The COVID-19 pandemic has put a halt to many youth mission trips this summer. This has likely disrupted not only travel plans, but whatever momentum youth pastors have gained in building a heart of missions in their students. I pray this isn't the case, but as we begin to resume our plans later this year and as we plan for next summer, I'd like to share some of the insights I learned as a youth leader for 12 years at Laurelwood Baptist in Vancouver, Washington. Before I arrived, Laurelwood already had a strong history and culture of missions. It continues to this day.
Missions have always played an integral part in my faith journey. From vacation Bible school partnerships to basketball clinics and construction projects in Mexico, to serving missionary schools in West Africa, my spiritual life and leadership have been marked by the momentum of missions. By the time I accepted the role of youth pastor at Laurelwood, I began to learn even more about what it means to cultivate a heart of missions in the lives of students. Here are the top 10 things on that list:
- Set your vision. Unfortunately, it took me a few years to establish a concrete, communicable vision for our student ministry. It may take time for you to develop this, but it is vital. It will likely be an evolving process too. The first step toward this is tip #2.
- Know yourself, your students, and your families. The more I got to know the students and their families, the more I became aware of which opportunities would fit our skillset. It took time to identify our community strengths, weaknesses and interests and in doing so, I gained more trust and buy-in.
- Connect with a church or ministry on-site. No one knows what God is already doing in a particular ministry setting more than those who have already been serving there. Take time to research and find the best partners who already have their finger on the pulse of God's work in their community.
- Commit for a few years. You will learn a lot from the first trip. Returning to the same paradigm with these lessons in mind will help you be all the more effective the next time. Plus, it keeps the focus of your trip on the relationships you make, more than just the work you may be doing.
- Leverage local to global and global back to local. Even with a strong history of student missions, I found myself basically starting over. I began by connecting with local ministries. As students showed a desire to engage more, I looked for something stateside that had an added level of commitment - in our case, Hurricane Katrina relief. Over time, their needs surpassed our means to meet them.
Next, God led us to serve alongside Compassion International in the Dominican Republic. As we expanded our scope geographically, we focused on helping our team see the world around them with the eyes of Jesus, using their individual gifts, talents, and abilities together as a team to share and live out the gospel. This initiative applied everywhere they went, including their own homes, schools, and neighborhoods. - Invite parents, siblings, and the rest of your church to be on the team. As our student mission opportunities expanded, family members as well as church members from every generation were excited to join future teams. Not only did this allow us to be able to serve and connect with a broader community on-site, it also helped our church grow intergenerationally at home.
- Build the right team. Utilizing an application process for our team members allowed us to evaluate their readiness, their availability, their potential contribution as a team member, and the potential for personal impact. I also learned I wasn't necessarily the best one to lead every trip. Of the eight teams that I planned, I only led one of them on-site. The other trips were led by men and women more familiar with our locations and the culture, and who were more gifted and capable in helping our team be most effective.
- Prepare your team. Using the Next Mile Training (find the link here) in the six to twelve months leading up to our trip was invaluable to help us bond and learn how to work together. Another helpful resource is the Student ConneXion conference (Nov. 6-7, 2020 | Portland, OR). This two-day mission conference for middle and high school students includes keynote speakers, workshops, and exhibitors focused on cultivating a heart for missions at home and around the world.
- You're NOT the expert. Prior to our first trip to the Dominican Republic, our trip leader pulled me aside. He told me to throw out the idea that I had some new information that would help make their church better. In fact, they were doing just fine and in many ways they were more effective than our church. His insight allowed me to see where I fit into God's grand story and how our church could learn from those we were serving.
- Report and debrief mission experiences are a lot to process. The culture shock, the reverse culture shock, and the expansion of our understanding of God's work in the world can be overwhelming. Schedule several occasions over the next few months to process together, helping solidify what God is teaching each team member.
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Phil Ball is the Northwest Coordinator for Engagement and Training with the National Network of Youth Ministries. Connect with Phil here.