We’ve been looking at common problems that arise in short-term missions projects. Now let’s take some time to offer some suggestions.

In the first place, I think we need to carefully choose our short-term objectives. Too often we say, “We want to take a group to Canada” or “We’d like to minister in Nicaragua,” yet we don’t have clearly defined objectives.

• Most groups should focus on learning. The goal, stated or unstated, is to provide an experience that will help the participants grow in understanding of other cultures, of missions, and of the service options that will be open to them in the future. Openly embracing that goal will help us achieve it.
  Take the emphasis off doing. Emphasize observing. Emphasize relationships with hosts. Emphasize learning.
  We want to go as experts when we should go as students. We bring our way of building, our way of teaching, our way of reading the Bible. And we miss the opportunity to learn their ways.
• Other groups will focus on strengthening a relationship with a long-term missionary. If your church is supporting a missionary, it is very valuable to take a group to get to know them, to observe their work, and to create fellowship with members of that missionary’s church. This will often involve some form of service, but that shouldn’t be the priority. State up front that relationship-building is the goal and structure the trip around that.
• Another set of mission trips will be performing tasks wanted by the host Christians. That’s the key, allowing the locals to define what the trip will look like. Too often we tell them that we’d like to go and paint houses; rather than lose the free aid, the locals accept, even when that’s hardly a major need where they are. We must ask, we must listen, we must be willing to serve in whatever way the locals choose.
• A very few will offer unique expertise that is needed in the target location. We have a woman in our congregation who goes to Africa and teaches water safety. She is an expert in that field, and drowning is a major cause of death in the places where she goes. It makes sense that she go and share the knowledge she has.
  The problem is, too many of us think that we fall into this category. It’s just not true. Expect your short-term mission to fall into one of the previous categories. Be realistic. Pray. Listen. And be humble about your talents and how they fit the situation.

(Let me say again… I’m going to share some criticisms of short-term mission trips. I do that in spite of the positive experiences I’ve had with such. After the criticisms, I want to offer constructive suggestions. Please bear with me!)

Part of the concern that I have regarding short-term missions has to do with a misplaced focus, or, to be honest, several of them:

• The trips are not focused on serving long-term missionaries nor local hosts. The intention is usually there, but when it comes down to it, most trips are focused on the participants: their interests, their talents, their comfort, their safety. That’s why many of the arguments in favor of short-term trips focus on the participants: they give more to missions later in life (not usually), they stay active in missions (not at a higher rate than others), they have an increased awareness of overseas life (no more so than peers who participate in secular overseas study trips)
• Many short-term trips are focused on short-term goals which may or may not fit with long-term objectives. Questions about sustainability and reproducibility need to be asked. The lasting impacts need to be weighed and planned for.
• Most short-term trips are focused on service projects that could be done equally well by non-religious people. Note this quote:
  

  And here is some not-so-good news: For many, the deeper meaning of such actions remains uncertain. As Paul Borthwick says in his book Western Christians in Global Missions, “although globally aware, these young people seem unclear on what the Gospel is beyond just ‘doing good.’” (A Deeper Mission)

  In our fellowship, the term “missions” has traditionally been reserved for efforts related to church planting in other cultures. That focus has been lost in modern-day short-term efforts.

Short-term missions need to be part of a larger plan, a broad vision of outreach. They need to be focused on the needs of the target area, focused on the long-term needs of that area, and focused on the spread of the Good News.

As we consider short-term missions, we need to think about the impact such missions can have on the local community. (One landmark work on this subject is the book When Helping Hurts) While our intentions are good, much of our Band-Aid approach to helping creates more harm than good.
Two big things we need to beware of:

• The dependency created by short-term mission efforts. Mission teams often come in and provide resources at a level that the locals can never duplicate. Because of this, the aid programs are totally dependent on the presence of outsiders. When the mission teams aren’t there, neither is the aid. (See “Short-term missions and dependency”)
• The negative impact on the local labor force and local economy. In some cases, the construction work done by outsiders has directly impacted local construction workers; in effect, the visitors have done work for free that these people would have earned money for doing. In other situations, outside groups have brought in used clothing for the churches to distribute, leading to the closing of local clothing stores. (See “When Short Term Missions Hurt“)

The thousands of dollars spent on any given mission trip represent a fortune in most developing nations. Participants may spend more on a two-week trip than locals will earn in a year. Because of this, the things that are done have a disproportionately large impact on the host culture; that’s why we need to plan well and pray hard when considering short-term missions.

Short-term missions have taken over the mission efforts of many U.S. churches. The amount of people, time, and resources given to these projects grows every year. Recent studies showed 1.5 million U.S. Christians participating in short-term missions each year, spending in excess of $2 billion annually. (You might look at an older article “The Cost of Short-term Missions“)

This is where our churches are increasingly giving the funds they set aside for missions. While the argument is often made that these trips increase missions awareness and missions giving over the longterm, studies have not borne out this claim. (See, for example, the study “The Impact of Short-Term Missions: A Case Study of House Construction in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch“)

In an ideal world, short-term missions would be a welcome add-on to existing mission efforts. In reality, they are often a replacement for such; funds given to short-term missions often result in a decrease in funding given to longterm works.

These facts should make us want to be as efficient as we can be when planning and executing short-term missions. They aren’t going away any time soon, nor should they. Our task needs to be one of good stewardship, making the most of the time, money, and other resources dedicated to these trips. (I’d recommend “Why Most Mission Trips Are A Waste Of Time” as a decent starting place)

Let’s not just say, “What can we do in Whoville?” Let’s consider how to most effectively use God’s resources to serve in Whoville and around the world.