We have a nasty habit in the churches of Christ. As I like to say it, we tend to jump on the bandwagon about the time that everyone else is unhitching the horses. We run 10-20 years behind evangelical churches in most things that we do; sometimes we imitate them consciously, other times it just happens.
One good example is short term missions. It’s all the rage now. Why get involved in a long-term relationship with a missionary when you can send out your own people on once-a-year trips? Less complicated, no commitments down the road, and more of your members are directly involved. What’s not to like?
In 2005, Christianity Today ran a series of articles on short-term missions. Here are the links, for those who want to read further:
Study Questions Whether Short-Term Missions Make a Difference
Are Short-Term Missions Good Stewardship?
Do Short-term Missions Change Anyone?
Mission Trips or Exotic Youth Outings?
Who Gets ‘Socially Rich’ from Short-Term Missions?
Basically, studies have destroyed most of the myths about short-term missions. No, they don’t increase future missions giving. No, they don’t increase the likelihood of participants being involved in missions as a career.
Well-coordinated short-term mission trips can play a part in an overall mission plan. Let’s be honest… how many of our congregations have an overall mission plan? If we can’t see how our efforts fit into the bigger picture of a church-planting strategy in a certain area, then it’s quite possible that they don’t.
Short-term missions trips should be a part of a long-range effort. Local missionaries or local church leaders (depending on the stage the work is in) should have the final say as to what will be done by those that go. There are many good things that can be done, some more effective than others. But those of us on this side of things aren’t the ones to decide what’s best.
[In Honduras, in May, I was talking with a church leader from Panama. He told the horror story of a group from the States that was building a building in Panama City. They hired an architect from the U.S. to design the plans. After spending weeks of work and thousands of dollars, they came to realize that nothing was up to Panamanian code, failure to use local materials and workers had made the project cost twice what it should, etc. Just because someone is an “expert” at home, doesn’t mean they have the same expertise overseas.]
Let’s not end short-term missions. But let’s use them judiciously and be realistic about the results we expect.
(Some of my thinking was inspired by this post by Jay Guin)