Have you ever wondered what the actual impact of short-term mission trips on the Brethren Church is? Not just from the denominational point of view but the region, the local church, and the individual as well? Are they vacations with a purpose, or do these trips have a deeper meaning? Can they help the church grow at home and in the field? What impact might they have on our leadership pool?

Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to connect with many young men and women desiring opportunities to learn, grow, and engage in the ministry and missionary expression of the Brethren Church. It has been a joy to see so many desiring to go where God is moving and discover that they can make an impact and be impacted by the Spirit in return. I am excited about what I see! I believe the Brethren Church has the potential for Global Kingdom impact that will exceed our expectations.

In the past year, I have discovered more people risking illness, travel delays, and even civil unrest for the Gospel. They are taking flights to Peru, India, South Africa, and beyond. Stories of life change and transformation continue to be told and unfold daily. As an illustration, this past December, two young ladies from the Mount Olive Brethren Church, Chyann Mackey and Shelby Morris, spent time in Lima, Peru, helping Pastor Luis and the church with a Christmas outreach impacting over 100 families in the poverty-stricken barrio of Ticlio Chico. What a way to start the Christmas Holiday!

There are two critical questions we must ask. First, what resulted from this outreach for the people of Lima and Ticlio Chico? Read on as Chyann Mackey describes how God uses these moments to impact the lives of those in the church and the community.

“Recently, I returned from my third trip to Peru this year, but this was a trip unlike any I have experienced in the past. Shelby Morris and I headed down to Lima on December second and spent two weeks working alongside Pastor Luis Angel Morillas and his ministries. With the money donated to him, we bought over ninety-six gifts for kids in Ticlio Chico. We wrapped each gift, wrote the child's name on it, and washed used toys for kids we did not expect so they would have a gift and not be left out. We bought candy and small toys for prizes and packed everything up, as well as prepared activities. The Christmas program was on our last day, exceeding every expectation I had. We were able to share cake, play games, talk about the birth of Jesus, and hand out gifts that they were so excited to show their parents. It was a humbling event and reminded me of Christmas’s true meaning: celebrating our Lord and building relationships with those around us.”

The second question digs deeper to uncover the more critical concern. What impact does such a trip have on those going? The reality most of us as leaders should be looking for is a transformation in the inner and outer life of those on the journey. These experiences should lead to some noticeable life changes. While it is a fun experience, the trip would not be effective if those going did not return to their church and community with a sense of transformation. The shift could be as simple as reading the Bible more and having deeper devotions, resulting in change over time. Or it could be swift, leading the church to see marginalized people in the community moving to meet some discovered need. The transformation of the person going must be as significant as the work in the field itself. Ninety-nine-point-seven percent of those who go on a short-term journey will never be called into a full-time international cross-cultural ministry. Hopefully, they will continue to serve their community for years to come. Therefore, the emphasis of such trips must be on fresh eyes and renewed hearts. They must see their community and church through new lenses and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. That prompt opens the church to new ministry opportunities, which can have a quantitative effect. The congregation can grow, the church’s reputation can grow, and the Kingdom continues to grow.

Here's what Chyann says about her transformation journey through short-term mission trips in her personal life and her understanding of how she fits into her local church and community.

“Being a part of the various ministries in Peru has impacted and changed my life significantly. I have been so grateful for the many opportunities I have had to work alongside Luis Angel and be a small part of the great work he is doing for the Kingdom of God. My perspective has changed because I see how much faith Luis has and how he uses his faith to share with others. He works generously to show God's love and teach those less fortunate than him about the Bible. God has used the community in Lima to remind me of my purpose and inspire me to serve Him internationally long-term. 

Through my local church, God is using and challenging me enormously through my youth leader role. I am so grateful for the opportunity to pour into the teenagers at Mt. Olive, but it challenges me greatly because of their struggles and intense questions. I love the relationships I have formed and how our youth pastor, David Miller, has guided us in our leadership roles. I am excited to see how God continues to use me and the youth ministry at our church in the future.”

Short-term trips have gotten a bad rap over the years, and in many cases rightly so. All too often, the work in the field doesn’t have the impact we often hope for or expect. However, suppose we change the emphasis to the effects of the experience being at least as much on the person going as on the community being served. In that case, the results might be the transformation of our congregations. That transformation can have a cumulative effect that strengthens our community mission and the church’s growth. I highly recommend a short-term mission trip when your church feels lost and out of touch with your community. They give you a chance to make a difference elsewhere, provide fresh eyes when you return, and create a conduit for youth and young adults to discover a piece of God’s plan for their lives. You might begin developing the new ministries and opportunities the church desperately needs today and in the future.

You can get information on mission trips and how to plan by contacting your Regional Resource Coordinator or Global Partners Coordinator, Scott Soden, at the Brethren Church National Office.