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)

“We went on a mission trip to Mexico.”
Translation: We did some Christian service projects in Mexico.
“I’ve done missions every summer in China.”
Translation: I’ve traveled to China every summer and done good things there.
Folks, 99% of what today is called a mission trip “ain’t even” a mission trip. They are good works, wonderful service projects, exciting moments of faith building… but they aren’t missions. Most should be called “service trips.”
So what? What does it matter what we call them? Well, the fact is, the money that U.S. Christians give to missions is shrinking at an incredible pace, and one of the major culprits is the “mission trip.” For one thing, funds that were once spent on foreign missions are now spent on youth trips. In addition, these “mission trips” convince our people that money sent to orphans homes, money sent to Habitat for Humanity or money sent to the Red Cross is “missions” money.
We need to get back in the business of providing the funds that church planters around the world need. If we want our children to have a faith building experience building houses, there are homes in our community that need building. If we want to do service projects, they are all around us. If we want our kids to experience other cultures, let’s say that and give them the opportunity to travel. But let’s not steal from missions to do those things.
The congregation I attend once gave 50% of its budget to missions, but that was a LONG time ago. The same sort of thing can be said for so many of our churches. What can be done to restore missions to a place of prominence in our congregations?