Short-Term Missions How do you prepare for a short-term mission trip so that it is successful and meaningful for all involved?

 First the leader must pray before starting any preparation; listening for God in what He wants to do in this trip (Greene).  Must decipher if you are hearing God’s voice or just want to do this trip for your own purposes (Vancise).  After hearing God’s voice on this decision, choose a destination that is best for your group. Make sure you ask God for direction in this matter.  Never choose a location that you personally want to go to. Also, never choose a location that is dangerous for you and the youth.

Choosing a Location  Research different places to minister (Borthwick).  Do not choose a place just because it is common to go to.  After choosing a location, contact this location and schedule a time to go to visit (Greene).  Never make a final decision on the destination yourself, consult the pastor of your church and the elders to make the final decision (Greene).

Promoting the Trip  Start promoting the trip months before the trip (Greene).  Announce it in church services, Sunday school, youth group, and in the bulletin  Make sure parents have the information about the trip (Crabtree).

Paperwork Needed for the Trip  Applications- this is a must, not everyone is ready to participate in a trip like this (Borthwick).  Consent forms- parents need to sign permission for their students to go on this trip and these forms need to be notarized (Crabtree).  Insurance Card Information  Passport- Youth need to apply for a passport between 6-8 months in advance (Greene).

Health and Medical Information  Have medical consent forms filled out by all parents and notarized (Crabtree).  Make sure that all the students and volunteers have up to date immunizations needed and if not make sure they get them as soon as possible (Greene).  Make sure to have a volunteer with medical training preferably a nurse or doctor (Jones).  Have a first-aid kit put together for the trip (VanCise).

Group Meetings  Schedule weekly or biweekly meetings so that you are able to meet with the group and prepare them for the trip (Borthwick)  These meetings include and are not limited to: preparing youth hearts for the trip, cultural experience, preparing to minister, learning how to write a testimony, dress code, etc. (Borthwick and Greene).  Include parents in on these meetings every once in awhile. Parents must stay inform with what is happening. When parents stay informed nothing goes misinterpreted. (Crabtree)  Spiritually prepare your students (VanCise)

Support Raising  Have fundraisers- must plan these much in advance so they can start immediately after forming the team. (Borthwick).  Write support letters (Greene).  Prayer Partners (Greene).

Important Information  Spiritual Preparation (Vancise)  Travel plans (Vancise and Greene)  Budget- must figure out how much it will be and how much cash you will need on the trip (VanCise, Borthwick, and Greene).  Volunteers- recruit people that you trust with youth and that will help you the best with this trip (Borthwick).  Train volunteers (Borthwick).

Travel Plans  Plan how you will get to the airport if going to fly to destination (Greene).  Know the policies of air travel and your specific airline (VanCise).  Figure out ahead of time your transportation at your mission project (Jones).  Do you need a bus driver? (Jones)

Plans While on the Mission Field  Plan with the mission organization what you will be doing on the mission field (Greene).  Plan accordingly and purchase materials for the projects (Greene).  If VBS is a part of your trip, prepare lessons and activities and purchase and collect all necessary materials needed for the project (Greene).  Plan activities that will let the team reflect and relax (Greene).  Plan times for the team to be spiritually fed.

Resources:  Borthwick, Paul. “Youth Mission Trips.” Methods for Youth Ministry. ED. David Roadcup. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company,  Crabtree, Jack. Better Safe than Sued: Keeping out of trouble in Youth Ministry. Loveland, CO: Group Publishing,  Greene, H. Leon. A Guide to Short Term Missions: A Comprehensive Manual for Planning an Effective Mission Trip. Waynesboro, GA: Gabriel Publishing,  Jones, Karen. MI376. Administration Annex. 16 April Lecture.  VanCise, Martha. Successful Mission Teams: A guide for volunteers. Birmingham, AL: New Hope Publishers,  Helpful Resource-  Olson, Ginny; Diane Elliot; and Mike Work. Youth Ministry Management Tools. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001.