Lausanne World Pulse – The Future of Short-Term Missions
By Seth Barnes
March 2006
Short-term missions (STMs) have become a normal part of many church calendars. Most mega-churches will list their short-term projects in a brochure for their members. Though exact total numbers are impossible to find, estimates are that more than four million people annually go on short-term trips from the United States alone. The pace of change in the short-term movement has been as remarkable as the overall growth in numbers.
A number of years ago, I noticed certain trends emerging in short-term missions. Many are still in effect, but ten stand out. Each of these ten are undergirded by five factors that drive the pace and nature of the changes afoot in the market.
Driving Factors
– The STM market has matured—STMs are no longer a novelty, though they are becoming increasingly specialized.
– Increased terrorism and confrontation between Jihadist Muslims and Christians has complicated travel.
– The cost of transportation has been decreasing due to ever-growing, worldwide linkages.
– The cost of communication is decreasing (thus making STMs easier to organize) due to the prevalence of Internet telephone services and cell phones.
– The economic growth of developing countries has introduced new possibilities. Countries like China and India have growth rates approaching ten percent; this is coupled with large populations of unreached people.
A generation ago, author Alvin Toffler introduced the concept of “future shock.” According to Toffler, “Future shock is the shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too short a time.” We are seeing this in STMs. Change is occurring so fast that it is passing up many STM practitioners. The five factors above propel the pace of change in the market and have resulted in these ten overarching trends.
1. Internationalization of the Movement
We are seeing a huge increase in indigenous workers. One US-based ministry, Christian AID, claims to support ninety thousand indigenous workers alone. In China there is a movement called “Back to Jerusalem” which calls the Chinese Church to take part in the Great Commission. This movement has begun sending short-term and long-term missionaries. Indian missionaries are being sent out both short and long-term by the thousands. Emmanuel Ministries International in India graduated over ten thousand missionaries from its Bible schools last month.
In contrast, the US Church is in decline, following a trend similar to the European Church of forty years ago. In his book Revolution, George Barna estimates that only one third of the seventy-seven million people attending church weekly will still be attending a local church in twenty years.
2. Web-based Networking
Databases like http://www.shorttermmissions.com/, http://www.mnnonline.org/ or http://www.missionfinder.org/ facilitate the process of connecting an individual with a STM that meets his or her criteria. Those setting up STMs will engage in increased networking. Databases will continue to merge and expand, linking an increasing number of international workers. The percentage of short-term missionaries that find opportunities through the Web will continue to rise. At Adventures in Missions (AIM), over fifty percent of individuals use the Web to find a STM trip.
3. Cheaper Projects
Fueled by a commitment to low-cost projects, Youthworks has increased from having four hundred participants in 1994 to thirty-seven thousand participants in 2005. Missions committees are becoming more sophisticated and asking for greater accountability for funds. Increased “competition” inevitably pushes prices down. As project costs come down, it becomes easier for more STM participants to go.
4. Increased Excellence
Agencies are increasing their emphasis on preparation and follow-up. Delta’s “Next Mile” project s a collaborative attempt to address issues associated with pre and post-trip situations. The Seven US Standards of Excellence in Short-term Missions lists close to one hundred subscribing agencies. More missions committees are improving their effectiveness in STMs by asking, “Why are we doing this?” More short-term agencies are using STMs as an opportunity to disciple participants. AIM features “listening prayer” as a key component of the project. This helps participants to learn to listen for God’s direction in how and where to minister.
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Seth Barnes is founder and executive director of Adventures in Missions, www.adventures.org. AIM has taken over sixty thousand people on missions projects. |