Planning a Short-Term Mission Trip

Planning a short-term mission trip is, as the old cliché says, partially “art” and partially “science.” There are many to-do lists and things to consider as you prepare for a group of people to leave the everyday routines to which they are accustomed and depart for a culture that is foreign to them. You’ll need to determine what documentation is needed, what the team goals are, what you’ll be doing during your time in-country, what the team schedule will look like, and even how you may respond when the “unexpected” happens. There’s more to consider than we can cover here, but let’s focus on one part of the “art” and one of the “science” of mission trip planning.

Art: Purpose and Vision

In every situation there is, or should be, a good reason for going on a short-term trip. Within our church, we say that we desire “to make disciples that bring gospel-centered life change in our community, nation and world by planting and supporting gospel-centered, healthy local churches.” Our strategy is simple: “to encourage, support and empower our people to live life on mission, in their community and around the world.” This strategy is designed to incorporate the premises of evangelism, disciple-making and the spread of the gospel in all our efforts. This helps us develop a culture where we believe that mission work is long-term work. Therefore, we prioritize efforts to send disciple-makers from our church into places around the world where this desire can be accomplished through this strategy. That is our primary goal!

Therefore, as we begin to plan when and where we will take people on short-term trips, we always strive to ensure that it supports this long-term effort. Our reasons and purposes for making short-term trips are fueled by these things:

• Short-term support through giving and going is scriptural (Philippians 4:10-20).
• The activity associated with our trip should be directed, or meet specific needs of, the long-term field worker(s).
• The trip should advance the relationship with the field worker(s).
• The trip should “fit” into the overall missions culture and strategy of our church.

This usually means that short-term trips are less about “doing,” and more about “being” with our long-term field worker. It often includes lots of time spent listening, laughing, crying, encouraging, and praying with our workers. What we would call member care is vitally important, and time spent simply sitting with a long-term worker is not wasted.

Science: The Importance of Planning

One of the more tangible resources for successful trip planning is having a plan! Or in our case, a timeline. Here’s what this looks like for us.

Every trip comes with its own set of variables, but by planning backward, or reverse engineering, from the departure date, we can give our team members expectations as they prepare to go. By following the steps listed, we ensure that documents are complete, funds are submitted, travel is arranged, and local work and projects are planned. 

Each trip is unique, and experience is still the greatest teacher when it comes to successful cross-cultural trips. There are things that can be planned meticulously, while others will require flexibility and constant adaptation. First and foremost, spend some time developing the missions culture within your local church and strive to plan trips that support that culture!

Author: Kiley H. is the Global Discipleship Pastor at Colonial Heights Baptist Church in Ridgeland, MS.