With summer officially here, it means a multitude of volunteers are embarking on international mission trips. While we provide mission trip airfare throughout the year, summers are definitely the time when the majority of Christian mission trips occur. Our travel consultants have been busy helping groups finalize their plans and get their teams onto flights to every corner of the world. This month’s Missions Round-Up blog post focuses on short term missions.
The Presbyterian Church (USA) recently applauded short-term mission on its website when it wrote, “Short term mission trips have critics but can foster advocacy, sharing and education.” The article reminds us what mission trip participants all learn—they they receive as much or more than they give. “We go to learn from and about the people and projects we are visiting and to share our gifts — ours with them and theirs with us — whatever they may be, and then to educate the people in the churches back home, which is also sharing,” said Michael Hyatt, a church official from Tucson.
Some mission teams heading to Haiti this summer are refocusing their ministry in light of a cholera outbreak. Mission Network News reports that 1,300 people in Port-au-Prince have the disease and it is pushing hospitals to full capacity. Recent heavy rains have caused the sanitation to again deteriorate. Short term teams as well as ministries and NGOs working long-term on the island have incorporated cholera prevention, education and treatment into their services.
There will be a lot more short-term teams working among unreached and unengaged people groups if the Southern Baptist International Mission Board (IMB) has its way. The IMB recently launched an “embrace the ends of the earth” campaign to mobilize prayer and direct church participation with 3,800 people groups that have little or no Christian witness. In September the IMB kicks-off Embrace Equipping Conferences around the country to help churches get started in ministry to unreached people groups.
Ministry Travel would like to remind you that it is not too early to begin planning your 2012 international mission trips. With airfare usually the largest single mission trip expense, it is good to have a realistic idea of cost as you begin budgeting and planning your outreaches. Our international missions travel consultants are here to help you.
Tags: christian mission trips, international mission trips, short-term missions