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Check out a video from animoto here.
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In case you missed it, Huberto graduated last week from the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary. He’s the first graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in youth ministry from the Center for Youth Ministry there.
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Gerrard Fess wrote a great post called: Top 10 DOs and DON’Ts for a mission trip. His lists are great, and you should check them out.
Having led more than my share of youth missions trips throughout my time in ministry both as a receiving missionary and as a youth pastor bringing the group, I would add a few Do’s to the list.
So here are some of my DO’s for Youth Missions trips:
DO use your students’ talents and gifts (and tailor the trip to their giftedness).
DO bring adults who have a heart for missions AND students.
DO pick who you work with carefully. The missionary or national organization you work with can make or break your trip.
DO realize you aren’t going to save the world in a week. Sometimes you help the long-term effort without seeing immediate results.
DO be sensitive to the host culture and train your students to do the same. There will be differences, but that doesn’t mean they are wrong (although many times we think they are).
Maybe later I’ll think of some DON’Ts. Check out Gman’s post here.
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I was over at the Youth Ministry Exchange forum, and I saw a question that maybe has crept up in the minds of some people I know. The question is, “Why can’t you just minister at home instead of doing missions overseas?”
Of course, the context of the question was a youth worker being asked why they would take groups on mission trips and retreats and things, but it’s a question I have heard before as I was speaking in a church about our ministry in Latin America.
While you can’t base calling on need alone, it is a fact that there is a great need overseas. While I’m not convinced that most short term mission trips have a huge long term impact on the target culture, I am convinced that the environment of a short term overseas missions experience has long term impact on the short term missionaries.
In my personal experience, I would say that the fact that I am a long term missionary has a lot to do with a short term mission trip I took with my youth group and consequent short term trips I took. I have led numerous short term trips to Mexico, and I have seen God impact the lives of many young people through these trips.
Here are some reasons for doing missions in other cultures:
- Change of culture causes change in beliefs.
- Change of culture is obedience to God.
- Change of culture creates life-changing memories.
- Change of culture expands vision.
- Change of culture requires commitment.
Sure, short term trips to other countries cost a lot of money, but they have a different impact than only ministering at home. Both should be used in ministry to impact the spiritual growth of young people.
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