Thanks so much for your input, AnnieLaurie.  That was my opinion of the article as well—one sided! 

I know that there are some abuses, probably.  But this article took the downside on most every aspect.

Thanks again!

Todd

I am leading a team to India in September and we will only go where we have a standing relationship and can work to support the efforts of those already in ministry.  We have built a Mobile Medical Clinic in Kashmir, built a stationary Clinic, built sewing centers for abused Muslim Women, and work to do Pastor and leadership conferences along with a womens conference this fall. 

I think we have to be committed to a stronger support role than a stronger doing role.

My 2 cents...I am no missiologist.  And, I agree that the article is sadly one-sided, and deserves a thorough critical review and more balance. 

Nevertheless, deeper thoughtfulness and self-critique regarding Christian missions trips is also appropriate.  I would like to hear from a professional missiologist on this article.  Correct me if I am wrong, but from what I understand, so much of what we as Americans do is not sustainable, and often is not reflective of the kind of mutual partnership that builds projects through primary ownership by the people who are most affected by what we are doing.  And sometimes, it may not even reflect Christian love and Biblical wisdom.  Based on experience, many people understand that Americans have a difficult time serving other nationals, by and large. We often want to come in with our ‘can do’ spirit and our ideas and our culture and spend multi-K+ on the trip expenses.  According to the President of Gospel for Asia TK Yohannon, the ‘modern revolution’ in missions and international development is that the day of American control over missions is passing...Other countries’ nationals are often doing a better job of advancing the Gospel in ways that are winsome, cost effective, and compelling.  The largest churches in the world are outside the US, and those churches are reaching their own peoples and others’ as well.  I have read somewhere that South Korean missionaries, for example, are doing alot of the heavy lifting of Christian missions in the most politically tough places.  And miracles of community transformation often take place in developing countries without American involvement since we may not often show the faith patterns to pray to the point of breakthrough.  This is not to denegrate the historical positives of American missions and compassion as such, but to simply understand that the ‘American’ label on missions is perhaps passing, especially when it is related to behaviors which can imply superiority, dominance, arrogance, or American exceptionalism, especially in the Middle East.  We have alot to be thankful and proud of, as well as some things we can bring before God as a matter of repentance.
Just my 2 cents…

Last week we had a guest pastor from India in our home. His ministry has 100+ church planters/pastors and two orphanages with over 100 children. Our small sized church was the first to offer them prayer and financial support. We now provide full financial expenses for 16 children and 6 pastors (about $25 each month) When asked if he wanted us to build an orphanage or church, we counted the cost and he replied “We had better take care of the pastors, Brother.” The buildings would be a luxury they can’t afford. I am questioning whether it is good stewardship for me to join them this January for a series of crusades. They are going well without me and I am sold on the value of international service to Missions.
There are positive effects of a mission trip that focuses on service and ministry rather than experience and vacation. I went to Africa in 1989, came home and planted a church that supports missions. So it can’t all be wasteful.

First off, Todd, thank you for posting this.  It is one of the first posts about global engagement that I have noticed at MMI in the past few years.  I appreciate the comments made so far, too.  As one whose passion is to see American churches more globally engaged, I’m encouraged that this topic has (finally?!?) made it to MMI.

Yes, the blunders referred to in this article really do happen...and they are avoidable.  I think it begins with rethinking what our global role is as Americans, and as HJ pointed out, that role is changing rapidly.  In October I’m going to Liberia with a team from our church.  In conjunction with that, I’m putting together an individualized study course to get some credit toward my MDiv; the focus of the course is “implementing an effective short-term mission strategy in a local church within the context of a broader mission strategy”.  I’m reviewing some potential texts, and one of the best from an academic/missiology standpoint seems to be Maximum Impact Short-Term Mission, by Roger Peterson, Gordon Aeschliman, and Wayne Sneed.  At the very least, I highly recommend looking at the “MISTM Grid”.  I also recommend http://www.glocal.net as a resource.

I don’t like to plug my own blog here (especially since it hasn’t been updated in a while), but I’d love to hear more about what some of your churches are doing.

Oops - forgot to include my blog address:  http://randehle.blogspot.com.  Of course, you smart people could probably figure out to just click on my name!

I know everyone has their own experiences with short-term missions.  I have my own.  I went to India for the first time back in 1997.  I went as a pastor to pretty much inspect the work which our church had been investing in for several years.  It changed my life!  I literally have not been the same since!  My appreciation for the nation I live in (U.S.) has been off the scale since.  Since 1997 I have been to India 8 times.  In addition my vision for the world has been enlarged exponentially.  Besides India, I have traveled to Honduras and Guatemala numerous times.  But the key for me has been to trust God to connect me with the people of His choice.  We are working with local pastors and churches in India and Central America.  I don’t go to do crusades arranged by myself.  I simply go to serve them in whatever capacity I can.  It is a lot less expensive this way.  I have spent time in the homes of some of the most wonderful people of other cultures!  Instead of a haughty attitude it causes one to have a very thankful heart.  For me, one (and its a major one) of the greatest effects short-term missions will have on a person is that they learn to appreciate the nation God has blessed us with. 

Read “The Light and the Glory” by Peter Marshall and David Manuel.  You’ll discover that many of the people who came from Europe to settle America felt they were called by God to spread the light of the Gospel.  This book truly reports the facts about our founding fathers.  America has always had the vision for missions because it is ingrained in our foundation.  http://www.pastorstevesblog.blogspot.com

An organization I KNOW doesn’t do what the article lists is World Gospel Mission.  It has programs for skilled professionals (Dr’s,dentists,accountants, etc) skilled UNprofessionals (he he he), and college-age people.

http://www.wgm.org

There were a lot of good points made in the article, but I don’t believe in throwing the baby out with the bath water.  However, churches should definitely reevaluate their methods to ensure that they’re making good use of resources and actually helping and not hindering those they’re going to minister to. 

1) At my church, and I’m sure we’re not alone, our youth hold fundraising events to help defray the costs of the trip.  I think kids value the trips more if they’ve had to earn the money for the trip, rather than being provided with an all-expense paid trip (hopefully no church is doing this).

2)There is validity to doing domestic missions projects and there can still be exposure to different cultures.  Today with residential and church communities so widespread apart, those in the suburbs may never have rubbed shoulders with someone in the inner city.  Those of one racial group may never have had intimate one-on-one contact with someone from a different race or ethnicity.  So, it is possible to have this experience right here in the U.S.  Sometimes it has great impact as people are shocked to find out the conditions under which some people live right here in “the land of opportunity”.

3)I would think that proper planning and communication could help churches avoid the mistake of building things that aren’t useful or helpful or recreating the wheel.  I mean to paint the same structure 6 times??  Someone did NOT do their homework.  If we really want to help those we’re going to, aren’t they worth the time and effort of true quality time to get to know their true needs?  I thought the idea of sending people to the Dominican Republic to teach computer skills was excellent.  This reminds me of the saying about teaching a person to fish.

Just an in years gone by, missionaries reevaluated their methods, it sounds like we need to do so again, which isn’t bad as long as we learn each time and put that learning to good use.

Literally?

As somebody who works in the missions world and in an organization that has a short-term program, let me throw my two-cents worth in this discussion.

Short-term missions involvment has exploded onto the scene and expanded over the past 30 years.  Hundreds of thousands have been sent.  In the early days of this movement, many mission agencies were not in favor of it.  Eventually, this viewpoint changed as agencies felt that the exposure these trips gave to people would mean greater global giving, going, praying, etc.  Unfortunately, this has not happened.  Despite the millions spent on short-term trips, little impact has been felt in terms of long-term interest.

Churches have had a different perspective.  They are often looking for ways for people to be engaged and have seen short-term as a way to do this.  While I am sympathetic to that purpose, it is not very focused on the objective within the receiving culture.  Is it missions if the greatest contribution is for the short-termer and not the receiving culture?

Another concern is the buliding of structures and institutions.  Should this be the goal of our missionary work?  If these efforts are not under the control and direction of the local, indigenous people (not necessarily the church because there may not be one) I question their worth.  Did Jesus build churches for poor kids in Samaria?  I don’t think so.

I think there should be a close look at the way we do short-term missions.  For one, let’s stop sending people to the same places.  The number of missionary trips into Guatemala, The Domican Republic, Haiti, etc., is incredibly high.  Is this good for these cultures and churches?  I doubt it.  Particularly if, in the meantime, there continues to be thousands of truly unreached people groups left in the world where there is little to no gospel presence.  We alse send the same people over and over.  One pastor I know calls them “repeat offenders.” Your church might consider letting them go to an “easy” place the first time.  The second time, send them to a place with fewer Christians and greater spiritual needs.  Help them to grow and not get comfortable by returning to the familiar and easy sites time and time again.

What we need to do is carefully look at the objectives for a particular trip.  They need to be examined not only in light of the needs of the “trippers” but also in light of the local culture.  As somebody who has lived cross-culturally as a missionary, my perspective is that it is very difficult to understand what those needs might be.  Working with national churches is not a “get out of missiology free card.” I have seen short-term teams that were mislead by local people and never knew that they were.

The great benefit of short-term trips is that they democratize missions.  It makes it accessible to everybody.  Praise God for this but lets be smarter about it than we have been.

I think when we plan a short term missions trip for whatever purpose, be it helping out in physical needs or street evangelism, whatever, we need to broaden our criteria.

A lot of good discussion here by they way.

As a person who has been on the receiving end of short term missions teams, we have at times just said no.  Why?  Because often times we’ve ended up spending more time training those teams for ministry, then they’ve helped us.  And when they leave, we are just plain worn out.

If the missions trips drains the missionaries that these groups are coming to serve, then should they have come at all?  We’ve said no to some.

BUT, I don’t think the solution is to say, “Let’s get rid of short term missions.”

I think we need to be very careful when we plan them, looking at real needs and seeking to fulfill them, providing all the necessary tools to make it happen and not expecting the missionaries to come up with what we need to get the job done, and honestly evaluating how much serving and how much vacationing we are doing in the process.