Short-Term Missions and Small Groups
by Brian Slater
Have you ever dreamt of going on a short-term mission with your small group? Imagine all of the benefits of already knowing each other and having experienced nurture and ministry together. A small group that has been responsible in inward development and outward mission has a tremendous amount to offer and learn on a short-term mission. Many agencies, including InterVarsity's Global Projects or STIM, can find placements for you as a team. So start dreaming and praying now about your group taking the trip of a lifetime.
How to Send a Small Group Member on a Short-Term
Maybe your whole group cannot go on a short-term mission trip, but one person is willing. Thank the Lord for that, and begin to care for that person now in the sending process. Your group can play a vital role in caring for a short-termer as he or she goes and returns. Don't forget to include students who will study abroad for a term or year, too. They are tentmakers in a student role. Here are some tried and true ideas to support them:
• Begin by praying. Pray for spiritual, physical and emotional preparation of your member. Pray also for the people with whom and to whom she or he will be going.• Help in fundraising.
• Offer to help address, stuff and mail prayer letters.
• Go shopping for items needed for the trip.
• Do research on the country and people your friend will be serving.
• Make and eat meals together that will be similar to the food your member will be eating on the short-term.
• Buy gifts that your member can give during the short-term.
• Make a journal for the member to read at intervals throughout the short-term. Have each member write an encouraging note and put a date to be read on it.
• Plan a going-away party and/or packing party.
• See your member off at the airport.
• Assign weeks throughout the short-term for members to write to the short-termer.
• Meet the short-termer at the airport upon return.
• Be patient and provide opportunity for your friend to talk about their time away. Help him or her focus by asking questions.
• Encourage the short-termer to take time to readjust to life here.
• Pray with your friend about people he or she met, the ministry that went on, for continuance in the ministry, for an understanding of next steps.
"Our group put together sixty blank pages for each day of the summer mission project for each person going. Students filled out a devotional or encouragement letter on each of these pages. They were compiled and given to each short-termer before they left. This really drew the rest of the chapter into prayer, thought and encouragement for the summer missions participant."
Dan Mauren, InterVarsity staff Montana State University
"We formed a small group out of students who were interested in going on InterVarsity's Global Project to Kiev. We met bi-weekly to pray, help with fundraising, learn Russian and keep the vision alive. The six of us worked hard to bring back our experience in Kiev as a team and challenge the rest of the chapter to seriously consider their role in world missions. We have more students going back this summer and 2 students joining IFES teams in Kiev for 1-2 years. This fuels our vision even more!"
Brian Slater is InterVarsity staff at the University of Florida
Unless otherwise noted, all materials on the urbana.org web site are Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA. All rights reserved.
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