Planning A Mission Trip

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Planning A Mission Trip

• Bill Barker, Director
• Appalachian Regional Ministry

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Planning A Mission Trip

• Practical guidelines for planning and taking a
  successful short-term mission trip.

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Planning A Mission Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
  has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses
  in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to
  the ends of the earth. Acts 18 (HCSB)

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Planning A Mission Trip

• Short-Term Missions in Three Words
• Obedience
• Availability
• Ability

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Planning A Mission Trip

• WHY Do Short-Term Volunteer Missions?
• The Whole World in Gospel Perspective

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Planning A Mission Trip

• WHY Do Short-Term Volunteer Missions?
• The Whole World in Gospel Perspective

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Planning A Mission Trip

• WHY Do Short-Term Volunteer Missions?
• North America in Gospel Perspective

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Planning A Mission Trip

• WHY Do Short-Term Volunteer Missions?
• North America in Gospel Perspective

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Planning A Mission Trip

• WHY Do Short-Term Volunteer Missions?
• North America in Gospel Perspective

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Planning A Mission Trip

• WHY Do Short-Term Volunteer Missions?

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Planning A Mission Trip

• WHY Do Short-Term Volunteer Missions?

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Planning A Mission Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Does the pastor and church staff support the
  short-term volunteer mission project?
• On an associational level, do the pastors and key
  leadership support the mission project(s)?
• What evidence is there that God is at work in
  this initiative?
• How will it benefit the church?
• How will it benefit those who take the mission
  trip?

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Who will be the team leader?
• Do they sense Gods call?
• Do they have good organizational skills?
• Do they have good people skills?
• Can they work with others?
• Do the have the respect of their peers?
• Will they be personally involved in each phase of
  planning and implementation?

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Choosing a Project
• How far are you willing to travel?
• What skills does you church have to offer?
• What skills does the project require?
• What will the project cost each volunteer? The
  church or association?
• Will scholarships be available for participants?
• What evidence do you see that God wants you to
  join Him at this particular location?

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Choosing a Project
• Who will be taking the mission trip youth,
  adults, families, mixed ages?
• Pre-packaged or local planning.
• Where to look for projects.
• www. arministry.org
• www.thebridge.namb.net
• www.imb.org

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Make a Pre-project Visit
• Should include at least two people.
• Connect with host.
• Understand the lay of the land take pictures
• Look at housing and meal options .
• Set up communications schedule.
• Identify potential problems and pitfalls.
• Clarify who pays for what.

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Present the short-term mission trip time to
  recruit the volunteers
• Where are we going?
• What is the objective?
• When are we going?
• How long will it take?
• How will we get there?
• What will it cost?
• What will it cost per volunteer?

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Present the short-term mission trip time to
  recruit the volunteers
• What will we accomplish?
• What do I need to take?
• What skills do I need?
• What will be the sleeping and eating
  arrangements?
• How will this mission trip change them?
• Good information keeps down anxiety.

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Make spiritual preparation a required part of
  your mission trip.
• Use pre-packaged study
• Use teaching material
• Allow room for the mission trip to be a
  spiritual marker in the life of the
  participants.

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Develop a Punch List a to do list.
• Transportation
• Housing and meals
• Equipment
• Materials
• Insurance
• Medical release forms
• Chaperones
• Who is responsible for what

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Have a Volunteer Code of Conduct
• Develop the code of conduct
• Should cover dress standards, T-shirt messages,
  etc.
• Discuss it with the host
• Communicate it to the leadership of your team
• How will it be enforced?
• Who will be the enforcer?
• Communicate it to the volunteers use a covenant

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• On the field.
• Have a daily debriefing.
• Have a daily group devotion time.
• Prior to the mission trip determine who will
  conduct the debriefing and the devotional time
  and place a time limit on their length. Remember
  KISS keep it short and simple.
• Have a daily schedule with who, what, when, and
  where spelled out.

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• On the field.
• Schedule in time for recreation, fun, rest
  depending on the age of your group.
• Remember there is a time to be serious and a time
  to have fun.
• Keep evangelism and commitment on the forefront.
• Be flexible

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Involve the whole church
• Prayer during the church services, prayer
  chain, daily while on the trip.
• Commissioning service before the team leaves.
• Celebration service when the team returns.

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Things to Remember
• T-shirts
• Emergency cash
• Rainy days
• Bottled water
• The unexpected
• Prayer

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Volunteer mobilization is a valuable tool, not
  just to the mission fields but also to the
  responding churches.
• Experiential missions learning can be life
  changing.

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip

• Often on a mission trip the volunteer hears God
  speaking clearly.
• Do not let volunteer missions replace missions
  education.
• Volunteer missions can help build a missions
  awareness in your church.

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Planning A Mission Trip To Appalachia
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Appalachian Regional Ministry

• An intentional response of Southern Baptists to
  the spiritual and physical needs of persons
  living in Appalachia.

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Planning A Mission Trip To Appalachia

• Respect the culture use common sense.
• Leave back home, back home.
• Communicate often.
• Build on long-term relationships.
• Involve the receiving church/mission/ ministry
  center in the planning of your project.
• Follow through with any commitments you make.
• Assist with the follow-up of those reached with
  the gospel of Christ.

Guidelines for a Successful Short Term Mission
Trip
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Focus areas

• New Church Starts
• New Work areas
• Struggling Churches
• Church Revitalization
• Bi-vocational Pastors
• Construction projects

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Focus areas

• Home Repair
• Ministry Centers
• Medical Missions
• Pregnancy Centers
• Collegiate Ministry
• Resort and Leisure Ministry

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What Can We Do on a Short-term Mission Trip?
Pray-walking/ Prayer-driving
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What Can We Do on a Short-term Mission Trip?
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What Can We Do on a Short-term Mission Trip?
Sports Camps/ Clinics Block Parties/ Street
Parties
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What Can We Do on a Short-term Mission Trip?
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What Can We Do on a Short-term Mission Trip?
Nursing Home Ministry Childrens Camp
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What Can We Do on a Short-term Mission Trip?
Drama Clowning Puppets Musicals
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What Can We Do on a Short-term Mission Trip?
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What Can We Do on a Short-term Mission Trip?
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What Can We Do on a Short-term Mission Trip?
Church Construction Renovations/
Additions Revitalization
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What Can We Do on a Short-term Mission Trip?
Church Planting Ministry Based
Evangelism Resort Ministry
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Resort Ministry
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Church Planter
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What Can We Do on a Short-term Mission Trip?
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International Mission Opportunities
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Vision Tours
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Variety Mission Opportunities
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Meeting Needs Reaching People
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Watching God use mission volunteers to accomplish
His will.
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Watching God use mission volunteers to accomplish
His will.
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How Can You Become Involved?
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Contact Appalachian Regional Ministry
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The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we
are not saved. (Jeremiah 820 KJV)