In Defense of Short-Term Mission Trips

One of the most curious things about the book of Acts is how Luke goes out of his way to show his readers the gospel spread around the world faster by laypeople than by apostles. Acts 8 begins, “They were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. . . . Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” I can just imagine Peter and John saying, “Wow, Luke. Really appreciate you calling us out like that. ‘Everyone went around preaching the gospel except for us.’ Thanks for that.”

Luke is getting after something really vital here. God used ordinary people, not professional Christians, to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. Fast-forward to the end of chapter 8, and you’ll see the first short-term mission trip in the New Testament. And who heads it up? No surprise: it’s Philip, a layman. The first person to take the gospel across cultures is not an apostle, but an ordinary dude. Is that not an indication of how the Holy Spirit will spread the gospel around the world today?

The way that movement of the Spirit looks will vary based on your circumstance. For instance, I’ve often said that the next wave of missions is going to come on the wings of business. Uprooting from your current life and planting yourself somewhere overseas long-term is going to be a crucial part of that. Even for those of us who go overseas in more traditional mission capacities, the importance of long-term workers who “go deep” in language and culture is absolutely central.

But there is also an enduring place for short-term mission trips. At the Summit, we send a lot of short-term trips to places in the world that are in most need of the gospel. Most of these go to the “10/40 Window,” that area of the world where most non-Christians live. There they get to partner with our people on the ground, briefly sharing in their ministry among the most lost populations in the world. Keep reading