How to Choose a Short-Term Mission Trip

Katie Back Salmon • Feb 07, 2017

A new interest in missions is often accompanied with an urgent desire to just go. But choosing a mission trip isn’t always easy. Where will you go? To do what ministry? And when?

As you process through the thousands of opportunities available to you, here’s some practical advice on how to choose a mission trip.

Pray About Three Topics

It sounds like a Christian platitude, but really, the first thing you should do is pray.

Prayer can help you discern your direction, but more importantly, prayer centers you on God’s direction. Here are three prayer topics to pursue as you ask God to show you what he is already doing around the world.

1) Where should I go on my mission trip?

Famous missionary William Carey said, “To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map.”

Wesley Mills, TEAM mobilization team leader, encourages potential missionaries to follow this advice literally by praying over a map. During this exercise, ask God to reveal a particular region, people group or religious group to pursue further in research and prayer.

2) What should I do on my mission trip?

Consider your talents, and ask God to show you how your skills can meet a need on the mission field. It might be helpful to make a list of your gifts and browse service opportunities that relate.
For example, maybe you have an education degree and could teach English as a second language . Or maybe you are skilled at leading children and would thrive as a summer camp volunteer.

3) When should I go on my mission trip?

Prayerfully consider your life stage and current commitments. Beyond trip dates, you will also need to budget time for preparation. Hannah Smith, manager of short-term ministries , says to expect to spend one to two hours per week on training and support raising.

Consult Wise Counsel

Your decision to pursue a mission trip is not an individual one. Throughout scripture, missionaries (short- and long-term) are commissioned and sent out by their churches (Acts 13:2-3).

Involve your church early in your missionary journey by seeking counsel from a trusted pastor, mentor or friend. In your meeting, communicate your motivation for going on a mission trip and outline your particular ministry interests. Your mentor will be able to affirm God’s leading in your life and also illuminate the challenges you may have not yet considered.

Ask your mentor if he or she could connect you with a mission trip opportunity through your local church or point you to a missions agency like TEAM .

For a list of questions you and your mentor can use in conversation, click here .

Choosing a mission trip isn’t always easy. Where will you go? To do what ministry? And when? As you process through the thousands of opportunities available to you, here’s some practical advice on how to choose a mission trip.


Do Your Research

If you pursue a mission trip outside your church, there are hundreds of missions agencies and thousands of opportunities to explore. Consider these four factors when researching your options.

1) Statement of Faith

A statement of faith articulates an organization’s Gospel convictions. Serving with a missions organization means you affirm their beliefs, so it’s critical to study what is included (or not included) in this document.

To help you make an evaluation, you might find it useful to compare your church’s statement of faith to the mission agency’s statement. You can read TEAM’s statement of faith here .
If you have concerns about a doctrinal belief, voice them to your pastor or mentor before moving forward with the missions agency.

2) Vision Statement

An organization’s vision statement will help you see how your short-term mission trip contributes to their long-term strategy.

TEAM’s vision is to establish reproducing churches wherever the most people have the greatest need. Other organizations focus their work around serving certain regions or populations.
It’s important to evaluate an organization’s vision statement to confirm that you desire to work toward the same goal.

3) Preparation and Training

Different organizations will offer you various levels of preparation and training for your short-term mission trip. Look for an organization that will help you with logistical support, safety and security, and cultural awareness.

To support the tools your missions organization offers, here are a few resources TEAM recommends for short-term missionaries:

4) Post-Trip Debrief

After your mission trip, you will need to process your spiritual and cultural experiences to prayerfully consider, “Now what?” Ask potential missions agencies if they have a debriefing process in place to help you reflect on your trip. If they do not but would be willing to meet with you post-trip, you can use this debriefing journal as a guide for your conversation.

Make a Decision and Apply

Even after following the above steps, you still might feel uncertain you are choosing the right mission trip. Use the wisdom you have gathered, and just apply.

Maybe this step will lead you to a different, better-suited direction, or maybe you will be on a plane this year. No matter the outcome of your application, though, God receives glory as you reflect His desire for all nations to know and worship Him.

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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