As I reflected on the area of mission a number of key thoughts and questions came to mind.
The overarching theme is that we are all called to be missionaries – in our home, community, school, work place and beyond. Within tbcYouth, our church youth ministry, we need to translate this into an understanding of mission not being a trip to Asia, Africa, or South America when aged 17-18, in year 12-13, but something we are learning to do right from the start of year 7 (aged 11), and continuing to do when we leave tbcYouth.
Some key questions which I think need to be asked against any mission trip include:
- Am I spending the time in preparation to understand the area where we’re serving, their culture, and the issues they’re struggling with? Do the young people understand these things?
- Am I communicating with the ministry/church we’re partnering with to make sure the things we’re doing are going to benefit that community over the long-term?
- Are there opportunities to develop this relationship in to a long-term relationship?
- Is the trip both meeting a physical need of the people and sharing the hope of Jesus with them?
- Are we teaching young people to impose our British values on the culture we’re serving? If our trip is within the UK, are we imposing our community’s values on the one we’re serving?
- Are the young people spending time building relationships with people in the community?
Tomorrow I’ll give an overview on how we’re going to structure our mission work within our youth ministry.
Couldn’t agree with you more Chris, important questions. If they’re asked, and addressed, it can lead to really fulfilling experiences for both those that go on and those that receive teams. ‘Misison trips’ need to be grounded in an accessible missiology if their full value is to be realised for young people. If they are, they can be immensely rewarding.
Thanks Stephen for the thoughts – I like what you’re saying about how we need to talk more about missiology with these young people – in your experience of mission trips what’s worked, what’s not, how could we do this better?
Hi Chris, this is stuff that we are wrestling with from the mission agency end of things. If you’d be interested in chatting with us, it would be good to compare notes.
Have you ever seen the DVD, Mission’s Dilemma? It would be a good resource in your thinking.
Hi Eddie, it’d be great to carry on the conversations from Global Connections conference and hear your perspective – what’s the best way to do that?
I’ve never seen DVD, where could I get hold of it. For me I really want to see a widening of the definition that challenges all Christians to see they are missionaries – we are called to share faith with those in cultures – and that might be local, it might be in our nation and it might be abroad.
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