1. God commands us to make disciples of all nations.

Most in the church agree it is their responsibility to build God’s kingdom by making disciples. This is based on Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20 to go make disciples of ALL nations. The command is simple enough: Go make disciples of all nations. If you’re thinking about going on a mission trip, obedience is the first place to start. Obedience is not optional. Obedience is costly. If we are not obeying God’s command, we are disobeying it. Simple, right? If most can’t go on a short-term mission trip, are they being disobedient to God’s command to go? Read on.

2. Short term missions experiences edify other believers the team partners with on the field.

When a mission team goes into the field to partner with another church for a week or two of ministry, that church is blessed in so many ways. The local community gets a boost by fresh faces who are passionate about sharing Jesus alongside familiar faces who labor daily to build the kingdom. The ministry in the field is encouraged by the love and sacrifice a mission team makes to in going and serving.  The local church may get some “goodies” or creature comforts that simply warm the heart or put a smile on their face. We ultimately don’t go for ourselves. We go to serve King Jesus and the local church in its cultural context. There are many decisions made for Christ that the local church will be excited to follow up on as a result of the mission team’s work.

3. Many career missionaries received the call to missions from going on a short-term mission trip.

I have many friends from seminary and college who are active in the mission field, or who have had long times of service on the mission field as a direct result of them going on a short-term mission trip. Short term mission trips plant seeds of faith in those who go and those seeds grow into a burning passion to impact a local people group through a longer-term relationship that short term missions simply cannot provide.

4. Your faith will be strengthened in ways you never imagined.

As believers, getting away from what makes us comfortable can be unnerving, but also faith building. Raising funds for a trip is hard. Not everyone has the resources to go on a short-term mission trip, so enlisting others help in seeing why God is calling you to go on a mission trip is imperative. Trusting God to provide requires faith. When God provides even more so than we expected materially, spiritually, relationally or otherwise, we are emboldened to carry out the task for which He has called us to. When we see people respond to the gospel in which we share faithfully, we are thrilled to be a part of the worldwide work of God to redeem man from sin. We are simply the messengers. God does the work, and a great work He is doing!

5. Other believers will be encouraged to continue the work God has called them to by your faithfulness to go.

Churches in other cultures do things differently in many respects than we do in here in the states. But we also share many commonalities. Pastors can oftentimes be discouraged while serving their church. When a mission team comes to partner alongside what the church is already doing, it provides confirmation of the work of God to many in the local congregation. The task is hard. No matter where a believer is, sharing Jesus doesn’t come naturally to most. When an energized group joins the local church, that same passion to share can oftentimes be contagious. It can also happen the other way around. The missions team can also learn from the people they have come to serve and serve alongside.

6. Someone may make the choice to go simply because you are going also.

Many things are taken into consideration when going on a short-term mission trip. Things like vacation days, time away from family and home, a schedule that is put on hold and so on If one person can make the leap of faith when juggling these issues, others may join them. Others are encouraged by such demonstrations of faith. Your gong on a mission trip just may be the impetus someone needs to go also.

7. Your church will learn to trust God more through sacrificial giving to missions

I’ve seen churches give tens of thousands of dollars to send teams to go on mission trips. I’ve also seen churches give those same amounts to missions in general to support the work of long term career missionaries. If a church can raise funds to send a team abroad to partner with a local church, a missions priority is established not in word only but in deed. The money is oftentimes in the forefront of people’s minds, but God is the one who provides. We must not forget that fact in our giving sacrificially to missions.

My question to you now is, will you go?