Short-term missions
Encyclopedia
A short-term mission is the mobilization of a Christian
missionary
for a short period of time ranging from days to a year; many short-term missions are called mission trips. The short-term missionary is a fairly recent innovation in the global missions movement, but many short-term missions agencies are seeing an increased number of trips that consist of a week up to a year.
Generally, missionaries have been men and women who dedicated large portions of their lives to serving overseas in Christian service. In the past 50 years, churches have moved toward mobilizing young people for short-term trips.
Youth with a Mission
(YWAM) and Operation Mobilisation
(OM) were two of the first organizations to utilize short term missions. In the late 1950s, OM Founder George Verwer
began mobilizing young people for summer missions. In the summer 1963, over 2,000 people joined the first short-term mission teams with Operation Mobilization. They worked throughout Europe and found creative ways of getting behind the Iron Curtain
. Youth With a Misison (YWAM) began in the 1960s under the leadership of Loren Cunningham
. He pioneered short term missions and introduced the idea that young people could be missionaries. Generally, missionaries were expected to have extensive theological
training before going into the foreign mission field, but YWAM provided short-term opportunities for young people who had a passion for Jesus
Christ to share their faith in a way that was powerful and effective. Eventually, YWAM began offering courses to train missionaries as a substitution or supplement to formal theological training. With OM, the summer conferences continued each year but the participants dwindled. In late 1987, a renewed vision for reaching Europe was born. This led to the “Love Europe” outreaches that started in July 1989. OM planned for 5,000 young people from 50 nations to participate; in fact, about 7,000 from 76 nations came.
In 1970, there were very few youth groups doing short-term missions in the United States
. However, during the 1980s and '90s missiologically progressive churches began to take a project approach to missions, capitalizing on directing present energy into short-term missions trips, vacations with a purpose, designated projects and offerings, and ministry teams.
The project approach has matured in the modern Short-term Missions (STM) movement and become a standard annual feature for thousands of Christian youth groups, church groups, and individuals across the United States.
There are independent Short-term Missions Organizations (STMs) as well as denomination
s and individual churches
that facilitate these trips all over the world. Many STMs "sending agencies" are adopting of Standards of Excellence in Short-term Missions.
Criticisms
Recently, experts have argued that short-term missions tend to actually cause more harm than good. Objections include the rise of unjustified paternalism, lack of knowledge of local culture, wrong motivations in team members, undercutting of local ministries and pastors, and massive spending. In their book When Helping Hurts, Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett expand upon these problems and suggest alternatives in poverty-alleviation.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionary
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
for a short period of time ranging from days to a year; many short-term missions are called mission trips. The short-term missionary is a fairly recent innovation in the global missions movement, but many short-term missions agencies are seeing an increased number of trips that consist of a week up to a year.
Generally, missionaries have been men and women who dedicated large portions of their lives to serving overseas in Christian service. In the past 50 years, churches have moved toward mobilizing young people for short-term trips.
Youth with a Mission
Youth With A Mission
Youth With A Mission is an international, inter-denominational, non-profit Christian missionary organization...
(YWAM) and Operation Mobilisation
Operation Mobilisation
Operation Mobilisation is an Evangelical Christian organization founded by George Verwer to mobilise young people to live and share the Gospel of Jesus...
(OM) were two of the first organizations to utilize short term missions. In the late 1950s, OM Founder George Verwer
George Verwer
George Verwer is the founder of Operation Mobilisation , a Christian missions organization. Verwer has written several books on various Christian themes...
began mobilizing young people for summer missions. In the summer 1963, over 2,000 people joined the first short-term mission teams with Operation Mobilization. They worked throughout Europe and found creative ways of getting behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
. Youth With a Misison (YWAM) began in the 1960s under the leadership of Loren Cunningham
Loren Cunningham
Loren Duane Cunningham , is a co-founder of the international Christian missionary organization Youth With A Mission and the University of the Nations. Cunningham founded YWAM in the United States of America in 1960 with his wife Darlene Cunningham at the age of 24...
. He pioneered short term missions and introduced the idea that young people could be missionaries. Generally, missionaries were expected to have extensive theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
training before going into the foreign mission field, but YWAM provided short-term opportunities for young people who had a passion for Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ to share their faith in a way that was powerful and effective. Eventually, YWAM began offering courses to train missionaries as a substitution or supplement to formal theological training. With OM, the summer conferences continued each year but the participants dwindled. In late 1987, a renewed vision for reaching Europe was born. This led to the “Love Europe” outreaches that started in July 1989. OM planned for 5,000 young people from 50 nations to participate; in fact, about 7,000 from 76 nations came.
In 1970, there were very few youth groups doing short-term missions in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. However, during the 1980s and '90s missiologically progressive churches began to take a project approach to missions, capitalizing on directing present energy into short-term missions trips, vacations with a purpose, designated projects and offerings, and ministry teams.
The project approach has matured in the modern Short-term Missions (STM) movement and become a standard annual feature for thousands of Christian youth groups, church groups, and individuals across the United States.
There are independent Short-term Missions Organizations (STMs) as well as denomination
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
s and individual churches
Church Body
A local church is a Christian religious organization that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by pastors or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek seek non-profit corporate status...
that facilitate these trips all over the world. Many STMs "sending agencies" are adopting of Standards of Excellence in Short-term Missions.
Criticisms
Recently, experts have argued that short-term missions tend to actually cause more harm than good. Objections include the rise of unjustified paternalism, lack of knowledge of local culture, wrong motivations in team members, undercutting of local ministries and pastors, and massive spending. In their book When Helping Hurts, Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett expand upon these problems and suggest alternatives in poverty-alleviation.
External links
- ShortTermMissions.com - an online directory of mission trips
- Missions-trip.com - directory of mission organizations and their trips