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Short Term Missions

Discussion in 'Evangelism, Missions & Witnessing' started by Dr. Bob, Mar 19, 2017.

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  1. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    We have presently 3 groups on short-term missions from our church

    (1) A retired couple went to Oaxaca and worked 2 months in Christian school, setting up library. They spent 3 months this fall in a Palestinian School near Nazareth.

    (2) An elder and his son are returning to the Baja to work on construction projects with a missionary we support. He will preach next Sunday at the Reformed Baptist Church there and in the Bible College. Building indoor toilets :)

    (3) A single college-aged fellow returned last night from China/Hong Kong/Vietnam where he traveled with a group smuggling in Bibles as "tourists".

    Our church helps ANY who want to serve in a particular way short-term. Many trips are more for the benefit of the traveler not the nationals, awakening them to mission needs and perhaps calling of God. It has to be more than a "vacation" or "tour" (we do that on travel to Israel/Egypt/Turkey etc) but with a purpose. Many say the money would be better spent send $$$ to a missionary to use on a project; greater investment and bang-for-the-buck.

    But we see a spiritual impact in our people went they go and minister.

    OPEN FOR YOUR THOUGHTS.
     
    #1 Dr. Bob, Mar 19, 2017
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  2. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    As a missionary for 33 years, now teaching in the States, I'm all in favor of mission trips. Our church currently has two going: our missions pastor and his daughter in Asia, and a deacon and his son who is praying about missions in another Asian country. I myself have been on four mission trips, most even while I myself was a missionary.

    Such trips can accomplish many things:

    1. Increase the missions burden of the traveler.
    2. Encourage the missionary. (It can get very lonely out there.) Maybe you can even just encourage with snacks from the homeland.
    3. Accomplish real things on the field, particularly evangelism.
    4. Increase the missions burden of the home church of the traveler.
    5. Help the missionary with needed supplies.

    As for the money, I believe accomplishing the above goals make the expenditure well worth it. Besides, in most cases the visitor pays for his or her own way, and that's better than spending it on a trip in the homeland!
     
    #2 John of Japan, Mar 21, 2017
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  3. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    John, did you have churches with short-term trips visit your work in Japan?
     
    #3 Dr. Bob, Mar 21, 2017
  4. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    There are many short-term mission trips IN THE USA for churches uneasy about sending middle school or high school teens to 3rd world countries.

    When I was a youth pastor we led a group of 20 young men to work on the Navajo Reservation at a mission, repairing/painting/cleaning. (I myself had worked on another part of the Res when I was in college on building an adobe church and remember that week fondly).

    My son, when he was a youth pastor in Michigan, brought his group to Wyoming to work a week at our rustic camp. Building, painting working (all since gone in a fire :( ) So there ARE ministries one can do in the USA.
     
    #4 Dr. Bob, Mar 21, 2017
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  5. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    We had visits from mission personnel, but only one pastor ever visited, and he was my uncle! A prof from my college days visited once also.

    There were three ladies from a supporting church who came over several times, but they were more fellowship visits than ministry visits, though we did take them out on evangelism.

    Our island for the second half of our ministry there was the northern island of Hokkaido, hard to get to and expensive, so no one other than those ladies ever came there.
     
    #5 John of Japan, Mar 22, 2017
  6. Dr. Bob

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    John, did you know the Mansell's in Northern Hokkaido? They are IFB (not the southern kind). Pillsbury College where I attended earlier than them, youth minister in Prior Lake, MN back in late 70's as I recall.

    We knew them "back in the day" but were never able to make connections to a trip up there. But prayed for challenging field in which they ministered. Can see why few opt for such a place for short-term missions
     
    #6 Dr. Bob, Mar 22, 2017
  7. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    I know the Mansells well. Hokkaido fundamental Baptist missionaries are few in number but close in fellowship. We usually saw them at the annual Christmas fellowship, summer fellowship, and bi-annual pastors fellowship, and occasionally at other times. They're good folk doing a very difficult ministry in a fishing town--very conservative Japanese.

    And our island has huge amounts of snow. Our town (south of theirs) would have a total of 15-20 feet of snow every winter, and our yard would have up to six feet of accumulation by the end of winter. So yeah, not an attractive place for short term missions. But actually, the Mansells have had many young people over for internships, and have had a great ministry in that way.
     
    #7 John of Japan, Mar 22, 2017
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