5 Things To Know About Sharing Your Short-term Mission Experience

This week marks the end of the “spring break season.” Many people have gone on mission trips during spring break and are returning home. Are you one of them? Or maybe you went over Christmas break or maybe even last summer? Have you been home from your mission trip for a while now, but still haven't figured out how to talk about your experience? You may not even know where to start--especially if this was your first trip. You want to explain how amazing and even miraculous your experience was but just can't do it justice. What was supposed to be you telling someone about how God is working around the world and in your life turns out to be a jumbled string of stories about seeing a lion, hoping to see a tiger, and breaking down on the side of the road that leaves your friends confused about what you did. Maybe worse yet, you are left feeling isolated and not understood.

Talking about a mission trip with someone who wasn't with you can be a very difficult thing. The experiences are literally indescribable. How do we talk about such an extraordinary experience? I certainly don't own the answers to these questions, but let me give you some advice and some ways that have worked for me:

1. You do have to talk about it--but not too much! Don't incessantly talk about your trip, but don't act like it didn't happen. Not dealing with the hard questions that the experience brought up can lead to stagnation at the least and crippling depression at worst.
2. Don't bore people with details. Instead of recounting your trip for people by giving them the hour by hour schedule, pick a few stories to tell. Choose 2-4 stories about significant events or people that explain your trip in a snapshot. These stories can and should describe living conditions, the spiritual atmosphere of the country, and anything that God revealed to you or taught you.
3. Have an impression answer. There are going to be people who ask about your trip but are doing it out of obligation more than true curiosity. Have a 15 second answer ready about something that left a big impression on you. For example, you may say something like, "I didn’t realize the unemployment rate was over 70% where we served. They already knew money wasn’t the answer to their problems so when we brought clothes for the children and shared the hope of Jesus Christ, they received it with great eagerness. Much different than what I’ve experienced here in America.” This might just be the hook that draws people into wanting to know more.
4. Choose a few people close to you to lean on. This could be a spouse, a friend, or a Bible study group but it needs to be someone with whom you can be vulnerable and transparent. Even though you can't tell all the stories and every little detail to everyone, you need to be able to tell someone. It is simply part of processing your experience.
5. Report back to your prayer and financial supporters. These people were and are heavily invested in your experience. When you report back, ask them to continue to pray for you in a few specific ways.

Telling your story can be a powerful thing for you and for others. It can be healing and liberating for you. But it can also help spread your new vision and involve others in what God is doing. For more on coming home from a trip, what to expect, and how to share your experience—especially in a church service—I recommend The Next Mile curriculum. Telling your story is not easy but it is key to continuing on the path that God has put you.

Questions for the author? Need help with debriefing and reentry? Contact Tory at toryr@deltaministries.com or 520-404-0841.

3 Ways To Train STM Teams That Are Scattered

How do you prepare your team when they are coming from all over the country and maybe even the world? Preparation is easy when we can all be in the same room, but how do you do it when your team is made of individuals from many different places? Many groups send a manual and meet up in an airport hoping everyone will feel prepared. This, however, can be frustrating to team members who have never traveled or those who may have unanswered questions and keeps the team from getting to know each other ahead of time.  

Flying everyone to one location for a weekend of training can be a great way to deal with this issue, but it is probably out of your budget. There are other options and ways to prepare your team. Here are some ideas:

1. Find creative ways to meet virtually. Meet on the phone using a Free Conference Call service. You can even find free video conferencing solutions. I have held weekly team meetings the six weeks prior to a trip using The Next Mile curriculum over the phone. It’s a little different than in person, but we get to know each others’ voices, names, where we are from, and get to pray together.

2. Schedule a forced layover. Often there is one major hub out of your country to your international destination. Talk to your travel agent about an overnight layover so you can meet and do some training at an airport hotel. Most hotels would have a meeting space you could use for a nominal fee.

3. Arrive a couple days early. Plan to arrive at your destination a day or two early. Spend the first couple of days orienting your team; training, and adjusting to the new culture. Your in-country costs are usually very minimal so an extra day or two is not a big cost.

Are you wondering what you should cover in your training? If so, check out the post “4 Areas To Train For Life Change.”  

Questions for the author? Contact Tory at toryr@deltaministries.com or 520-404-0841.

Four Areas To Train For Life Change

How do you prepare your team for a short-term mission trip? What elements need to be part of preparing a team?

Most teams do a great job of preparing people for the details of traveling, and even ministry projects, but neglect to instill in their participants the qualities needed to be a Christ-like missionary.

Long-term missionaries often spend many years preparing to serve in a new culture. This is appropriate considering they will be spending many years, if not their whole life as a missionary. But I would argue proper preparation and training is even more important for short-term missionaries because they don't have the luxury of time to develop relationships that will cover their mistakes. So, how can we prepare teams to be culturally appropriate servants in another country?

At DELTA Ministries, we recommend all teams begin meeting monthly, and then start meeting weekly the last six weeks before a trip.

Our goal for these weekly meetings are: To get to know each other; disburse important information (such as packing lists, what to expect, etc.); equipping for the ministry (prepare crafts, learn skits, prepare your testimony, etc.); support discovery and fundraising; and language and culture learning.

Lots of churches do a great job of getting teams ready in these areas, but how do we prepare people to be missionaries? Over the last 30 years, DELTA Ministries has developed a training weekend that does an excellent job of building missionary qualities into participants. Our training spans a weekend, from Friday night through Saturday

afternoon, and focuses on:

1. Christian conduct -- Setting expectations for behavior. We have three official rules for our mission trips. Anyone who has been through the training can tell them to you in their sleep. That is because they are more than rules -- they are a way of life.
2. Christ-like character -- Cross-cultural situations are difficult. How do you know what to do? How do you keep a positive testimony in a cross-cultural setting? We’ve found that, even more important than doing the right thing, is having the right heart.
3. Team building/conflict resolution -- Teaching teams what it takes to work together and support each other. The way we love and treat each other will communicate a lot to those who are watching us.
4. Crossing cultures -- Preparing participants to enter a new culture as a learner and a servant; how to build relationships; and how to share the gospel in a relevant and culturally sensitive way.

The key is this: no one learns well when they are talked at. Get creative and design a training weekend that mimics a mission trip in a few elements. Use activities to teach and not just lecture. Finally, be sure you are requiring the team to put to practice what they are learning.

We call this training for life change for a reason: When training is done right, individuals see that these are not just important skills for a short-term mission trip. We are all called to be missionaries in our own community. It’s always exciting to see a light come on when team members realize the same principles that are good for a short-term mission trip are good for the mission at home too!

Questions about training for the author? Would you like Tory to come and train your STM team? Contact him at toryr@deltaministries.com or 520-404-0841.

5 Questions for Developing Partnerships

Last week we established a good foundation and understanding of partnership, but how do you actually go about initializing or establishing one?  Here are five key questions to work through as you seek to develop an effective cross-cultural partnership.

1) Who are we as a church and what are we hoping to accomplish?  There are lots of good things, and lots of needs overseas.  But you need to evaluate your own church, understand your DNA so you will know how, and where you should connect. 

Here are some sample questions you might ask: What types of ministry do you do well? What are your people passionate about? What do they do for a vocation? What have you been engaged with in the past? What challenges might your church have in developing a partnership?

2) As a church, what do we have to contribute to the partnership, and what do we hope to gain? If you are going to approach a potential partner, you need to know what you have to offer and what benefits you hope to see for your church.

3) Who is our potential partner?  Seek to get to know their vision, their passion, and their scope.  This may involve a trip to the field. Do you know anyone else who has worked with them in the past? If so, seek information from them.

4) What does your potential partner have to offer, and what do they hope to gain?  I once asked a national pastor what his church could contribute to a partnership with an upper middle class church in Sydney, Australia. He stared at me dumbfounded.  I don’t think anyone had ever asked him that before. Yet they did have much to contribute in terms of passion, vision and evangelism.

Don’t sell your potential partners short. Be prepared to help them contribute to the growth of your church.

5) What are we partnering together to do? Is it developing a new ministry focus, a building project, a scope of impact or length of time?  You and your potential partner can evaluate that together, remembering to take into account the goals and objectives for both parties.

As we stated earlier, partnerships work best when focused around a specific project or time frame.  It is easy to set out goals, plans and objectives, to evaluate our progress towards those goals, and celebrate their completion.

Remember, “Well begun is half done!” If you lay a good foundation in developing the partnership, it will alleviate many of the stresses and challenges in the ongoing partnership.

Article by Brian Stark

Brian Stark is the Director of International Partnerships for DELTA Ministries International. His focus is to come alongside the leadership of existing mission efforts in other countries for a limited time to assist in developing a church-based model of mobilization and short-term missions by that country for that country. The goal is to equip and engage nationals to execute effective church-based mission efforts through short-term missions and without direct long-term assistance. Brian has been a part of developing partnerships between sending churches in the US, Australia, and New Zealand and hosting churches in more than 20 countries.

Beyond Sponsorship: 3 Components Of Real Partnerships

Many churches today want to move beyond simply paying and praying for missions.  They want to get actively involved and move the average church goer to be engaged.  One effective way of doing that is developing a partnership with a national worker or national church. 

While that sounds like a great idea, in theory, it also can present many challenges.  Often what the West has termed as “partnership,” over the years actually looks more like financial and personnel support—or sponsorship. Without careful planning and forethought, sponsorship can lead to paternalism and dependence.

I like to define partnership as 1) a complementary relationship 2) driven by a common purpose and 3) sustained by a willingness to learn and grow together in obedience to God.

There is a so much there to unpack, but notice it is a complementary relationship.  That means both the local church and the national church contribute, and both parties benefit. Rarely do we think about what a host church might have to offer the sending church—other than a laboratory experience for growth, that is. Yet, if the sending church is sending money, people, and materials and there is no reciprocation then that is not partnership it is sponsorship!

There is a common purpose, a defined parameter we are working around.  It is often good to develop a partnership for a specified time period, or based around a specific project.  Parameters like that make it easy to judge progress, celebrate as God works, and answers prayer.  It also provides natural checkpoints to evaluate the value of continuing the partnership, or places we can part ways based on how God is leading.

Finally, both parties need to be willing to step out of their comfort zones and be learner-servants.  Each seeking to learn and understand the other’s culture and context – but most importantly, to serve in humility with one another, and obedience to God.

Easier said than done right? What kind of questions do I ask? How does a partnership conversation go? Watch next week for an article about how to develop a partnership with a national church or national pastor. 

Article by Brian Stark

Brian Stark is the Director of International Partnerships for DELTA Ministries International. His focus is to come alongside the leadership of existing mission efforts in other countries for a limited time to assist in developing a church-based model of mobilization and short-term missions by that country for that country. The goal is to equip and engage nationals to execute effective church-based mission efforts through short-term missions and without direct long-term assistance. Brian has been a part of developing partnerships between sending churches in the US, Australia, and New Zealand and hosting churches in more than 20 countries.

How To Barter With Dignity

One of my least favorite parts of a short-term mission trip is the bartering for souvenirs to bring home for people. I vividly remember being on a short-term mission trip to Zimbabwe in 2001. We went shopping in a market one day and one of my teammates (Matt Harber if you are reading this, I’m talking about you) was getting the best deals so I went and watched him buy a small painting. The merchant asked for 500 and Matt said 10! I realized right then that I didn’t have the heart for bartering. I don’t have the heart to say 10! Maybe you are like me and feel almost ridiculous haggling over a few dollars with someone who clearly needs it more than you do. Yet there’s always a part of me that wonders if I could have gotten a better deal.

Over the years, I have seen and experienced a lot of different strategies. Let me tell you my least favorite first. I call it the fake walk away. It’s the strategy of giving a price and then walking away when it isn’t accepted. But you don’t really walk away, you linger just enough to make the seller come begging to you. It has never felt right to me whether I am doing it or watching it.

Before I give you my strategy for getting good deals and making shopping pleasant, let me share a key realization. The merchant won’t sell the item if he or she isn’t making money. So, if you purchase something you can feel good about the fact that the person is making money. Here are my keys to a good shopping experience.

1. Look around first. Most merchants are probably selling the same stuff, but take a look. Take note of where you can purchase certain items.
2. Eavesdrop. Listen in on conversations to see what prices the merchants are offering and agreeing to.
3. Decide what its worth to you before you ask. When you see something you like, decide how much you are willing to spend on the item. When you ask about the cost, you will probably hear an outrageous number. Counter offer with your number.
4. Refuse to negotiate. The merchant will likely come part way down to your price. Just say “no thanks. I’m willing to spend ________.” You might give the merchant a couple of more chances. Eventually you can say “I understand if you can’t sell it for that price, its ok. I’m only willing to spend _______ so I will have to look for something else.” Then you can walk away without intention of coming back. If the merchant accepts the offer, then you know he or she made money and you don’t have to wonder about a cheaper price because you paid what you wanted.
5. If your offer isn’t accepted, move on. Remember, there are probably five other merchants with the exact same product. So, you can move on and try another merchant without hesitation. Try a new item or adjust your price based on a realistic amount.

There is another option, however. Most international churches have people who make and sell wares and souvenirs. Talk to your host to see if there are people from whom you can order items. That way you shop haggle free and you bless people from the congregation!  

Questions for the author? Contact Tory at toryr@deltaministries.com or 520-404-0841.

Leading Intentionally Part 2

We as team leaders have an extraordinary opportunity to impact our team members for Christ. Sometimes we think we are de-emphasizing our purpose in the field by focusing on our team members, but a strong team leader maintains a focus on equipping and discipling his or her team members. But what does that look like? What are we shooting for? Colossians 1:28-29 tells us that we should be shooting for Christ-likeness! Our goal should be to present every person more complete in Christ—that includes our team members! Your pre-field preparation lays the foundation for your trip, so don’t miss out on using the team meetings as a way of developing Godly character in your short-term missionaries.

As you are preparing for your STM trip, be intentional about your team meetings. Don’t schedule team meetings just to schedule team meetings but have a purpose in mind. Team meetings will have many different elements but pick a theme for each meeting. Think about the process through which you are taking your team members. As you plan out your meetings, think about this flow:

1. Getting to know each other. Spend time just getting to know each other, building relationships, and creating a safe environment where everyone feels accepted.
2. Getting to know God. This is where you can emphasize prayer and Bible reading and other spiritual disciples that develop Christ-like character.
3. Getting to know the vision. Learn about the culture you are visiting and your host.
4. Preparing for the trip. Often this is all we do. We learn the skits and Bible stories or gather the materials and forget about the rest. This is an important step, but there is so much more to preparing than this.

Our preparation should be intentional, but there is also an intentionality that should mark our interactions with our team members. How do we want God to transform them? What does it look like for each one to be more like Christ? How do we go about this? This is by no means all-inclusive, but here are some ideas:

1. We want to see people grow in their commitment to prayer and God’s Word, grow in love, become teachable, and become a servant. Take advantage of team meetings and trainings to address these issues. Make sure that these are built into your on-field experience as well.
2. Sit down with each participant at the beginning. Meet individually with each team member and ask them where they think God wants to grow them. Take notes on it and check up with them along the way.
3. Take advantage of the time on the field. I do this by being sure I have time each night to meet as a team. We go around and answer a question or two each night. The question varies, but I am always listening to the answer and listening for deeper struggles or insights. I also find that meal times can be a good time to check in with each person throughout the trip.
4. Follow-through, follow-through, follow-through! Be sure to follow-through with your team members after the trip. This can be facilitated with a group meeting but additionally you or their mentor need to follow up with them personally to see how God is speaking to them.   

Don’t underestimate your role as a STM trip leader. You are more than just a participant interacting with people on the field. You have the opportunity to disciple people through what could be the most powerful experience of their life! As always, please post your comments or email your thoughts and questions to me at toryr@deltaministries.com.