Right timing, right size, right capacity, right duration
International Workers appreciate having input into the scheduling of the team. In the cycle of team life on the field, there are good, better and best times to receive visitors. It can be awkward if a church writes and says, "Hey, we are bringing a group to your field the second week of February." The view from the other side is that it works better for a church to be side is that it works better for a church to be in contact ahead of time to say they are planning an STM and would like to know a good time to come.
Instead of the church deciding on numbers, "We are bringing 11 people," the IWs would appreciate being asked about the preferred size of a given team. This is often a question of capacity dictated by field transportation and lodging and, in some cases, security concerns, because large groups of foreigners can attract attention, which may or may not be desirable.
| Resources |
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Livermore, David. Serving with Eyes Wide Open: Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence. Baker Books, 2006
Priest, Robert, ed. Effective Engagement in Short-Term Missions: Doing it Right! William Carey Library, 2008
The Guide to Best Practices in Short Term Missions. Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, 2009 |
Thirdly, IWs like it when churches ask in advance for input on what field needs exist so that the capacity and gifting of the STM better matches the hosting team?s needs.
Normally trip durations are determined by the available time of the STM participants and usually fall in the one to two week timeframes. IWs expressed they have also had positive experiences when one or two people stayed for longer periods (one to three months) to fill a certain need. This type of STM should not be discounted. An example would be an IT person who could spend time going from worker to worker to help with computer training and upgrading.
Short-term mission trips are a great and effective way of expanding the Kingdom. Church groups can all enhance the effectiveness of their trips by giving heed to the view from the other side.
Dr. Ron Brown is a missions coach with
The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada,
based in Calgary
