This article in the Washington Post was referenced by my blogging (and former teaching) friend Bet, discussing mission teams that go to the same place and are painting the same walls over and over! The article says that many are questioning the value of mission teams.
Now, I don't think that churches I've been a part of over the years would be doing work that didn't really need to be done. I do think, however, that mission teams need to be evaluated carefully. They seem to be the latest "fad" (if that is the best word) in Christian circles, and they may or may not be effective.
--Is the cost prohibitive? A large overseas mission team, say 30 people at $1200 apiece, would cost $36,000, and that's not counting probable subsidy from the sponsoring church. Is that the best use of missions money? Even with small teams driving to other parts of the U.S.--there is much, much money used up in transportation of people, when there is also much that can be done closer to home.
--Does taking care of a large group of people take away from the missionaries' time to actually pursue their work? It is very wearing. I am sure that an occasional team can be invigorating. But I read on one missionary's site that "It's time for mission team season," and it was obvious that she and her husband would have to devote much energy to the teams.
--Most of all: Is the age of the participants optimum? I've been on two teams, and the one to Haiti when I was 20 years old changed my life immensely. Never again would I look at Christianity without seeing it through a broader filter--one that was not limited to U.S. style of living and worship. Nor would I ever take material blessings for granted again--and that was greatly reinforced on a trip taken to Mexico when I was an adult.
College students are at a premium age to be helpful but also to take in the lessons of the mission field. But I'm not so sure that that is true with high school teams. Granted, there are some teenagers who benefit and are changed by the trip. Two high school sophomores from our school who went to China come to mind. But for many teens, a trip to a mission field is just an "extension of the action"--a glorified youth activity, so to speak. Oh, they have a wonderful time, and usually get emotionally worked up for awhile. But most aren't mature enough to really appreciate the opportunity that they've been given and the sacrifice that parents or others may have made so that they can make this trip. They want to go because it's the thing to do, because their friends are going, because it's exciting.
Mission trips can have a valuable place in the world of Christendom. However, they must be evaluated carefully, both before they are planned and after they take place, to minimize the cost, to make them as effective as possible, and to have the most valuable impact on the lives of those who go.
2 comments:
I agree, too often it is a "glorified youth trip" - I like your phrasing!
I've thought about your post for quite awhile so it's taken some time to comment.
You have very valid points about mission trips.
I see the benefit in getting kids away from familiar surroundings and to see others who live with much fewer material blessings, but my question/concern revolves why do these trips have to be in far away destinations?
Why do groups have to go to other states or countries when there's a need across town? It seems a bit hypocritical for a group to take their kids to help others yet they do no service projects in their own town.
I also think it's funny how groups from two cities just pass each other on the highway. A church in Grand Rapids takes their kids to Chattanooga to have VBS in the inner city while a church in Chattanooga sends their kids to Grand Rapids/Lansing/Kalamazoo etc. to have a 5-day club!
And even though this is already a long comment I have to tell about spending a summer in the DR. It gave me a different look at mission trips as a church brought their teens down for a week. They had prepared to teach SS, and I kid you not, they literally taught from the Garden of Eden through the OT to the resurrection! It was as if they came down to give the heathen their one shot at hearing the Bible. However, the children sitting in SS were there every Sunday and many probably knew the stories as well or better than the American kids! I went to SS for the English and just left shaking my head!
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