it will become common for people to take missions with them in international jobs, not waiting for their careers to end, but thinking of missions as part of who they are, a piece of what they’re doing. What we’ll see in the future is, no matter where missions-minded people start in terms of doing good, they’ll end up taking the gospel with them – the good goes with the gospel.”

At home
Once an itinerary for a missions trip has been structured, it is time for personal preparation mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.

Allison advised people to write out their expectations for a trip in order to process how much they may take for granted based on their own experiences and how they might need to adjust to another culture or working as part of a team.

“As Americans we are used to having resources for whatever circumstances come our way, and entering a different cultural setting may be the first time we’ve felt truly unable to address the needs in front of us, whether frustration working across a language barrier, or culture clash, or a clash of personalities in a team,” he said. “We need to be willing to have God work across our expectations.”

On Mission: Devotions for Your Short Term Trip, a Bible study published by Serge, helps groups prepare to serve together.

Pennington added that the learning curve for going into a new environment can also be aided by other people who have wisdom and experience to impart.

“Surround yourself with wise men and women who have been through the process of being a missionary or have lived long enough to really cast wisdom on you,” he said. “And read biographies of men and women who have gone through trials and been on the field and known what it means to adapt to new cultures.”

Further, interacting with others leads to the opportunity to build a prayer team and stay close to the uplifting support and accountability of the church, where church leaders can assist with discerning spiritual gifts and callings, finding an organization to partner with, or doing outreach at home through the church.

Overall, the church is the place where missions efforts begin. While missions agencies may help churches send people internationally, “it is the job of the local church to do cross-cultural work here in the U.S,” Allison reminded.

With that in mind, the best place to begin preparing for an overseas trip or get involved in missions work can be right out one’s own front door.

“People from different countries and contexts are coming to America,” Harrison said. “Just about any major city has within it all sorts of opportunities to work with people of another country. We need missionaries willing to go, not only overseas, but to their own cities.”  

Short term mission contacts
SERGE serge.org/stt 215- 885-1811
PIONEERS pioneers.org/go/the-process 407-382-6000
OMF opportunities.omf.org/duration 303-730-4160
GO globaloutreach.org/go-global 800-961-9244

*Look for an upcoming AFAJ article on practicing cross-cultural missions at home.