Mission trips have gotten a bad reputation over the years. When many hear the word “mission trip” today they’re less likely to think of dedicated disciples spreading the love of Jesus and more likely to visualize a rowdy youth group painting a fence and snapping photos for their Instagram pages. This outdated method of ministry has been critiqued heavily and stamped with the title of “voluntourism.” However, in the wake of this criticism, many Christians are left wondering how then they can fulfill the Great Commission without embodying such a negative stereotype. In short, they’re asking “how can a short-term mission trip actually make an impact?”
We believe the answer starts with partnership. At Adventures in Missions, we work alongside local missionaries from countries all over the world to assist them with the vision God has placed on their hearts. Instead of sending teams blindly into an area they know nothing about, we seek to let our ministry partners guide us into the areas they feel need the most assistance. We then mobilize strategic short-term teams with the goal of offering lift in those areas. This allows local missionaries to focus on building relationships in their communities and spreading the Gospel of Jesus within the cultural context of that area.
Take, for example, the Adventures in Missions base in South Asia. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Adventures sought guidance from their network of local missionaries on how to partner with them and create the biggest positive impact on rural communities in the midst of the crisis. Together, they realized that lockdowns had created heavy burdens on many families in rural areas. Without a way to work and earn money, many were struggling to find a means to feed their families. Adventures in Missions, alongside the extensive network of local pastors and missionaries, set to work.
Adventures in Missions began raising money to deliver rice to those most heavily affected. With the assistance of donors back in the United States, they were able to raise enough funds to feed over 2,000 families across rural South Asia. Then, teams of local missionaries organized checkpoints to deliver the rice to needy families. These deliveries were then used as a starting point to build relationships in communities previously unreached as well as a time to pray and evangelize to families.
With the help of local efforts in South Asia, Adventures in Missions was able to create a real impact on communities across the world. Through real partnerships with local ministries, we believe that lasting impacts can be made using short-term missions.
To learn more about our local ministry partners and how they’re making an impact, check out this article: 5 Christian Mission Trips that are making an Impact
