By Georges Houssney

Whether long-term or short-term, missions is all about obeying the Great Commission. Jesus did not specify a period of time during which we need to engage in missions. I believe his call is for a life-long commitment to be light to the nations and the salt of the earth. In other words, long-term and short-term missions should be one and the same. Missions is a lifestyle.

However, as we all attempt to fulfill our roles in bringing the gospel to the unreached, we face human obstacles in mobilizing the body of Christ to fulfill the task of world evangelization. I believe short-term missions is one answer to many obstacles, and exposes a large number of people to the mission field with the hope that they would return for a longer commitment.

The Importance of Short-Term Missions

Walk through the aisles of any missions conference such as CROSS, MissionsFest, Urbana, or any of the hundreds of missions conferences each year, and you will find it difficult to avoid all the appeals for short-term mission trips. You will be invited to join a team to go to almost any part of the world you wish to explore. Due to its popularity, more and more mission agencies are using short-term trips as a recruitment tool.  

Many mega churches have joined the frenzy. A sizable amount of money is spent each year on short-term mission trips. Many young and old people in the church are mobilized to go and explore other lands. Leading an annual short-term mission trip has become part of the job description of youth pastors, mission committees, and mission directors. A countless number of old and young people embark on these adventures annually. According to Robert Wuthnow, 1.6 million US church members traveled abroad in 2005 on STM trips. Billions of dollars go into such trips.

Many Christian leaders believe this is a good thing. Robert Priest wrote:

The noted author Philip Yancey agrees:

But not everyone agrees that short-term missions is legitimate. Too much money is spent for the meager results that are gained, critics say. However, no one can deny that short-term missions is here to stay, and the movement is growing.

My purpose in addressing this issue is to face the facts, both positive and negative, and try to make the most out of this growing phenomenon.

What defines short-term missions?

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Promises, Promises…

In the process of recruiting candidates, mission agencies try to woo young people by promising a life-changing experience. I have seen the excitement on the faces of young people who have signed up to go. They jump up and down in excitement as though they are going to an amusement park to have fun rather than embarking on a serious rescue operation. As www.ShortTermMissions.com markets it:

Judging from these quotes and similar alluring promotional material, it seems to me that short-term missions is advertised as a self-centered, self-fulfilling experience, promoting personal enjoyment and improvement.

Why the Hype?

Short-term trips have become popular partly because of ease of travel. A trip that used to take months by sea now takes only a few hours by air, without much discomfort.  

In the old days, missionaries sold their homes, uprooted their families, and said farewell to all they knew. Many never returned. Missions was a commitment to a life-long, cross-cultural ministry. The trip by sea took months to accomplish. I am acquainted with an orphanage that 50 years ago required missionaries to make a 20-year commitment. Now they are happy if people are willing to stay there even two years. Due to the ease of travel by air it makes sense for people with a heart for the world to travel far and wide for a short-term. Many do it in the summer or on vacation.

From the literature that I have read, the success or failure of a short-term mission trip depends to a large degree on the level of expectation and the ability of the organization to develop programs that match any expectations.

Come as You Are

It is common for recruiters to make it easy for anyone to go on a mission trip:

Lowering Expectations and Relieving Stress

What Do Short-Term Missionaries Do All Day?

Recruiters stress that whether you have skills or no skills you can come. “Come as you are, and we will put you to good use.” In the literature of one organization I read this quote: “You do not have to be an evangelist”

The messages communicated are these: 

• Come as you are.
• No special skills needed.
• Don’t expect any spiritual results such as conversions.
• Do not have high expectations lest you get disappointed.
• Your presence is enough, whatever you can do is great.

However, many agencies do try to recruit people with special skills. Here is a list of activities most agencies promote. Short-Term mission trips fall under these categories:

1. Prayer walks
2. Manual labor: building, painting, maintenance, etc.
3. English teaching
4. Medical or other aid projects
5. Skilled labor such as bookkeeping, cooking, office work, and computer help
6. Evangelistic: Bible distribution, preaching, and street witnessing, etc.
7. One agency listed fourteen projects, out of which two were directly related to evangelism or spiritual work

My Story

My own experience with short-term missions goes back to when I was seventeen. I went on a trip to Arab Jerusalem in 1967 with Operation Mobilization, just two months before the Six-Day War that resulted in Israel occupying Jerusalem and the West bank of the Jordan, the Sinai desert, and other Arab lands. That was a very significant trip in my life. For one, there I met a beautiful woman who nine years later became my wife. There I also came in contact with Roger Malstead, who was instrumental in my choice of a college. I was planning on attending college in the states as I had received a full scholarship from Dr. Bob Jones, senior, who delivered it to me personally with a handshake when he visited Lebanon that year. Roger instead challenged me to go to a local college where I came in contact with a Navigator man who became my mentor. Because I remained in Lebanon, I was able to remain active in the three churches that I had planted in North Lebanon by then. But beside these personal benefits, I gained a heart for the peoples of the world. The trip challenged me to think outside my Lebanese box and to expand my vision to include all the peoples of the world, particularly Muslims.

However, it was not until I had made several short-term trips to a number of countries that my vision for the world took root. In my over 40 years of ministry I have been part of numerous short-term mission trips to 97 countries. Short-term trips are pretty much all I do even now. 

Watch for Part 2 of this article, “The Pros and Cons of Short Term Missions” coming soon!