Short term mission trips can be taken locally or globally, and you do not need to have a lot of people to take one. Many of our congregations start by either taking just a handful of people or partnering with another GHC congregation in order to begin to expose people in their congregation to this experience. However, such trips do not happen if the leader does not lead the congregation to participate. This means allocating some money in the budget for such trips, finding out what the needs are, determining how a congregation can help meet some of the needs and then recruiting people to go. A number of congregations have developed strategies that include a certain number of mission trips each year led by the pastor and/or other staff members or key lay leaders. One congregation even makes it possible for custodians, secretaries and other lay staff members to participate in such trips on a regular basis.  

There are multiple benefits to taking such trips. The first I have already mentioned. It enables the congregation to continue to focus outward as more and more individuals begin to see and minister to the needs of others. It also creates a Kingdom mentality as American Christians discover that our nation surely has no monopoly on Christianity. In fact it often helps American Christians realize that we are quickly losing our market share of influencing lost people to believe in Jesus Christ.  

These experiences create bonds of friendship that are developed in doing mission together. The result is that often people come back to their congregations and are motivated to take on new ministry tasks. They have learned the benefits of doing ministry together and therefore recruit others to join teams and serve Jesus Christ through the life of their congregation. As one GHC pastor has said, these trips move people from being whiners to winners.   

It enables Christians to see God work in very immediate ways. In some cases they have the opportunity to lead people to believe in Jesus Christ and become new disciples. In other cases they actually see God do physical miracles that then open the door to the spiritual miracle of new birth. These experiences change people for life. That is why we also encourage congregations to send young people on such trips. We also believe that in many cases these trips are great learning experiences for children who go with their parents.  

Another benefit is that mission trips increase the generous nature of people. It is in the giving of time, energy and in some cases money to serve others that a generous nature is born. Mission trips are often one of the most unselfish things a Christian will ever do. Such experiences change attitudes towards material things and help Christians focus on the spiritual values we so often talk about but seldom implement in our lives.  

Obviously such trips contain certain risks. That is why it is good for those going on their first trip to partner with another congregation that has experience in conducting such events. However, we must remember that Jesus calls us to a life of faith or risk. Also, it is in the risking that God often reveals His strength using such experiences to strengthen our faith as we see God work.   

If you want to do something new, create lasting friendships, see the world, see God work in mighty ways, develop stories that will last a lifetime, live the Christian life at its fullest, and see lives changed for eternity, then take a short term mission trip. It will change you, your congregation and the world.