Jun
27
2012
Toward Better Short-Term Missions
It is easy to be critical. I was once listening to a teacher from a European country lecture at a U.S. seminary on the evils of short-term missions. It was a highly critical lecture (with which I largely agreed), but there was no direction for what was appropriate in short-term missions. I don't think he realized that he was actually participating in what I would classify as a short-term missions trip---a full-time intensive visit to another culture for a focused time of vocational ministry.
In the first article I laid out the history of short-term missions and some of the opportunities it has provided. The second article pointed to some of the problems that surround the enterprise. Now I want to offer a way forward.
Change the Name
This may be a personal preference, but I think it would be helpful to rename "short-term missions" and instead call it "short-term ministry." I believe the title of missionary should be reserved for those committed to being in another culture for longer than a year. So we all live on mission in the context where God has placed us, and when we leave that context for a short period of time for a focused time of ministry, we are participating in short-term ministry. When we serve in another culture we then should call it "Short-Term Cross-Cultural Ministry."
Short-Term Cross-Cultural Ministry Should Be an Extension of Local Ministry
At this risk of stating the obvious, your short-term cross-cultural ministry should be an extension of your local ministry. If you have thousands of Hispanics in your surrounding area, but only interact with Hispanics when you send a short-term team to Mexico, your local mission has a hole in it. There is a high concentration of Somali Muslims living near my church. Before our church considers sending short-term teams to Somalia to reach out to Muslims, it should first consider how to serve and reach the neighbors God has brought to us. It feels like the Great Commission in reverse. Local ministry and short-term cross-cultural ministry should not be in competition; rather, both should be part your church's vision.
Ask the Missionaries
To protect against doing unintentional harm, go directly to the missionaries your church supports and trusts to find out whether they would like a team to come and partner with them. These missionaries can also provide helpful feedbackthat comes from experience and understanding. Just make sure they feel the freedom to say no and dictate the details of the trip, such as how many people should come. I know of a missionary who asked for eight people, and the church responded by sending more than 100 youth. We need to listen! Some of the best short-term trips involve just two or three key friends sent by the church to visit a missionary in difficult place. If your church doesn't support long-term missionaries, I would suggest doing so before you consider short-term cross-cultural ministry.
Focus on Long-Term Partnerships with Local Churches
The next step is to work primarily through local churches with a long view in mind. When your short-term ministry team leaves a particular setting, Christians will still live and work where you visited. Your desire should be to serve at the request of and under local church leadership. Your disposition should be one of a learner, with the humility to take your cues from national leaders. You need to be careful, especially when dealing with money. But if you can build a level of trust, the most effective trips will be extensions of another church's ministry. This might lead to bringing fewer team members but result in much more effective ministry.
For example, a church in India has an orphanage, a pastor-training school, and a history of church planting in unreached villages. They don't need teams of people to do projects they already know how to do. They need funds. I am familiar with this ministry, and the pastor who runs it is a good friend. Small teams have traveled there to assess these needs. With the help of a few churches and organizations providing strategic funding they have housing for the children (that the ministry in India built with people they employed), a place to train their pastors, and a sponsorship program to help a trained pastor plant a church in unreached areas. If you wonder how you could sponsor pastors in ways that do not lead to unhealthy dependence, read these helpful articles.
So instead of spending $30,000 for 10 people to build and paint buildings, we spend a third of the money exploring a long-term partnership and the rest providing work for the Indian people and long-term support for the ministry. If a similar scenario presented itself in parts of Africa, I would be much more cautious. But with this very specific situation, long-term partnership allows both parties to mutually benefit in ways that I believe honor God on the gospel.
Move Away from Relief When Appropriate
One of the problems with short-term missions is that we are stuck in relief work. We paint and build houses, hold babies, and give presents. We do this because almost anyone in our churches can get involved. This type of work makes us feel good but sometimes harms people. Relief is appropriate for short periods, but if you want to get involved in alleviating physical poverty and use that platform to share the gospel and relieve spiritual poverty, you must move toward development work. It's harder, takes longer, but is certainly a better form of mercy and justice ministry.
Really Prepare
You can save yourself and others a lot pain if your team has a capable leader who truly disciples those being sent out from your church. If the primary purpose of your trip is to change the people you send, I think it would be best to stay home. Notice---I say primary! All of life is a call to make disciples, and that includes the people in your church. Sending them out to another culture certainly can be a part of the discipleship process (at least it can be in the West).
At my home church, there is a one-year commitment to being on a short-term ministry team. The time includes a lot of preparation and prayer before going as well as follow-up at the end of the trip. Each team member must have a certain level of competency when it comes to understanding cross-cultural ministry. The church also evaluates each setting afterwards, so that if they feel they are doing something a local church they visit can and should do, they stop sending teams.
Think of Your Trip Through the Grid of Helpful Resources
There are a number of very helpful resources to aid you in thinking through a short-term trip. I will list two here so you can follow up with your own research.
Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Missions
- God-Centeredness
- Empowering Partnerships
- Mutual Design
- Comprehensive Administration
- Qualified Leadership
- Appropriate Training
- Thorough Follow-Up
- Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves.
- Limit one-way giving to emergency situations.
- Strive to empower the poor through employment, lending, and investing, using grants sparingly to reinforce achievements.
- Subordinate self-interests to the needs of those being served.
- Listen closely to those who seek to help, especially to what is not being said---unspoken feelings may contain essential clues to effective service.
- Above all, do no harm.
Word to Pastors
Most short-term ministry participants raise support on their own from people outside their local church. So the only way to funnel generosity in the right direction is for pastors to talk about this from the pulpit. Pastors---in your application of Scripture as it relates to discipleship, missions, mercy and justice issues, evangelism, and money, speak to your congregation about short-term missions. Lead your elders and the people God has entrusted to you.
Please get involved in theological famine relief. The organization I work for is constantly looking for pastors we can mentor and send to train pastors around the world with little or no access to theological education.
Final Word to All
There is a tendency in my circles to try and get everything right, to discuss every scenario, to examine every possible pitfall, and in our preparation bring every person through a process that feels like boot camp. But the beauty of gospel ministry is that God is not handcuffed by our foolishness. He is still accomplishing his purposes amongst the nations. For any harm we may cause, God is using others to bring great advances for the gospel.
So become a thoughtful global Christian. Think critically about cross-cultural engagement. Be convicted if you are harming the church in other cultures. But know that in the end, God is still on his throne, and his work will be accomplished.
Additional Resources
Books on Short-Term Missions
Serving with Eyes Wide Open by David Livermore
Teaching Cross-Culturally: An Incarnational Model for Learning and Teaching by Sherwood and Judith Ligenfelter
Leading Cross-Culturally by Sherwood Lingenfelter
Leading Across Cultures: Effective Ministry and Mission in the Global Church by Jim Plueddemann
Reaching and Teaching: A Call to Great Commission Obedience by David Sills
Effective Engagement in Short-Term Missions: Doing It Right! edited by Robert Priest
Short-Term Mission: An Ethnography of Christian Travel Narrative and Experience by Brian Howell (forthcoming)
Books Related to Economic Issues and Missions
Toxic Charity by Robert Lupton
When Helping Hurts by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbet
Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo (read the pushback from Michael Gerson)
Money, Greed, and God by Jay Richards
Articles and Documents
A Philosophy of Short-Term Missions at Cornerstone Church, written by Preston Sprinkle, professor at Eternity Bible College
Poverty Tourism Can Make Us So Thankful by Kent Annan
Robert J. Priest and Joseph Paul Priest, "They See Everything, and Understand Nothing: Short Term Mission and Service Learning," Missiology 34 (2006).
Robert J. Priest, et al., "Researching the Short-Term Mission Movement," Missiology 34 (2006).
29 Comments
Darren - this has been a superb series of articles. Well done. Thank you for writing them. May God make us all world Christians and may the Word of the Lord run and triumph through us and through your work.
I love your last paragraph my brother, "God is not handcuffed by our foolishness..." a truer word has not been spoken.
Thank you DC!
Thanks for your thoughts in this series! As a youth pastor, this has been immensely helpful to me as I think about my group and missions. You were able to clearly articulate a lot of things that I've felt or wondered about, plus opened my eyes to a lot of things I'd never considered!
Appreciate this. Just led a team of college students to Cambodia for a few weeks. Had read When Helping Hurts and Radical, I will check out some the recommended books. Again, thanks.
[...] Toward better short-term mission trips In last week’s Repaso, I included the first two parts of Darren Carlson’s series on the [...]
Thank you, brother. I'll be passing this one on. I like your suggestions to change the name to short-term ministry, reach out the immigrant minorities in the local community before going abroad, and dealing with the theological famine.
Thanks for your insights. I've been 5 years in Honduras as a lay missionary with a Catholic diocese, supported up to now by the parish in Iowa where I served for 24 years. That parish is now "sistered" with the parish which I accompany. That parish sends one or two groups (of 6 or fewer) each years with some work but mostly to get to know the people here. The parish also sends a significant amount of money to the parish.
It's a challenge to make this a real "sharing" in the full Gospel sense. There is a tendency to want to "solve" problems here and to come with gifts - but we are working on this.
Thanks for your remarks and for the bibliography.
God bless.
I have been awaiting this article with both trepidation and excitement. I host short-term trips most years, and have one arriving in a few days. Was our approach about to be castigated or affirmed?
Happily for us, it's the latter. We don't do relief, we do long-term partnership (a significant part of the trip is training people to reach out to this country's citizens back in the 'home' church context), and we don't just ask the foreign workers, we consult with local leaders too. It's been wonderful going to local leaders, asking 'what do you want the visitors to do?', and getting requests that I'd never have imagined, but which I think will be some of the memorable parts of the trip. And the final reminder that 'mission is messy but God is gracious' is spot-on. Phew!
However, I think that there may be some unintended consequences of the approach Mr Carlson lays out. I agree that 'theological famine relief' is critical, and development work is often more effective than relief work. That's fine if you're a parish full of middle-class graduates who can plan health strategies and train pastors. But what about working-class parishes. Are short-term trips off-limits to them?
For example, my brother-in-law is a carpenter. A couple of years ago he went to build a theological library in Kenya, as part of a team of workmen. They had very little understanding of the situation - I later found out that the location of the library has everything to do with tribal politics and very little to do with the greatest theological hunger. He did what he could, and it gives the parish a much better understanding of their pastor's annual preacher-training trips. But local workers could certainly have done the job for less.
Is there no place for carpenters on short-term trips? Is short-term mission only for the middle class?
Mr. Carlson, thanks for these articles. I sincerely hope they start a huge dialogue about "stccm". Can you please do another article specifically about money and short term cross cultural ministry?
Hey Jared-
I think you would be greatly helped by When Helping Hurts and Toxic Charity. It's a complex issue and these books are very helpful. Hope that helps.
[...] Toward Better Short-Term Missions [...]
[...] the pros and cons of the short-term mission trip phenomenon, as well as some hints at a better way forward. As it happens, Christianity Today took up the topic in June as well, devoting its Village Green [...]
Great post, Darren! Very clear and helpful.
This is really helpful!
[...] of prayers and if we’re really serious a care package every now and then or spend a week on a short-term trip. We then go on with our life and wash our hands of any responsibility. I’m as guilty as [...]
[...] Toward Better Short-Term Missions [...]
I've read all three of the articles in this series now and I must say I was relieved when I read this one. Thank you for offering solutions. STM can be beneficial if done for the right reasons and with the right motives.
[...] Toward Better Short-Term Missions. The final article in a three-part series, Darren Carlson gives direction for those considering (and doing) short-term trips. Some, like changing the name, are simple (if not slightly awkward). Other principles will require a change in mindset for many. From my advantage point, I especially see the importance of asking the local missionaries and focusing on long-term partnerships with local churches. [...]
[...] Carlson was written some helpful ideas regarding short-term missions in this article. Just yesterday, I had a lengthy conversation with a missions team leader who had growing concerns [...]
I'm curious why, in your example about providing funding for an orphanage in India, you then said, "If a similar scenario presented itself in parts of Africa, I would be much more cautious." Feel free to take this off-line if you prefer — I assume you can see my e-mail address even though it's not public.
Being an African, I wondered too about being much more cautious if a similar scenario presented itself at home (Africa) Great articles with helpful ideas. Having worked for a mission organization in Africa, I have wondered about short term missions for a long time and these article were very helpful.
[...] Cancelling Your Short-Term Mission Trips,” which ultimately led me to the follow-up article, “Toward Better Short-Term Missions.” I was timid to read the articles, because I knew I was going back to Guatemala for only one [...]
[...] Carlson wrote Why You Should Consider Canceling Your Short-Term Mission Trips and a follow-up Toward Better Short-Term Missions. They are worth a read.We are glad Darren wrote these pieces. We agree with what he has to say. Let [...]
[...] Carlson wrote Why You Should Consider Canceling Your Short-Term Mission Trips and a follow-up Toward Better Short-Term Missions. They are worth a [...]
[...] Did these resources increase my awareness and stewardship? Absolutely! I learned much from both books and the Gospel Coalition’s articles. [...]
[...] about short-term trips: Reality “Snapshot” of Mission Teams | Safari of the Heart Toward Better Short-Term Missions – The Gospel Coalition Blog Why You Should Consider Cancelling Your Short-Term Mission Trips – The Gospel Coalition Blog [...]
[...] (I use the word “incarnation” loosely to refer to humility here). If you’re preparing for short term/long term missions, consider yourself as not equal to the people you are called to serve, “but in humility count others more significant than yourself” (v.3). This is hard, and it takes time. If you, like the Pharisee in the parable (Luke 18:9-14), sincerely think you are “not like other men” you’ll have to learn things the hard way. Why? Because you’re entering a new territory, a nation that may not feel your need to be there. And in any culture, like you, there will be many who strongly believe that they are “not like other men.” Like-minded sinners don’t always make natural friends. It takes the deep sanctifying work of the Spirit to produce long lasting friendships. If you’re going to take sides, take the side of the tax-collector who would not even look up to heaven and said: “Have mercy on me Lord. I’m THE sinner” (i.e, the chief of sinners). If you cannot see yourself as the “chief of all sinners” you will not count others more significant than yourself. If you’re from another country other than Japan, and have never been outside of your “universe,” your individualistic sentiments will hurt your pride in an Eastern group conformist society/culture. Take time to live, observe the surrounding culture and “be quick to listen and slow to speak.” Learn from those that have been there before you. Pick their brains, listen and learn from their wisdom and experience. You can be just you, yet still be Christ-like in your attitude. Remember, your attitude is more important than your aptitude. In the long run, your attitude will be more winsome to those you are serving. The Sovereign grace of God in Christ leads to humility. “To protect against doing unintentional harm, go directly to the missionaries your church supports and trusts to find out whether they would like a team to come and partner with them. These missionaries can also provide helpful feedback that comes from experience and understanding. Just make sure they feel the freedom to say no and dictate the details of the trip, such as how many people should come. I know of a missionary who asked for eight people, and the church responded by sending more than 100 youth. We need to listen! Some of the best short-term trips involve just two or three key friends sent by the church to visit a missionary in difficult place. If your church doesn’t support long-term missionaries, I would suggest doing so before you consider short-term cross-cultural ministry” (Toward Better Short-Term Missions). [...]
[...] 1) Focus on Long-Term Partnerships with Local Churches The Gospel Coalition writes in there article Toward Better Short-Term Missions: [...]
[...] from the editor: This blog post originally appeared here at The Gospel Coalition on June 27, [...]