A Practical Guide to Short-Term Missions: Responding to God's Call with Enhanced Preparation

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SHORT-TERM MISSIONS:

RESPONDING TO GOD’S CALL WITH ENHANCED PREPARATION

Rev. Hannah Ostlund

CONTENT 3 4 - 15

FRAMING

16 - 23

UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS

24 - 31

CONTEXTUAL AWARENESS

32 - 37

CULTURAL PROFICIENCY

38 - 46

EVALUATING CONSTRAINTS

47

DISCERNING THE FUTURE

48 - 53

WHAT’S NEXT?

54 - 58

INCORPORATING ADVOCACY

59

APPENDIX A

60 - 61

BIBLIOGRAPHY

62 - 68

NOTES

69

2

INTRODUCTION

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION This short-term mission resource aims to provide church and congregational mission leaders with the resources, curriculum, and devotional structure for improving the effectiveness of their mission efforts, enhancing their relationships, and setting the stage for longterm development. This congregational mission resource provides foundational training and reflection on seven key topics of concern: framing the trip, understanding relationships, developing contextual awareness, seeking cultural proficiency, evaluating constraints, and discerning the future post-experience. The layout of this missional resource explores each of the seven topics followed by before, during, and after-trip devotional and reflection questions for the group to consider. With this resource, congregational mission leaders can lead a 4-6 week program before the trip where the group meets 1-2 hours a week, a form of devotional reflection during, and a 4-6 week program after the trip where the group meets for 1-2 hours a week with a key emphasis on their steps moving forward.

3

FRAM ING So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all others.

ROMANS 12:5 (NIV)

When beginning to plan a short-term mission trip, it is important to define the logistics and goals of the group, envision what work will be done, and lay the foundation for the types of partnerships and relationships that will be made. As participants or consumers, in the “experience economy” through short-term missions, it is important to understand that we will all have varying visions for how the experience takes shape in our lives.

This is not a fault of our own but is something that we should be aware of when framing short-term mission experiences. A foundational, and unified, understanding of the trip allows for both parties to successfully bring and receive aid with less potential for harm.

It is essential to ensure that the community being served is receptive to the aid being given. An overall foundation of the group’s goals will help to ensure that the work is beneficial to all. Therefore, understanding the differences between relief, rehabilitation, and development is crucial to laying a better foundation for our mission trip practices. Relief, rehabilitation, and development are defined by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert on page 99 of When Helping Hurts as follows:

4

RELIEF The urgent and temporary provision of emergency aid to reduce immediate suffering from a natural or man-made crisis.

REHABILITATION Restoring people and their communities to the positive elements of their pre-crisis condition.

DEVELOPMENT The process of ongoing change that moves all the people involved - both the “helpers” and the “helped” - closer to being in right relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation.

5

While your short-term mission experience may fit wonderfully in one of these categories, it is not always expected for that to be the case. I lay these “types” of trips before you as concrete examples of how you may be understanding the experience you are about to embark on, not as the one and only way to define your trip.

Other examples of the “type” of trip you may have include relational or advocacy/justice-centered. Relational trips capitalize on the power of connecting communities and individuals through travel and maybe even projects. In many ways, our trips no matter the type have a relational component. Advocacy or justice-centered trips focus on working alongside advocacy groups of the host population to advocate for their needs and rights. Just as most of our mission trips will have a relational component, they also benefit from understanding how our work can aid in advocacy efforts in the country and when we return home.

I give you these examples of mission trip “types” not believing there is a “one-size-fits-all” approach to short-term mission work. Instead, I encourage us to keep these trip varieties in mind so that we may challenge our tendency to be comfortable in the ways we take part in short-term mission work. If we approach our participation in short-term missions through the approach we are most comfortable in, we neglect to take into consideration the type of trip our partners and hosts need most. Therefore, when discerning the type of trip you will engage in, I encourage your group to challenge comfortability and seek out the trip needs of our partners foremost.

6

7

D EVOT ION AL 1

To provide a better foundation for framing your type of trip, consider the following devotional and corresponding reflection questions both as individuals and as a group.

Before the trip: This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

JOHN 15:12-13 (NRSV)

8

REFLECTION QUESTIONS What are your goals for this trip? How do these goals fit into your role within the group? How do these goals work into our role in the work being done in (insert country/place/community)?

What are the group goals for this trip? Instilling a covenant centered in love, openness, awareness, etc. (Appendix A)

9

What are the ways in which we can show unconditional love to each other?

Are there different ways we can show this same Godly love to those we are working with?

What are the ways we can be good stewards of our short time in (insert community)?

10

How can we set the foundation for this mission trip to extend beyond this short-term experience? How can we create the room for long-term development to be formed?

What are the strengths and weaknesses we are bringing when aiding this community? What are the strengths of the community that can help us to better serve them?

How can we partner with the community we are serving in a way that practices good stewardship to them and to us?

11

During the trip: While it is important to reflect before and after the experience, it is equally important for there to be structure in reflecting together during the trip. In Robert Haye’s Consuming Mission, he considers the time of reflection and devotion during the short-term mission experience to be what allowed the group to step away from the work/activities and deeply reflect on the trip.

Therefore, the during space should begin with a short Scripture reading and prayer, followed by “roses and thorns,” pros and cons, highs and lows, whatever you may call it. This is where the “main” leader or an individual decided on a rotation, invites each participant to identify what they experienced that day, asking something along the line of:

What have you experienced today?

Where did you see God moving in our work today?

Once all have shared, the participants should be encouraged to share their highs and lows. Following this time of communal sharing, more specific reflection questions can be asked, such as:

What were the highs and lows of your day’s experience?

Has today’s experience been what you expected? If not, what’s been different or surprising?

Is there anything new about the culture or our hosts that you have learned today?

12

After the trip: And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:13 (NRSV)

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

JEREMIAH 29:11 (NRSV)

13

REFLECTION QUESTIONS Did we accomplish the goals we set during this trip and in what ways?

What are the ways we showed unconditional love to each other and to those we were serving?

How can we continue to show this love to each other and to the community we served?

14

What now? What is being done or going to be continued after our shortterm mission to this community?

What resources did we bring to the table that were useful and which ones were not as useful? How were these combatted or supported by the resources brought by the community being served?

15

UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

EPHESIANS 4:2-3 (NIV)

A key component of the structure of a short-term mission trip is rooted in the relationships formed as a group and as a global community.

Ultimately, a lot of trust and respect go into the work done on a short-term mission trip and this work should not be taken lightly. God has called us each into communion and community with one another through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26). While we commune with one another, it is important to understand that no one (visitor or host) leaves a short-term mission experience unchanged.

16

Therefore, it is important to define the types of relationships that will take shape during the short-term mission experience and their roles within this trip and in the long-term development we hope to foster. In the book When Helping Hurts, Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert define four foundational forms of relationships (p.55) as:

One’s Relationship with God

One’s relationship with God relates to one’s thoughts, words, and actions as they relate to giving thanks. Each of us has a different and diverse relationship with God, it is important to understand and value this when we commune together as neighbors near and far.

One’s Relationship with Self

One’s relationship with self is defined as the calling we are given by God. Each of us is uniquely called into a life of service for Christ. This does not mean that everyone needs to be a preacher or pastor, but that one can live out their calling to God’s creation as a veterinarian, doctor, teacher, etc.

One’s Relationship with Others

One’s relationship with others is defined as God’s creation of us to love one another, to get to know each other, and to encourage one another in all that we do. This is not separate from our unique calling, but a part of our calling as Christ’s body in the world.

One’s Relationship with Creation

One’s relationship to creation relates to how we act as good stewards to the work as a way to preserve it as He intended it to be.

17

All four of these foundational relationships are important when discerning the work that will be done and the roles of each participant during your short-term mission experience. For our work to be its best, we need to better understand where we currently stand in these four relationships and how our short-term mission experiences can change or shape these relationships moving forward. Before completing the “before” devotional segment, have each member answer the following questions to lay a foundation for understanding their four relationships.

What is your relationship with God that you show through your actions, words, and thoughts?

What is your relationship with yourself and the calling God has sent to you?

What is your relationship with others? How do you love, get to know, and encourage others?

How are you a good steward of the creation around you in a way to preserve it as God intended it to be?

18

DEVOTIONAL 2

To provide a better foundation of these principles with your group, consider the following devotional and corresponding reflection questions both as individuals and as a group.

Before the trip: A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk are born to share adversity.

PROVERBS 17:17 (NSRV)

19

REFLECTION QUESTIONS What types of relationships do we hope form between us? Are these relationships different from the ones we will form with those we are serving?

What type of relationships are you expecting from this experience (with peers, the community, yourself, etc.)

Trust is important. How do we properly incorporate trust into our conversations with each other and with the community we are entering?

20

During the trip: While it is important to reflect before and after the experience, it is equally important for there to be structure in reflecting together during the trip. In Robert Haye’s Consuming Mission, he considers the time of reflection and devotion during the short-term mission experience to be what allowed the group to step away from the work/activities and deeply reflect on the trip.

Therefore, the during space should begin with a short Scripture reading and prayer, followed by “roses and thorns,” pros and cons, highs and lows, whatever you may call it. This is where the “main” leader or an individual decided on a rotation, invites each participant to identify what they experienced that day, asking something along the line of:

What have you experienced today?

Where did you see God moving in our work today?

Once all have shared, the participants should be encouraged to share their highs and lows. Following this time of communal sharing, more specific reflection questions can be asked, such as:

What were the highs and lows of your day’s experience?

Has today’s experience been what you expected? If not, what’s been different or surprising?

Is there anything new about the culture or our hosts that you have learned today?

21

After the trip: A Song of Ascents.

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

PSALM 133:1

REFLECTION QUESTIONS How can we continue to foster the relationships we have created with each other and with the community we worked alongside?

22

In what ways can we continue to create space for trust with each other?

How can the trust we built with the community we worked with be strengthened for long-term development and aid?

23

CONTEXTUAL AWARENESS For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and were all made to drink of one Spirit.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-13 (ESV)

While contextual awareness is critical, it may not be something that you or your group have thought about when planning for your short-term mission experience. One of the many blessings of short-term mission trips comes through the opportunity those visiting have to immerse themselves into a different context. This immersion helps to break down any prejudice or judgment that each group may have toward one another.

Part of understanding the context your group is entering comes with gathering foundational information on the place or community you are working alongside. This information you gather should range from the culture’s values, beliefs, and norms to their political, economic, and social roots and should be shared with all members of the group.

While some of this information you gather may not differ from your own background and understanding, it is equally important to name the similarities as it is to name the differences. to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

24

D EVOTIONAL 3

To provide a better foundation of these principles with your group, consider the following devotional and corresponding reflection questions both as individuals and as a group.

Before the trip: If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

ROMANS 12:18 (NRSV)

25

REFLECTION QUESTIONS What is culturally, socially, and politically happening in the community we are entering?

How can we enter into this space with respect and awareness to be better stewards of what God is sending us to do?

26

During the trip: While it is important to reflect before and after the experience, it is equally important for there to be structure in reflecting together during the trip. In Robert Haye’s Consuming Mission, he considers the time of reflection and devotion during the short-term mission experience to be what allowed the group to step away from the work/activities and deeply reflect on the trip.

Therefore, the during space should begin with a short Scripture reading and prayer, followed by “roses and thorns,” pros and cons, highs and lows, whatever you may call it. This is where the “main” leader or an individual decided on a rotation, invites each participant to identify what they experienced that day, asking something along the line of:

What have you experienced today?

Where did you see God moving in our work today?

Once all have shared, the participants should be encouraged to share their highs and lows. Following this time of communal sharing, more specific reflection questions can be asked, such as:

What were the highs and lows of your day’s experience?

Has today’s experience been what you expected? If not, what’s been different or surprising?

Is there anything new about the culture or our hosts that you have learned today?

27

In an effort for cohesion, the “after” devotional and reflection section for contextual awareness and cultural proficiency is the same.

After the trip: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect.

ROMANS 12:2 (NRSV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.

PROVERBS 3:5 (NRSV)

28

REFLECTION QUESTIONS What cultural differences did we encounter? Invite the group to brainstorm these aloud, realizing that each member may experience these differences in various ways.

In what ways did we as a group embrace the cultural differences we encountered? What are ways we could have done better about embracing or respecting these differences?

29

What have we learned about our own values, culture, and practices through our time spent in this other culture?

How can we take what we learned about embracing and respecting different cultures and values into the everyday practices of our lives?

What are ways we conquered the challenges that arose with crosscultural ministry?

30

What are ways we could have done better to be more aware of these differences?

How can we create long-term development plans that include this new cultural understanding and appreciation? How do we make this a focus?

31

C U LTURAL P RO FICIE NCY Another great benefit of short-term mission experiences is their ability to immerse us in another culture. Just as understanding the contextual setting of the community we are visiting is important, so is understanding the cultural cues, norms, and standards. When we acknowledge and understand the differences and similarities between our culture and our hosts, we are given the foundational tools to break down any prejudice or judgment that each group may have toward one another. This section of the guidebook will provide you and your group space to explore and navigate the meeting of our culture and our hosts.

32

DEVOTION AL 4 Before the trip: For in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers - all things have been created through Him and for Him. He Himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

COLOSSIANS 1:16-17 (NRSV)

So with yourselves; if in a tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air.

1 CORINTHIANS 14:9 (NRSV)

33

REFLECTION QUESTIONS Where are we going? What are potential cultural differences and similarities between our society and theirs?

How can we learn to respect and appreciate these differences while on this mission trip?

34

What are some of our values and beliefs that we want to hold onto during this trip? Are they similar to the values of where we are going?

What are the challenges and blessings that may come with crosscultural work?

35

How can we break through potential language and cultural barriers we may face?

Now that we have evaluated the context and the culture, how can we respond faithfully?

36

During the trip: While it is important to reflect before and after the experience, it is equally important for there to be structure in reflecting together during the trip.

In Robert Haye’s Consuming Mission, he considers the time of reflection and devotion during the short-term mission experience is what allowed the group to step away from the work/activities and deeply reflect on the trip. Therefore, during space should begin with a short Scripture reading and prayer, followed by “roses and thorns,” pros and cons, highs and lows, whatever you may call it. This is where the “main” leader or an individual decided on a rotation, invites each participant to identify what they experienced that day, asking something along the line of:

What have you experienced today?

Where did you see God moving in our work today?

Once all have shared, the participants should be encouraged to share their highs and lows. Following this time of communal sharing, more specific reflection questions can be asked, such as:

What were the highs and lows of your day’s experience?

Has today’s experience been what you expected? If not, what’s been different or surprising?

Is there anything new about the culture or our hosts that you have learned today?

After the trip: In an effort for cohesion, the “after” devotional and reflection section for contextual awareness and cultural proficiency is the same, please reflect on these questions in the contextual awareness section.

37

EVALUATI NG CO NSTRAI NTS Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stweards of God’s grace in its various forms.

1 PETER 4:10 (NIV)

38

Arguably the most difficult component of short-term mission trips comes with the time constraint that is placed on the work being done. A majority of short-term mission trips have a duration of one to two weeks.

Naturally, while this may be enough time to begin the development process, it should not be seen as enough in terms of fostering long-term development and engagement. An underlying necessity of short-term mission trips is the need to frame and grow long-term development practices. While short-term mission trips can aid in this effort, their time constraint needs to be evaluated when developing plans and implementing foundational structure.

Similar to the time constraints that occur naturally within short-term mission trips, another difficult component of these trips comes with the overabundance or lack of resources. In terms of overabundance, many groups entering a community may bring too many tangible resources that can be deemed unnecessary by the community being served. Sometimes, monetary resources should be given to these communities instead of one’s time or other tangible resources. This same concept feeds into the idea of a lack of adequate resources being brought into the communities being served. Many groups may not know what is necessary until they get to the community which poses a problem when planning which resources to leverage.

39

AB D Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) principles act as one

way to combat the issues rooted in the constraints of time and resources mentioned in this section. ABCD, as defined by the Collaborative for

Neighborhood Transformation is, “a strategy for sustainable community development… [that] builds on the assets that are already found in the community and mobilizes individuals, associations, and institutions to

come together to build on their assets - not concentrate on their needs.”

In this sense, moving the focus of one’s mission trip from simply providing everything to the community into a mindset of using what assets the

community already has will enable the community to feel empowered to

keep the development moving in the way of long-term development when visiting groups are not physically present.

By focusing on ABCD principles during your short-term mission trip, you allow your work to become a piece of the larger puzzle of development within a given community. While you may feel that your short-term

mission experience did not complete everything you had hoped it would, it is important to know that your work is essential and that it feeds into the long-term development organizations and agencies are doing on the ground year-round. This is where an understanding of who you

are working with comes into play. When entering into this missional

space, reflect on the work you are doing and whom you are doing it

alongside. If your group is partnering with an organization or agency in

the community, your short-term mission work (in all forms) is likely aiding in the community’s long-term development plan. However, if you are

not partnering with an agency during long-term work in the community,

this does not mean that your work is not beneficial. Either way, a deeper understanding of your role in the puzzle of long-term development remains important in this holistic mission process.

40

D EVOTIONAL 5

To lay the foundation for a better understanding of the time and resource constraints and the assets the group and the community bring to the table, reflect on the following devotional and reflection questions.

Before the trip: One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves an two fish. But what are they among so many people?’

JOHN 6:8-9 (NRSV)

41

REFLECTION QUESTIONS What are the ways we can be good stewards of our short time in this community?

How can we set the foundation for this mission trip experience to extend beyond this short-term time frame? How can we create room, in this sense, for long-term development to take shape?

42

What are the strengths and weaknesses we bring to the table when aiding or working alongside this community? What are the strengths the community brings that can help us to better serve them?

How will we be partnering with the community we are entering? Are we working with a church, an agency, etc.?

How will we be partnering with this community, agency, etc. in a way that practices good stewardship to their assets and needs as well as ours?

43

During the trip: While it is important to reflect before and after the experience, it is equally important for there to be structure in reflecting together during the trip. In Robert Haye’s Consuming Mission, he considers the time of reflection and devotion during the short-term mission experience to be what allowed the group to step away from the work/activities and deeply reflect on the trip.

Therefore, the during space should begin with a short Scripture reading and prayer, followed by “roses and thorns,” pros and cons, highs and lows, whatever you may call it. This is where the “main” leader or an individual decided on a rotation, invites each participant to identify what they experienced that day, asking something along the line of:

What have you experienced today?

Where did you see God moving in our work today?

Once all have shared, the participants should be encouraged to share their highs and lows. Following this time of communal sharing, more specific reflection questions can be asked, such as:

What were the highs and lows of your day’s experience?

Has today’s experience been what you expected? If not, what’s been different or surprising?

Is there anything new about the culture or our hosts that you have learned today?

44

After the trip: For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

ROMANS 12:2

REFLECTION QUESTIONS How do we envision our work continuing in this community after we have returned home? This answer may not include work we will do, but work that the community may continue without us.

45

What resources did we bring to the table that were useful and which ones were not as useful?

How were our resources supported by the resources brought by the community we worked alongside?

46

DISCERNING THE FUTURE Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

ROMANS 12:12 (ESV) Planning for the mission trip ahead of you is important, but it is just as important to evaluate and discern what should happen after the trip ends and all parties return to normal, day-to-day life. How have you been changed by the experience? Does this change make you want to do more or continue the work more regularly? This is normal! Short-term mission experiences are life-changing and they have the ability to spark and drive long-term relationships, change, and development for all. This section of the guidebook will walk you through devotional segments for discerning what may be next for your group and encouraging advocacy for our host communities and the work that is being done.

47

WHAT ’ S N EXT ?

DEVOT I ONAL 6

To provide a better foundation of these principles with your group, consider the following devotional and corresponding reflection questions both as individuals and as a group.

Before the trip: I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

JOSHUA 1:9 (NRSV)

48

REFLECTION QUESTIONS Change is to be expected. What kind of changes can you anticipate for yourself, for us as a group, and for our relationship with God?

Do any of these ideas of change scare you? What are the ways we can be aware of this trepidation and how can we combat it?

Change may be difficult for us but it can also be difficult for the community we are entering. How can we be aware of this discomfort in a respectful way? How can we adapt our work to work with their potential fears of change?

49

During the trip: While it is important to reflect before and after the experience, it is equally important for there to be structure in reflecting together during the trip. In Robert Haye’s Consuming Mission, he considers the time of reflection and devotion during the short-term mission experience to be what allowed the group to step away from the work/activities and deeply reflect on the trip.

Therefore, the during space should begin with a short Scripture reading and prayer, followed by “roses and thorns,” pros and cons, highs and lows, whatever you may call it. This is where the “main” leader or an individual decided on a rotation, invites each participant to identify what they experienced that day, asking something along the line of:

What have you experienced today?

Where did you see God moving in our work today?

Once all have shared, the participants should be encouraged to share their highs and lows. Following this time of communal sharing, more specific reflection questions can be asked, such as:

What were the highs and lows of your day’s experience?

Has today’s experience been what you expected? If not, what’s been different or surprising?

Is there anything new about the culture or our hosts that you have learned today?

50

Now that you have completed your trip, contemplate the following devotional and reflection questions to reflect on the trip as individuals and as a group.

After the trip: I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.

PHILIPPIANS 1:6 (NRSV)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS Now that the experience is over, what did we learn?

51

What about what we learned has impacted how we see our lives and the work we do each day?

Did we accomplish our goals?

52

What do we want to happen next? How do we continue this work whether physically, relationally, etc?

Logistically, let’s agree to stay connected on social media and via email, perhaps meeting up once a year. This will allow us to remain connected in each other’s lives and to continue to plan out our vision for keeping this work going in the future.

53

INCORPORATING ADVOCACY DEVOT I ONAL 7

To provide a better foundation of these principles with your group, consider the following devotional and corresponding reflection questions both as individuals and as a group.

Before the trip: But let juctice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

AMOS 5:24 (NRSV)

54

REFLECTION QUESTIONS How can we be advocates for the community we are now in a relationship with?

What has opened our eyes to the need for advocacy in our own communities? Are there ways we can be better advocates for ourselves and our more local neighbors?

55

During the trip: While it is important to reflect before and after the experience, it is equally important for there to be structure in reflecting together during the trip. In Robert Haye’s Consuming Mission, he considers the time of reflection and devotion during the short-term mission experience to be what allowed the group to step away from the work/activities and deeply reflect on the trip.

Therefore, the during space should begin with a short Scripture reading and prayer, followed by “roses and thorns,” pros and cons, highs and lows, whatever you may call it. This is where the “main” leader or an individual decided on a rotation, invites each participant to identify what they experienced that day, asking something along the line of:

What have you experienced today?

Where did you see God moving in our work today?

Once all have shared, the participants should be encouraged to share their highs and lows. Following this time of communal sharing, more specific reflection questions can be asked, such as:

What were the highs and lows of your day’s experience?

Has today’s experience been what you expected? If not, what’s been different or surprising?

Is there anything new about the culture or our hosts that you have learned today?

56

In an effort for cohesion, the “after” devotional and reflection section for contextual awareness and cultural proficiency is the same.

After the trip: Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute.

Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

PROVERBS 31:8-9 (NRSV)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS Now that we have experienced a new culture and shared in the lives of our Christian siblings, how can we be advocates for them in our home contexts?

57

Are there experiences from our time in this community that have keyed us into issues our neighbors at home face?

If so, how can our STM experience better shape how we do local mission work?

Are there ways we can leverage our resources (tangible or not) to help be advocates for this community here and around the world?

58

APPENDIX A After each individual and the larger group answers the reflection questions in the framing section, it may be helpful to create a collective form of goals, visions, and roles through the creation of a group covenant.

Below is an example covenant that can aid your group in defining goals, roles, and an overall foundation of respect and Godly love.

Covenant: 1.

Respect for oneself and others 2.

Open avenues of communication 3.

Openness to discomfort and challenge 4.

Willingness to learn about other cultures, values, and beliefs, 5.

(Insert universal purpose of the trip) 6.

(Insert other group-defined goals)

59

BIBLIOGRAPHY “ABCD Institute.” ABCD Institute | DePaul University, Chicago, https:// resources.depaul.edu/abcd-institute/Pages/default.aspx.

Anderson, S. Eric, et al. “Voluntourism: The Economic Benefit and Societal Costs of Short-Term Mission Trips.” International Journal of Health and Economic Development, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 28–37. ProQuest, https:// gsmi-ijgb.com/wp-content/uploads/IJHED-V3-N2-P04-S-EricAnderson-Voluntourism.pdf.

Bosch, David Jacobus. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Orbis Books, 2011.

Corbett, Steve, et al. When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor ... and Yourself. Moody Publishers, 2014.

Das, Rupen. (2022). What the Majority World Is Saying About Mission Today. 46. 197-212.

Dearborn, Tim. Short-Term Missions Workbook: From Mission Tourists to Global Citizens: a 10-Week Course for Groups and Individuals. IVP Books, an Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2018.

Hage, John C. Equipping the Saints: A Practical and Theological Resource for International Mission Engagement in the Reformed Tradition.

Haynes, Robert Ellis, and Laceye C. Warner. Consuming Mission: Towards a Theology of Short-Term Mission and Pilgrimage. Pickwick Publications, 2018.

Jeffrey, Paul. “Short-Term Mission Trips.” Religion Online, https://www. religion-online.org/article/short-term-mission-trips/.

Lupton, Robert D. Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (and How to Reverse It). HarperOne, 2012.

Nagle, James Michael. “Forming a New Normal: Service Learning & Short-Term Mission Post Covid-19.” Religious Education, vol. 116, no. 5, 2021, pp. 506–520., https://doi.org/10.1080/00344087.2021.2004027.

60

BIBLIOGRAPHY Steffen, Tom A., and Lois McKinney Douglas. Encountering Missionary Life and Work: Preparing for Intercultural Ministry. Baker Academic, 2008.

Twibell, Simone Mulieri. “Contributions, Challenges, and Emerging Patterns of Short-Term Missions.” Missiology: An International Review, vol. 48, no. 4, 2020, pp. 344–359., https://doi. org/10.1177/0091829620937418.

Twibell, Simone Mulieri. “Reversing the Flow of Short-Term Missions within a Partnership Model: Perceptual Outcomes.” Missiology: An International Review, vol. 49, no. 2, 2020, pp. 176–188., https://doi. org/10.1177/0091829620972379.

Ver Beek, Kurt Alan. “The Impact of Short-Term Missions: A Case Study of House ...” DePaul.edu, http://nfjcl.depaul.edu/Resources/Ver Beek the impact of short term missions.pdf.

61

NOTES

62

63

NOTES

64

65

NOTES

66

67

NOTES

68

Hannah Ostlund Hannah graduated in May of 2020 from Salem College (NC) with majors in Religion and Nonprofit Management and Community Leadership and in May of 2023 with a Masters of Divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PA). During her time at Salem, Hannah found a deep interest in bridging the gap between the nonprofit community and the religious sector. While working on her undergraduate studies, Hannah completed a two-semester study on mission work with a focus on breaking down the barriers of short-term trips as a way to open doors for longterm development. It was this research that led to the creation of this guidebooks first draft.

Emerging from these interests and experiences, Hannah enrolled at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. In her second year at the seminary, Hannah was selected as the Valentour Fellow and was sent to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on short-term missions and what it means for the future of mission in our world. Hannah traveled to Peru, Malawi, and the US/Mexico Border that summer, meeting with congregations and religious leaders. Upon her return to the seminary, Hannah completed an independent study with Dr. Hunter Farrell that culminated in the adaptation of the guidebook you have in front of you today! Currently, Hannah serves as a Lake Fellow in Parish Ministry at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana where she has the chance to explore every aspect of ministry alongside the vibrant congregation and its staff team.

SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | 7700 N MERIDIAN STREET INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46260 | (317) 253-6461 | SECONDCHURCH.ORG 70