For the Good of Others

Each year our family gathers together over the Christmas period. Only twice has our while family not been together. Once was years back when our son and his wife were overseas, and I found that hard. Then this Christmas for the first time ever we did not have our daughter with us on Christmas day. She and her husband are overseas on a short term mission in a third world country. I admit when they first told me what they were thinking of going on mission, I was less than impressed. All I could think of was that our family … Continue reading →

What Can I Do? – Part 2

Yesterday we looked at the importance of prayer in helping the spread of the gospel message throughout the world and in certain areas in particular. What else can we do to help? If your church has a link missionary it supports, get their newsletter and prayer points. As well as praying for their needs write them a letter or email letting them know you are praying for them and finding out more of their ministry. It is easier to pray and support people when they are more than just a name. So get to know the people involved in the … Continue reading →

Reaching Today’s Youth

I’m really excited to be starting a small series of blogs focusing on today’s youth. I will be attending various successful children’s and youth ministries in my home church and blogging on each experience. My hope in observing is to learn about what it is that draws kids today to a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. I want to know what tools the youth and children’s pastors and teachers are using as means to reach out and impact the hearts of our young generations. I want to know what works and how I can make a difference in the lives … Continue reading →

Adventures in Peru

After my junior year of college I was required to spend at least four weeks on a foreign field in order to earn my degree in Missions. I had taken two semesters of Spanish and so I felt I was completely prepared to go to South America. Ha! I was 19 when I hugged my sister at the airport and took off for my adventure (I had my 20th birthday in Peru). I’m not sure I had any idea what I was getting myself into. I found a family through a mission board that lived in the village of Urubamba, … Continue reading →

5 Practical Tips for Your Short Term Missions Trips

This blog is part of a series. We’ve been comparing two short term missions teams: the team from Anywhere and the team from Somewhere. First, we looked at what they did while they were on their trips. Then we looked at what it was like after they left. Both definitely made a lasting impression. . .but as we saw, that’s not necessarily a great thing. These are the things that teams need to be mindful of as they are preparing to go support a ministry. #1. Cultural Expectations You are not familiar with the culture in which you’re going. Sometimes … Continue reading →

Humility in Short Term Missions Part 2: After the Teams Leave

If you did not read my blog yesterday about the teams from Somewhere, USA and Anywhere, USA this will not make much sense to you. If you have not read my blog on how churches should support short terms missions, it will seem as if I’m speaking against teams coming to visit us. Indeed I am not. However, it is more supportive to your host ministry if your team is mindful of a few things. Let’s take a look at something no short term mission team has ever seen first hand. . .what happens when they leave! After the Team … Continue reading →

Humility in Short Term Missions

I struggled to come up with a title for this blog. What I really wanted to call it was too long: What Your Host Ministry Really Wishes You Would Understand Before You Come to Their Church on a Short Term Missions Trip–But They’re Too Afraid to Tell You. (See? Entirely too long. . .) Being in New York City, we are quite a popular destination for the conscientious young person going on a short term missions trip. We have it all: the homeless, drug addicts, teen age pregnancies, the general loopy population (not to mention cool tourist opportunities on your … Continue reading →

The Community of Christ Within the Larger Community

Have you ever heard that catchy expression, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words only when necessary.” What does that mean to you? For us, it meant a life altering decision to live in the inner city. Our church is unique in a lot of ways, but one thing that sets us apart is that most of us live within a 4 block radius of each other. This is not at all to say that it is a requirement to do this to be in our church. . .but that as a body we have a vision to reach … Continue reading →

The Big Picture in Short Term Missions

Short term missions; trips that span from one week to a few months, sometimes don’t receive the support that I think they deserve in church. Some missions boards hate to support them because they don’t go towards long lasting ministries. From a pragmatic sense, it is true, you will not do a whole lot in a week in terms of your presence in another country or place. Some places hate to have teams and honestly, I can understand why. It tends to be a lot of hype for a week and then the team is going back home leaving the … Continue reading →