5 Ways Short-Term Missions Trips Affect Your Life

Are missions trips worth the money?  Could the money be used better in helping our local communities?  These are the types of questions that are brought up in an article recently written for Christianity Today.  You can read it here.  The author notes that a two-week, short term missions trip can cost anywhere from $1600-$3000 a person.  If you add that up, the American church spends around $1.6 billion every year on short term missions trips.  The question then simply becomes - is it worth it?  In my opinion, the answer is a resounding yes.

I have had the privilege of traveling to fourteen different countries in the past ten years on missions trips. When I was 18 years old I went to England, Scotland, and Wales to assist the churches in that area.  Then when I was 21 I went to Germany, Austria, and Czech Republic as a bible college student.  A year later I went to Austria, Italy, and Hungary as a bible college teacher.  A few years later I went to Israel, Egypt, and Jordan as a seminary student.  Finally, this past year, I went to Thailand to teach at a bible school and Mexico to teach at another bible school.

Every time I leave the country and go on a missions trip God always does five things in my life.  I believe these same five things happen in anybody's life when they go on a short term missions trip; and these are the reasons why we should keep sending people on them:

1. A short term missions trip will readjust your priorities.  I think the single most important lesson I always learn when I'm on the missions field is that I need to readjust my priorities.  When your on the field, you're serving the Lord, spending extra time in prayer and study, and most importantly, not wasting time on things that don't matter!  You don't have time to sit on the couch and watch tv.  You don't have time to play a game on your smartphone or tablet.  Why?  Because your priorities have been readjusted.  You focus on the task at hand - making disciples of all nations.  You don't get to experience that as noticeably without going on a missions trip.  When you come home, you desire to put those same priorities into practice in your regular daily life.
2. A short term missions trip will refresh your spirit.  There's just something special about breaking out of a routine.  Switching up your workout routine.  Going on a spontaneous road trip.  Taking a break from studying.  There's just something special about it.  A short term missions trip is no different.  Sometimes the best thing for our relationship with God is to get out of our routine.  As a pastor, I feel this in a very tangible way.  I spend most of every day studying God's Word, praying, preparing messages, preparing services, counseling, etc.  Not that any of that is bad, but it can become such a routine that I'm tempted to go through the motions.  But when I go on a missions trip, I break out of that routine.  I get to serve God in a new environment and in new ways.  It always refreshes my spirit in a powerful way.  
3. A short term missions trip will reapply your training.  Remember that time you went to bible college?  Remember that time your church taught a training series on evangelism and apologetics?  Remember how you hardly ever put any of that knowledge to use?  Me too!  On a missions trip, however, you are called upon to reapply all of your training.  Often times a missions trip will include outreaches, street evangelism, discipleship, teaching, and times of prayer.  All of the tools that God has taught you and gifted you with come into play and it's a beautiful thing!  
4. A short term missions trip will reaffirm your calling.  The Apostle Paul challenged Timothy, a young pastor, to stir up the gift that was in him.  I believe being on the Missions field can do wonders for sorting out God's will for our lives.  I've seen people who never knew what their gift or calling was discover it on a two week missions trip!  I've seen others stir up a passion for ministry that they had long forgotten about.  I've seen myself get reminded of why I love serving God as a pastor while being on short term trips.  In fact, the last trip I did, which was to Mexico late in 2013, I was going through a difficult bout with discouragement.  I was doubting whether I should be in full time ministry any longer.  But while I was in Mexico, God reaffirmed what He has called me to do and I came back to my home church with a new passion to do His work.  
5. A short term missions trip will revamp your passion.  Has the fire gone out in your life?  Are you going through the motions?  Then a short term missions trip is the perfect thing for you.  I think missions trips have such an impact on our lives because it gets us back to the basics.  We get back to sharing our faith regularly, praying regularly, and studying God's Word regularly.  We remember what it's like to have a vibrant relationship with Jesus and it reignites our passion.  

Should the church stop sending people on short term missions trips to better use their funds?  You tell me!  Do you want a church full of passionate Christ followers?  Then I suggest that you keep doing them.  Not only does it bless those that you are sent to, but it blesses those that are sent.