Once you’ve firmly decided that you’re going on a missions trip, I’m happy to help you take the next steps to move in the right direction.
In this post, I’ll be answering the following questions:
1) Where should I go on a missions trip?
AND
2) What ministry/organization should I work with?
There are SO many missionaries, ministries and non-profit/volunteer organizations you can partner with to go on a missions trip. If you were to Google “missions trip”, an overwhelming list of options would pop up for you. But rather than help you sift through a myriad of options, my first suggestion would be to explore missions trip options through your church.
Your church may already plan yearly missions trips to work with missionaries/ministries they partner with. Almost every missions trip I’ve been on was organized through a church I was attending.
This is a great option for your first missions trip, especially if you don’t have any preferences on where you want to go or how you want to serve. This is also the easiest route for going on a missions trip, in my opinion, and here’s why:
- It takes a lot of the planning work out of the process for you. Your church manages all of the travel arrangements and ministry itinerary for your trip, so all you basically have to do is raise the money to be able to go (a discussion for a later post).
- You’ll more than likely be traveling with experienced leaders who have been on missions trips before, so you know you’ll be in good hands.
- You ensure that you’ll be partnering with a reputable, trustworthy organization.
If you don’t attend a church that plans regular missions trips, I would encourage you to schedule a meeting with your pastor (meet with your church’s missions/outreach pastor if they have one on staff). I’m sure they’ll be able to recommend some great ministries you can work with and help you get the process started. This is a great route to take for those of you who may have a specific country in mind you would like to visit and/or a particular type of ministry you want to be involved with (i.e. medical work, evangelism, building project, teaching, working with kids, etc.).
You can, of course, search the all-powerful internet and look for an organization/missionary to work with on your own, but I would caution you to make sure you partner with reputable people. I’ve never had a bad or unsafe experience on any of the mission trips I’ve been on, even ones that weren’t planned through my church, but I think I would attribute that to only partnering with ministries I had some kind of personal connection with (i.e. a recommendation from a close friend, family member or pastor). Basically, just use common sense. You are traveling to a foreign country after all, so make sure you work with people you trust and feel safe with.
Another important aspect about missions trips that I want to cover in this post is the fact that missions trips don’t necessarily mean you have to travel overseas. You can absolutely stay right here in the good ol’ US of A. Meeting the needs of your local community are just as important as meeting the needs of communities overseas. There are many outreach opportunities and depths of poverty that many Americans may not even realize exist in our country. I’m called to serve in Africa, but you may be called to serve the needs of those in your own backyard. Both kinds of trips can be equally life changing and impactful.
So whether you hop on a jet plane to travel to another continent or you choose to visit someplace not too far from home, the important thing to remember is that there are needs all over the world that need to be met, and God is using you to play a part in meeting some of those needs. God has put something good on the inside of each of us. We each have something to offer, something we can give away, some way we can give back. No matter where you go, not matter who you serve, the work will be rewarding, and you can walk away from your trip knowing that God used you to help make a difference in someone else’s life.
My next post will cover:
- How do I find the time to go on a missions trip?
As always, please ask any questions you may have by commenting below.
Related Posts:
So You Want to Go on a Missions Trip? (Part 1)
So You Want to Go on a Missions Trip? (Part 2)
So You Want to Go on a Missions Trip? (Part 4)
So You Want to Go on a Missions Trip? (Part 5)
So You Want to Go on a Missions Trip? (Part 6)
So You Want to Go on a Missions Trip? (Part 7)
