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 from Anywhere Left
You may remember that the team from Anywhere did a variety of things while they were here. They were very focused on improving the ability of the people who live here to do ministry so they helped convert a garage into a classroom. That classroom is now being used at least once a week for a boys’ ministry that used to have to meet in the back yard or in the pastor’s dining room. (Our church doesn’t have a church building.) Now that the boys are out of the pastor’s dining room, that can also be used for counseling and Bible study with adults from the neighborhood as needed.
Because the team from Anywhere provided ‘mother’s helpers’ for some of the women in the church to go out and speak with their neighbors, those women have stirred up interest in a bi-lingual Bible study. Some of the mother’s have started a group for other moms of preschoolers where they meet at the park once a week. While it is not a formal Bible study it serves to advertise other things going on within our church as well as be a time of one on one witnessing.
The team from Anywhere also took a lot of time in their schedule to get to know the people and see the neighborhood. The result is a large umbrella of prayer where people are praying for specific needs. Many members of the team are praying for people they’ve met, by name. We definitely feel their prayer covering.
Some people from Anywhere are praying about coming to live here too. They were touched by a vision to see those who are lost come to know Christ in the inner city. Since they spent such quality time here, they really feel like they have a good idea of what they’re getting into.
After the Team from Somewhere Left. . .
The team from Somewhere was really focused on preaching the gospel. They held meetings, passed out tracts, and really did a lot of ‘hands on’ stuff.
One of the ways in which the team handed out tracks was by putting them under people’s doors. Unfortunately, Joe Thief was casing buildings that day and so he went around and watched for who still had pamphlets peaking out from under their doors–a sure sign that no one was home. It was a good day for Joe Thief–he was able to break into several apartments and steal hundreds of dollars from our neighbors.
The park was littered with thousands of little tracts from the team’s visit. The park staff was highly annoyed that a church of supposed Christians would come along and make their job so hard. The next time we applied for a permit, we were denied. They don’t want us doing anything in their park anymore.
The church here does follow up on those who “got saved” while receiving their blankets. Funny. . .but they’re happy to “get saved” again for a warm bed, blanket, some food or anything else we’re handing out. But they really don’t understand the gospel and it certainly didn’t affect their addictive behaviors.
One of the parents at the private Christian school was so offended at the insinuation made by the donated Happy Meals that she pulled her child out of school. It’s a shame because the Christian school really needs the tuition money. But she doesn’t want “no white people looking down on her and her family.” She doesn’t take hand outs.
This team doesn’t really know the people who live here nor were they able to take the time to learn about the neighborhood. Consequently they pray vaguely for New York City, the homeless, and the ministry here. Eventually most of the team stops praying for New York City and goes on to the next big exciting thing!
Oh, I almost forgot. One of the girls was so emotionally moved that she decided to move here and teach the poor inner city kids. Sadly, she couldn’t handled it and moved in a few months. She had no idea what she was getting into. Her trip here wasn’t like that at all!
The Place of Short Term Missions
I am heartily in favor of short term missions teams and we love hosting them, but their place is to support already existing ministries. It is those ministries that have to do follow up from evangelistic meetings. It is those ministries that invest their time and money here.
Note: Neither of these examples is ONE specific team but rather a collection of experiences over the last decade.
Look for my next blog of 10 things for short term missions teams to know.