Building a Long-Term Church Vision Using Short-Term Teams: (A Podcast Conversation)
I just had one of those conversations that reminded me why I'm so passionate about strategy in missions - and it was all about using short-term trips for a long-term global vision, especially for churches, on the Global Missions Podcast.
This was actually my third time on the Global Missions Podcast (we talked about Missional Intelligence in episode 210 and different types of Global Goers in episode 189), but this conversation felt especially important because it tackled one of the messiest areas in missions today.
The Short-Term Trip Confusion
You know how confusing short-term trips can be? Like, everyone calls everything a "mission trip" whether you're painting a fence in your own city or actually crossing cultures overseas. And then people either come back as "trip junkies" wanting to go every year, or they're disappointed because they thought they'd change the world in 10 days.
Well, we dove deep into all of that mess and came out with some clarity!
What We Covered in the Conversation
I shared about the three types of short-term trips (vision, professional, and survey) and why knowing which one you're taking changes EVERYTHING about your expectations and outcomes. We also talked about:
Why the language we use matters SO much (hint: not everything is a "mission" trip)
How to turn "trip junkies" into trip leaders
Why your short-term trips should match your church's long-term vision
How a 2-week trip can create 9 months of discipleship opportunities
The hosts were asking such great questions about building a church-wide vision using short-term trips - which is exactly what I believe short-term trips can do. Because when we do this right, short-term trips do this, AND also become a tool for transforming participants AND serving the field strategically.
Resources to Go Deeper
If this resonates and you want to go deeper, I've got several resources that might help:
Free Trip Type Checklist: Not sure what type of trip you're planning? Grab this free checklist to figure it out.
Neighbors & Nations Course: Several churches are now using this for their trip training. YES! We need to train our participants well. A trip is a nine-month excuse to disciple them. You don’t have to create your own curriculum. You can use my Course to facilitate your own in-person or Zoom training, just once a month for six months (and on the trip). The training is designed to actually equip people to cross cultures and share their faith naturally (and do it when the return, too) - not just survive the trip! Check out the group package options.
My Previous Podcast Episodes on the Global Missions Podcast: If you missed them, you can check out episode 210 about Missional Intelligence and episode 189 about different types of Global Goers.
Listen to the Full Episode
You can listen to the complete conversation here: Global Missions Podcast Episode 234
Listen Now
What do you think? After you listen, I'd love to hear if this framework helps clarify things for you. Leave a comment below or reach out - I'm always eager to hear how God is stirring hearts for long-term global vision, both across the street and around the world!