You may have heard about mission trips if you’re part of a church or involved in the Christian community.
Mission trips are an excellent opportunity to impact lives and make a difference worldwide by volunteering for a short time.
In this article, you will learn what a mission trip is, what to expect from one, why it matters, and how you can join a trip.
What is a Mission Trip?
Short-term mission trips are when a church, Christian organization, or university team serves a community through evangelical outreach, humanitarian aid, and ongoing service to a local mission.
Mission trips can be anywhere, from your local community to a country on the other side of the ocean.
A Christian mission trip should involve three core elements:
1. Evangelism
Part of your trip should involve spreading the message of Jesus Christ.
While you help provide for immediate needs in communities, your ultimate goal is to ensure everyone has an opportunity to accept Christ as their savior for eternal life with Him.
Mission trips often involve Sidewalk Sunday School, or a vacation Bible school, to share the Good News with children we serve in communities. Or team members might minister to everyone in community plazas and other public spaces.
The message should be direct and straightforward, focusing on Christ’s love and the gift of salvation through repentance and dedicating their life to Him.
When a mission team shares Christ’s message, they should also connect new believers to local church partners so that they can continue their spiritual growth as young Christians.
2. Serve projects
Mission teams also participate in projects like construction, painting, medical aid and clinics, teaching English, and other services to help continue the mission and impact of the ministry organization.
A team might help build a church, orphanage, or someone’s home. Or maybe they help provide glasses to those with impairments. There are hundreds of ways a mission team can provide resources and value to communities in need; a lot depends on the mission of the ministry and the unique skill set of the mission trip members.
Serve projects are combined with a faith element, so team members spread Christ’s message while volunteering their time and hard work for the community.
3. Long-term community investment
Mission trips should always involve a long-term anchor to the greater mission of the ministry or organization. This is where real growth and fruit take place.
Organizations should have partner churches, community leaders, and professionals that can continue to grow the seeds planted by each mission team.
For example, when a Christian mission team spreads the Gospel, and people accept Christ, they should point them to a church partner that can help them grow. Or, if a team helps build a water well, its caretaker should be a pastor or church leader that can build positive relationships in the community.
Team members work hard to develop a connection with local children and families wherever they go.
How Long is a Mission Trip?
While the length of a mission trip can vary, the mission trips we cover in this article are usually about 1-2 weeks. Short-term mission trips also involve hosts and interns, and they serve from months to years at a time.
When someone joins a mission trip, the minute they land at the airport or arrive at their destination, they use their limited time.
Mission trip team members have a tight schedule that involves devotions, evangelism, service projects, worship time, church services, meal times, and more.
Most organizations have a logistical leader to ensure everything runs smoothly, like transportation, water and nourishment, and other needs are fulfilled. Their job is to ensure every team member is fully supported and equipped to make the maximum impact during their short stay.
Why Should I Travel When Someone Local Can Help?
Healthy organizations already have a community of local volunteers involved in the mission. But communities still need more hands to volunteer with unique talents, skills, and time to make a difference.
When you travel to a different country or far away location, you can make a difference in the short time you are there and continue to spread the word and support the organization when you return.
What Do I Do on a Mission Trip?
A typical mission trip week involves the following:
Arrive at the location
Meet the missionaries, staff, and volunteers
Attend the orientation
Get started on serve projects
Evangelize
Deliver food and nutritious meals to hungry families
Visit or share at a partner church
Experience learning about the culture and the country
Participate in devotions and lead worship time
Return home
Spread the mission and need to others
Each day often includes a little bit of everything on this list, with a church service and cultural experience happening on a dedicated day.
At the end of the trip, team members can find ways to continue supporting the ministry and communities. They can expect opportunities like monthly donations, child sponsorship, spreading the need to their friends and family, and local events to raise awareness.
Christian Mission Trip vs. Humanitarian Trip
Mission trips are not unique to the Christian faith (as far as humanitarian aid). For example, there are many medical missions and other opportunities for people to help impoverished or in-need communities. But while other missions may aid in urgent needs, Christian mission trips also include eternal needs.
A Christian mission trip should involve caring for others in their distress while also spreading the love and message of Christ.
Jesus told his disciples to go into all the world and preach His Word, and a mission trip is a direct response and action to His commandment.
Benefits of a Mission Trip
There are many positives for mission trips, both for the communities and for team members,
Mission trips should always revolve around local partnerships, respect, and cultural reverence to ensure that communities benefit from our service respectfully so that the ministry’s long-term reputation and impact are maximized. In short, relationships should always be a priority and should be nurtured for long-term community investment.
While a team member joins a trip to serve, they also receive benefits that can change their lives forever. Below are a few benefits everyone can expect from a mission trip.
1. Spread the message of salvation
A Christian mission trip should prioritize the message of Christ’s salvation. While anyone can help someone living in poverty, only Christians can help them receive eternal life by sharing the gift of Jesus.
While aid and specific projects help earn community trust and provide for urgent needs, it is done on a foundation of sharing the Good News.
2. Provide for needs
As Christians, we are called to help others in their distress. We want to help them through health needs, education, housing, and all essential ingredients to life.
Not only does this help save lives and make a community stronger, but it earns the credibility and trust needed to further provide for their spiritual needs.
3. Build relationships with locals
Mission team members will meet people in villages and communities, along with missionaries and teams involved in the mission full-time.
Mission trips are all about relationships and planting seeds so communities grow even after someone returns home.
Many of these relationships impact lives forever, and some even blossom into friendships years later.
4. Grow your spiritual life
As short-term volunteers serve on a mission trip, they also grow in their relationship with Christ.
Mission team members spend a lot of time in devotions, worship, acts of service, and other activities that feed the soul and relationship with their savior.
In only a week, many short-term missionaries return home changed forever. Their Christian walk is stronger, and they bring this new life into their everyday routine— impacting others at work, school, and other places (and the mission continues in their town).
5. Make lasting friends on your team
There’s something special about spending a week with the same people on a common goal, worshipping, serving, and spreading the Christian message. As team members stretch their limits, they make long-lasting friendships bonded from a unique and special experience.
Once a team member returns home, these friendships become a strong Christian community and accountability group.
Why You Should Go on a Mission Trip
Everyone should dedicate at least a week to participating in a mission trip.
Whether in your local community, a different state, or another country, you can make a difference no matter who you are and what you do. God can use you to impact lives (even if you don’t know the language!). The Lord commands us to go out into the world and spread the message of salvation.
Make sure to pick an organization that you trust and that’s invested in the long-term mission of the community and the people you will serve.
Mission Trips with Children’s Impact Network
Children’s Impact Network (CIN) rescues abandoned, abused, and neglected children in Latin America. CIN raises and restores these children at their orphanages in Bolivia, Honduras, and Chile and is committed to supporting them through college or training school to adulthood.
When mission teams serve with CIN, they volunteer through service projects, community outreach, and building impactful relationships with the children a the orphanage.
If your church or organization is interested in bringing a mission trip, contact us for more information.
TL;DR
What is a mission trip?
A Christian short-term mission trip is when volunteers spend 1-2 weeks serving a community in need through mission projects and evangelism.
What do I do on a mission trip?
Trips often involve construction or service projects, evangelism, church activities, and cultural experiences.
Why should I go on a trip?
Your unique value given by God, skills, and help is always needed on the mission field. As Christians, we are called to go unto the world and preach His Word. Team members that go on a mission trip also act as ambassadors of the need and spread the mission.
How will a mission trip change me?
You will build new relationships, grow your spiritual walk, and experience God’s work in an intimate week.
How can I get started?
Choose an organization you are interested in serving with. Contact them to see what their next step is.
If you would like to serve with Children’s Impact Network, contact your church or university about sending a team to Latin America through CIN.