What Is A Mission Trip?

Lately, I've been frustrated with what appears to be today's definition of "Mission Trip." For me "mission trip" is not synonymous with "service project." Personally, I don't understand this fascination with missions as a glorified form of public service. In my opinion, mission trips are much more than that.

A mission trip is not a vacation or a mere cross-cultural experience. It's just what it sounds like--a trip with a specific mission. According to scripture, the mission isn't necessarily giving handouts to the poor or even aiding long-term missionaries in their work. It's about sharing the gospel.

I know I'm probably stepping on some toes here, but please bear with me. I don't have a problem with helping the poor or doing disaster relief; in fact, I think those are wonderful activities to be doing on a mission trip, and AIM is involved in them all. However, I think those are the means, and not the end, of short term missions.

Quite simply, the end of any mission trip is the glory of God. It's not to just dig a well or see what it's like to be a "real missionary" for a week. It's to join the Lord in the work He is doing. Now, that may mean digging a well in Africa or planting a church in India. It may involve knocking on doors in Brazil or praying through the night in a dilapidated church in downtown Pittsburgh. It may even require you to lay down your life, just as Nate Saint did. Regardless, the point of the mission trip is not our cleverly-devised acts of service. It is obedience to God. 

We need to set aside our human agendas and make God once again the central point of missions.

Remember, It's not about us--our rules and systems and ideas. It's about Him.

Missions is not about us; it's about God.

Church, I think we're in need of a bit of revolution when it comes to how we approach mission trips.Quite frankly, I think we could stand to be a lot more daring. Let's stop bringing the high calling of missions down to our carnal level and instead seek to meet God in the work that He's doing in the world, even if it means that we have to redefine some commonly misunderstood words like mission trip.



Tomorrow I will be publishing the 10 Commandments of Mission Trips. So, be looking for it.

I would love to hear from all our readers.  Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think of these articles, or just what's on your mind.

Prayer Points:
Join us each week as we pray for the unreached people groups

Pray that God’s Name will be glorified as we continue to preach the Word 

Pray for a harvest of new believers in Asia

Pray for new partnerships to be formed throughout the world for spreading the gospel to south Asia
Pray for the continued funding of the new Children's Home

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