Top 10 DOs for a Missions Trip.
1. Do take it seriously.
2. Do make the trip worth taking.
3. Do take students that are ready. There is nothing like spoiling a missions trip by having a student there that doesn't want to be there.
4. Do have an application process. Screening and questioning why the want to go.
5. Do have team building together. Gets them prepared for the trip.
6. Do fundraising together.
7. Do your scheduling and when everything is to be done.
8. Do investigate the site and do some prep work before forming the team.
9. Have all the RIGHT paper work, applications, liability forms and passports together and deadline.
10. Do have alot of prayer time and effort both individually and as a group. Pray up and never Give Up!
Bonus: Do have Fun! Be yourself and try to make an impact on the Kingdom of God recognizing it is bigger than any one congregation.
Top 10 DON'Ts for a Missions Trip.
1. Don't treat your missions trip as Site sighting or Cruise. If you want a trip or to travel do it yourself. Missions Trips aren't the time or place or focus for such.
2. Don't waste or be invading of the missionary's work. You being there sometimes hinders the work being done. So try not to be in the way.
3. Don't send students unless they want to have a life change and want to impact the world.
4. Don't Go. Sometimes the best investment isn't spending all the $$$ to go on the missions trip but to invest and raise $$ for the mission and missionary themselves and sending good over to help them achieve what needs to be done. With rising gas prices and the extra fees for luggage and airport travel sometimes the mission can best served if you just send the funds.
5. Don't glorify. Sure the pictures are nice and we like to pat ourselves on the back and say what a wonderful job we did on such and such missions trip. We've seen the powerpoint presentations of look what our teens did (and they did do some good things). But problem is sometimes it glorifies and boosts egos rather than Glorifies God and saying "Look at what God did through us."
6. Don't pray! Sometimes we forget the power of prayer and investing in. We think the funding and the going and reaching people on this missions trip is impossible. Until we reach out in faith and pray - we won't see God work. So if you don't pray - don't expect great things.
7. Don't expect everything to work out! Emergencies happen. Be flexible. Not everything will come together as you would like. Plan to fail at times.
8. Don't be surprised at what God can do. Sometimes the best trips have been what God has done and not even regonizing it until later.
9. Don't use Missions organizations. Afterall who wants to be organized and have an organization that actually sweats the details for you? (I suggest this as a Do use mission Organizations: places like Missions Alive, CIY, Group Workcamps are great)
10. Don't take the trip lightly. Do take it seriously. It could be the one trip that helps your students decide they want to impact the Kingdom. Continue on missions and share and be the hands and feet of Jesus to others.
Others you would add?
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