How to Do Life-Changing, God-Honoring, Effective, Short-Term Mission Work
Obviously the “Not So With You” section of the Archive does not provide enough space to tackle all the questions assumed in the title of this article, but this is really an invitation to wrestle with God’s call on our life as a church to “Go into all the world.” How do we do that well, especially with regard to short-term mission trips?
There is a growing skepticism about the legitimacy of American Christians invading developing countries for the purpose of short-term missions:
The “mission trip model“ has been praised for the individuals willing to sacrifice their time and money for impoverished communities, doing as Christ would. However, without knowledge of language, local culture, societal nuances, and the economic framework of the community, this type of “voluntourism” is sometimes wasteful at best and possibly destructive to the community at worst. (“Voluntourism: More Harm than Good” by Heather Ruiz)
However, with a proper approach I believe short-term missions can be done well, and our denomination lays out the following values to help us measure our effectiveness:
- Holistic Mission – Applying the gospel to every facet of life, not just personal faith
- Mission Partnerships – Partnering with indigenous leaders and organizations
- Long-term Commitments – Creating deep relationships that build trust over time
- Mutual Mission – Giving and receiving, teaching and learning, sharing and listening
- Respectful Witness – As Jesus lovingly came into the world as a humble servant, so we engage another culture with deep humility and respect. (To see these values in more detail go to https://www2.rca.org/missionprinciples )
Most of you are somewhat aware of the work of Haitian International Missions, which is essentially a branch of American Reformed Church. The goal of this project is to partner with dynamic Haitian Christians to change the world for Christ. In 2015 we want to invite you to engage in this mission in the following ways:
- Continue to support the children of the deaf & disabled school. All of the children on the roll are currently sponsored. Praise God!
- Scouting Mission Trip (June 3-10) – Cory, Lynn, and “flower” George will visit Haiti and lay the groundwork for ARC mission teams to be able to visit on a regular basis.
- Zacharie Dieuvueille (HIM director) will visit Luverne (mid-June to mid-August) – Be prepared to welcome this inspiring man as he will share with us at church, small groups, etc…
- Mission Trip (November 11-17, tentatively) – Approximately 10-12 people from ARC will travel to Haiti to support the work of H.I.M.
More details will be made available soon about how to support and/or participate in all of these opportunities, but for now I invite you to pray and dream about how our church could be impacted by God through a long-term, healthy and responsible collaboration with the people of Haiti. I truly believe such a partnership would not only benefit the people there, but would lead to many changed lives and greater missional impact here in Luverne.
Bondye beni nou! (God bless you) Cory Grimm