Short Term Missions: To Go or Not to Go?

Let me go ahead and affirm "Go!" while adding a cautious, "but think it through, too." I'm always encouraging of people who want to help people internationally and share God's love practically, but there are some very interesting issues that can present themselves in short-term mission trips. When thinking through these matters, it's easy for me to get either highly cynical or discouraged and apathetic, neither of which are helpful. 

In my recent internet wanderings, I ran across two excellent articles which I think present a very healthy balance of warning and encouragement to do aid correctly. If you're interested in international aid, I would highly recommend reading BOTH of these articles so as to get a clear picture of the problems as well as positive solutions. Happy reading!

Why You Should Consider Cancelling Your Short-Term Mission Trips

Toward Better Short-Term Missions

In the end, I love the conclusion given in the second article, and it's where I have also had to land in this whole discussion. Despite everything, God is big. Of course, I will do my very best so as not to harm those I'm trying to help, but He is still working even in the wake of my messes. So, let's love as well as we can and pray for it to be God's work, not ours.

"But the beauty of gospel ministry is that God is not handcuffed by our foolishness. He is still accomplishing his purposes amongst the nations. For any harm we may cause, God is using others to bring great advances for the gospel.

So become a thoughtful global Christian. Think critically about cross-cultural engagement. Be convicted if you are harming the church in other cultures, but know that in the end, God is still on his throne, and his work will be accomplished."