What Long-Term Good comes from Short Term Missions?

This picture sits on my desk top of my computer.  I see it everyday and it makes me think about and pray for the people I met while on a trip to Malawi, Africa earlier this year. 

That trip was huge for me. 

Not only did it allow me and our church to be part of a new partnership working together to make a difference in one small corner of the world, but it also was a tremendous time of bonding with church members, making new friends with other Christians from both the US and in Africa, a shared adventure and spiritual experience for me and my son, together and perhaps most significantly, a greater sense of conviction that my role as a pastor includes leading the church and particularly my church to be, in the famous words of Tom Wright, “Jesus for the whole world."

Since I have been back I have been far more aware of the world, needs in the world, and especially the great need in Africa.  I watched “Hotel Rwanda” with a sense of embarrassment and shame for how little I new of the tragedies of that time.  I have read more about both globalization and global poverty, and have blogged more about poverty, the environment and involvement in larger experiences like the ONE campaign.

Interestingly for me, in the shadow of the discussion of the G8, Live 8 and the ONE campaign, a set of articles were posted by Christianity Today questioning the effectiveness of Short Term Missions.  This is not only a topic of personal and pastoral interest, but also fitting topic for a mid-summer reflection. (An estimated 1-4 million North American Christians will take part in an STM during this season of school-free activity.  According to the study nearly 30% of all teenagers will take part in an STM at least once in their lives, and 10% will be repeat short-term missionaries.) 

And these articles are very challenging indeed.  Because according to the study behind these articles, short-term missions they way they are currently led in most cases, are no more effective at furthering the work of Christ in the world than the average summer camp or a personal New Year’s Resolution.   In short, they are a quick “spiritual high” that makes little difference in the life of a person, a congregation or the very people the mission trip sought to serve for the long haul.

That is, "the way they are currently led in most cases".

Over the next few posts I would like to take up some of the criticisms (the vast majority of which I agree with, by the way) and suggest some ways from the article that short-term mission can in fact be part of the long-term mission of Christ in the world in a genuinely life-transforming way.  (I also want to make some connections to the conversation about Christian involvment in the ONE campaign and some of my broader concerns for the Church's calling to be the "provisional demonstration" of the Kingdom of heaven on earth. (Ambitious, yes....but we'll see.)

I hope some of you will indeed read the articles and chime in.  But first, let me ask those of you out there who have been on STMs:  What demonstrable difference did the experience make in your life?

Comments

[Steve]

Mr Tod:

Go here:

http://norrisadvisors.blogspot.com/2005/01/grasping-for-freedom.html

and here:

http://norrisadvisors.blogspot.com/2005/01/crossing-border-into-past.html

for my answer to your probing, insightful and, may I say fine and upstanding query.

[Michael]

Hi Tod. I went on a STM to Indonesia in 1983. While there my heart was touched. I returned in 1985 for 6 months, and have made several trips since. It did impact me for good. It has been a few years now since I have been on such a trip, but now I am back in pastoral ministry after several years hiatus, I hope to re-engage in mission and encourage it in the church. Interestingly, the major focus of support in our church is the Yao people of Malawi. My wife also made a trip to the Philippines as a 20-year old back in about 1982. She also came with me to Indonesia in 1985, and in the last several years has been leading trips into Cambodia and Thailand serving in AIDS orphanages and similar ministries. It does more for those going, I think, than for those we go to.

[Keith]

Looking forward to it!

Having been on the other end - receiving short-term missions - I have seen the great and the awful. We have had those for whom it was just an adventure or ego trip. And we have had those who have touched lives, built long-lasting relationships and lifestyle changes, and moved into full-time service in some of the harshest and neediest parts of the world as a result.

As you say, "the way they are currently led in most cases" is one main element. The other is the attitudes and expectations of those coming.

Blessings

[Keith]

I should add that my own short-term mission trips served to confirm my call to work among the needy Muslim communities of West Africa.

[Frank Martens]

Tod,

I went to Kosova with our church, I'm still processing the amount of affectiveness of that trip. However, it did give me a good understanding of the kind of stuff our missionaries deal with over there.

I also know of a guy that goes with his Church to India on STM trips, but they go for the purpose to equip and train (in correct teachings) the missionaries that are already over there.

I look forward to reading your posts, by the way I found your link from:
http://www.smartchristian.com/blog/

Cheers!

[Dee]

Ummm...well, isn't the question itself revealing? American Christians sure do seem to go on STM's for their own benefit.

Isn't there something a bit distasteful about spending so much money on ourselves to go on these trips to benefit ourselves?

I thought the point was to benefit others.

I know the question was about a demonstrable difference in the lives of the people who go, but shouldn't we be asking that question about the people we have gone to help?

[Louie Marsh]

I read some of the articles at Christianity Today and found them interesting.

My own experience with short term missions trip radically changed my life and ministry - and continues to do so four years after my first trip.

I dont know how most trips are organized or run, but ours were tightly organized and we work very hard - harder than I do here! Maybe that's a key?

I'll be interested in seeing what you have to say about this!

[Jenni]

When I went on my first STM to Brazil, I returned with more of a world view and began to look outside of my own environment. It introduced me to compassion way beyond anything I had ever known before and propelled me into full time mission service. I am grateful to a church that believes in STM.

[nigel]

hi Tod
you hit the nail on the head when you talk about short term missions being a part of a long term mission, all short term missions should be a part of a long term relationship that is being built thru local churches, that way people can commit themselves to some thing that is possible for them because it is short term, they can then come back with a clearer vision which will inspire them but this will be a small part of an ongoing work that will continue to grow.

[Julie]

A few years ago I joined the staff of a short-term mission organization. My own church had, up to that point, considered their 5% tithe to our denomination's international budget together with 6 door offerings a year to be sufficient mission involvement. A couple of us decided it was time to get our church involved in hands-on mission work. Short-term missions opened the eyes and heart of our congregation, and we have now become a sending church -- not just short-term missionaries, but long-term as well. One of my friends, who had never before considered missions in her calling is now a fulltime missionary in Vietnam. The youth and other groups in the church are now involved in local outreach in a way that they weren't before. God can use short-term mission done well to lead his people into deeper things. We still support our denomination's international mission budget, but our members now have a deeper understanding of what it means to be Christ's disciples, and to follow His Great Commission.