Mission work is simple. Seriously, think about it. Take a crummy place, add some overly privileged youth, throw in a Bible verse and a dash of awareness, and there you have it—a mission experience. The problem is that this is a canned, fast-food, Americanized version of kingdom living—where Jesus and missions fit into our lives only to accommodate a shallow Christian purpose.
Harsh? Yes. True? Yes.
A hundred years ago, what did missions look like? People would feel a burning call from God, sell every possession to travel to an foreign destination, spend years interacting within the culture that might love them or kill them; then depending on how things went, die peacefully or be murdered in their sleep. It was a win-lose-win situation. Now, fast forward to present time: What is our idea of missions? Usually it’s a week when we work on somebody’s house or church for six hours a day and spend evenings playing cards and eating meals that females in the group have made. We cry because we realized some poor sap loves Jesus as we do. Then we go home. Once home, we tell people we saw Jesus, talk about how we are changed forever, then go to the movies. It is a win-win situation.
The Call
I know there are tons of resources out there about how we can turn our youth into mission-minded kids—challenging them to be Christians with hearts for missions year round. Still, they don’t seem to address the most important issue. It’s not about special programming that causes them to look at starving children and wear a bracelet. It’s not about setting up a mission experience that shuttles youth across the globe. It’s not about traveling to places where they can serve. It is challenging them to answer why they serve.
Missions, especially in the youth ministry department, have developed into a nasty thing: a program. Most of us are bombarded by ads and offers to take our youth to a far-away land to hug a child and paint a house. These promotions promise us a trip that is rich in experience, easy to participate in, and potentially life-changing. The hard work is done; just show up and let the Jesus power take control.
Where in Scripture—in Jesus’ life—did the mission field look like that? Paul didn’t read a colorful brochure and book a trip to transform his life. He was called. Mary Magdalene didn’t come home from school, see a “Beach Week” flyer and quit sleeping around. She was called. Missions are not about the place or even the people, but about answering a call.
Helping youth develop a missional lifestyle is not about placing them somewhere to serve, but about nurturing them to listen. Easy, smooth, fun and cool are profane words to describe mission work. Is that how John the Baptist described his service right before his head was on a platter? Words such as challenging, painful, rewarding, convicting and redeeming should be the words associated with missions.
So what can we do to ensure authentic trips and authentic servants? Here are five suggestions:
1) Challenge youth before the trip.
Yes, mission trips are usually when the youth minister gets to shine and justify having an office. However, make certain the youth who are going understand that mission trips are not a replacement for church camp.
Start with the application. If they can fill it out while texting and eating a taco, it’s probably not challenging enough. Ask discerning questions about their faith and make them comment. Require youth to have references from non-relatives. Plus, if they want to go, make them fundraise—not a lame car wash, but something that takes time, creativity and dedication. Try having a short-term Bible study about missions. The key is to do your best to create an atmosphere of sincerity.
2) Require youth to be active in other areas of church life.
Integrate into your ministry a sense of service within the church walls. We are so busy getting youth to serve outside the church that we forget about the needs inside. Placing youth in worship, on committees or in other various roles can help them see church itself has mission opportunities. Besides, youth who are involved year-round in service will see the mission trip not just as a short-term experience but as part of the long-term service required of disciples.
3) Speaking of disciples, stop trying to make them!
Many times we pressure ourselves by thinking we are to be the creators of good, little Christians. Let that burden go. We cannot make a disciple or missionary. That is the role of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we need to step back and let Jesus do the work. During your trip, allow for an atmosphere in which things are a little messy or unorthodox. For example, instead of trying to make everyone be quiet when the lights are out and it’s time to go to sleep, have a few adults share their testimonies with the whole group in the dark. This sometimes makes it easier for adults to share their stories. Don’t be afraid to break away from expectations and let the Spirit move.
4) If a problem arises, let it arise.
Parents may not like this one, but give it a try. If youth are upset about the heat, food, other youth, adults, work or whatever—do not try to fix it. See how they handle it. Allow for moments of awkwardness and unease. Part of being a mission-minded servant is dealing with problems. If there is a tough choice to be made about a project, ask youth and adults to make the call. Sure there will be times when you as the leader need to intervene, but letting youth deal with rough situations and possibly failing will give them an honest look at mission work. Remember Jesus laid out the pros and cons of discipleship. We should, too.
5) Don’t let them forget the experience.
When we return from a trip, we sometimes act as if it was our graduation party. We do our best to put the mission behind us and move on to the next program. Instead, keep watering and cultivating the seeds planted in the youth. Put them in adult classes to talk about the trip. Place them in other service opportunities based on their gifts. Try out other types of mission work in your community. If your trip was heavy on construction, go to a nursing home and have the youth tell stories or do crafts. Keep the mission experience alive by keeping the youth alive in missions.
Missions are simple because it is Jesus being shared in a way that allows others to feel His loving embrace. Our role is not to be the creators of an awesome mission trip in which the focus is on keeping schedules or making sure everyone is comfortable. It is not a vacation, but a real struggle. It’s about inviting youth to hear Jesus say, “Follow Me,” regardless of where His call leads.
