Short-term missions are legendary for their pitfalls and problems. We have spoken numerous times in MF about our concerns and the damage that many short-term mission efforts have done. Poorly prepared teams of people going on poorly-planned and -coordinated expeditions at exorbitant cost to sensitive mission fields have often been the norm rather than the exception. But many thoughtful leaders have sought to overcome these problems and have developed the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Missions. Every church or mission group should study these guidelines and learn from them before sending out their next short-term mission team.See all the articles
As the overcrowded and under–maintained bus slowed to pick up a passenger on the rural Asian road, an older woman stepped out of the bushes. The bus struck her and knocked her 20 feet, killing her instantly. A small...
I (Doug) had trekked to a handful of countries on short-term mission trips in the past. These trips focused on various humanitarian efforts or maybe the occasional Vacation Bible School, but never had I thought about...
"I’ve finished my CPM plan. What do I do next?" At the dawn of the 21st century, God began to unfold an amazing story of kingdom advance in a densely populated corner of Asia. Ying and Grace Kai were laboring in an...
Short-term missions are legendary for their pitfalls and problems. We have spoken numerous times in MF about our concerns and the damage that many short-term mission efforts have done. Poorly prepared teams of people...
Well, I’m pretty sure the title for this column has never before appeared in the pages of MF. While troubles remain in the theory and practice of short-term missions (STMs), this issue shows that there is much to be...
Jesus told us, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (Luke 12:48 ESV). By this standard, 21st-century evangelicals...
Our evangelical community across the world is debating, as we should, the limits and connections between cultural identity and faith in Christ. This is especially intense in those cultures...
A well-educated non-Christian woman was reading the Gospel of Luke for the first time. She came to Luke 2:48, where Mary says to Jesus, “Son,…Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you” (ESV). The woman...
The problem I am about to describe thankfully does not apply to all mission-established churches. But it is significant enough that I feel it deserves attention because of the negative effects it can have on the work...
When we talk about identity, it is usually in reference to those from other cultures we are trying to reach with the gospel. How will new believers understand and live out their faith in a situation where there is...
