College Union

So. You’ve been put in charge of putting together a mission team. What are some of the things you need to take into account as you prepare yourself and your team?

Obviously the basic logistics are a priority:

• Where are you going?
• Who will go?
• When is the best time for the team to make the trip?
• What would you like for your team to do and to get out of the experience?

There is a whole list of “How” questions. How are we going to raise funds to cover the expenses? How am I going to select the team members and prepare them? How am I going to do all of this and do what I normally do in my job and/or campus ministry?

There is one more question: Why? This opens up a whole different area, but let me suggest that it may be the most important question that you and your team address.

Answering the “Why” question will in some way or other impact how you address the other questions:

• Why missions in the first place?
• Why take a missions trip?
• For each individual: Why am I going?

Let me encourage you to revisit the vision or mission statement of your church or campus ministry, and prayerfully consider how your mission trip will be an outgrowth of that vision.

One of the reasons I feel this is important is to define what your mission trip is not. For example, it is not be a guided tour, an opportunity to add another country’s stamp to your passport, etc.

Here are some reasons why I feel that the purpose of the mission trip should be a manifestation of your church or campus ministry’s vision and mission:

1. You will have the blessing of your leadership. Those to whom you submit will be in favor of the mission trip, hopefully, and if for no other reason, it is an extension of what the ministry stands for and does in your community. There is more likely to be prayer covering and encouragement, and yes, possible financial support because the mission trip is part of the very existence of the ministry. There is ownership.
2. This is the first step toward building a support team. A small percentage of the members of the ministry (if you are a church) will actually travel with the team. Defining the purpose of the mission trip and purposefully connecting it to the ministry’s vision has the potential to draw in the entire body or congregation. Certainly there will be those who would like to go but cannot. But who can go unless he is sent and there are those who stay behind to provide support? Not all soldiers go to the front lines…it takes a team to fight a war. Ideally each of your team members will have one or more supporters from within your ministry as well as others from outside. Defining and tying the mission team purpose statement to the ministry or church vision will help draw in those others and give them ownership.
3. Defining the purpose statement will also deepen your team member’s experience. It will build “team”. It will build cohesiveness.

The actual trip is part of the process of the overall mission team experience. It could be argued that without the trip, there would be no experience. Granted. However, if the trip is the entire focus, means and ends, the overall experience will not realize its full potential.

Let me give one example. Several years ago, a church brought a team to our place. When we gathered everyone together for an initial orientation, it was the first time that they had ever been physically together as a team.

Contrast that group with a team that begins meeting, praying and worshipping together six to nine months ahead of the trip; perhaps monthly, semimonthly or even weekly as departure date draws near. Not only will they get to know one another over the next several months, you as the leader will get to know them and they you.

God will be free to operate in your team meetings as you discuss vision, purpose, logistics of the trip, and what you will be doing. You will have time to prepare and share your testimony. You will have the opportunity to grow in fellowship and build community. Periodically you may want to include support team members who are not going so that they will feel included and be better informed in order to intercede for your team. Time will be available to pray for the host ministry and begin building a relationship with them, even before your arrival.

There will be several positive results. Things will go smoother on the actual trip. Airports, immigration, and customs can be chaotic. Living and ministering in a strange place among a people who don’t speak your language can be intimidating. Facing these challenges with a team is a lot more fun and effective than with a group of individuals, especially if you are truly being sent out by your church or campus ministry, representing them in sharing the love of Jesus with the nations.

Categories: Missio Dei
Tags: building, group, mission, planning, service, team, trip