Thinking about short-term mission? Start here...
Posted on 21 June 2023 by Global Connections
Short-term placements offer many people at all stages of life the opportunity to serve God overseas or in the UK from a few weeks to a couple of years.
Serving short-term can be a great way to get involved in God’s long-term mission. There are opportunities available for people in all stages of life.
Whether you are a working person willing to use your annual leave, looking to take a career break, coming up to retirement and wondering how you might use your life experience, looking for an opportunity to serve short-term with a team from your church, considering a ministry apprenticeship or a student taking a gap year - there are a wide range of options available to you.
Click on the headings below to find answers to your short-term mission questions.
Is short-term mission right for me?
Short-term involvement is a great way to see what God is doing around the world, to listen and to learn, and perhaps even test a call to long-term service. It can give you the chance to grow in your knowledge of God and get a taste of living and working in a different culture. You may even find that going on a short-term programme changes you profoundly and you come back a different person as a result.
How do I decide on a programme?
If you are considering getting involved in short-term mission, you need to think through what you have to offer, why you want to go - and where. It is also important to be aware of some of the possible pitfalls. Finally, you also need to think about whether the programme you are considering is contributing to a longer-term aim. Check out this article for more helpful tips and advice.
How do I make the most of my short-term experience?
Our desire to make a difference can lead us to unrealistic expectations of what we can achieve, and cause us to see mission just as an activity or an event. This section is designed to help guide you through some of these issues, and help you have realistic expectations of what being involved in short-term mission overseas involves.
Eleven factors for helpful short-term trips
"As one who grew up as a TCK and who has also served as a missions pastor and as a missionary, I have seen my fair share of short-term trips. Most of them were a blessing. A few went off the rails. All of them were costly, both to those who invested their time and money to go, and to the missionary teams that received them..."
Read more in Eleven factors for helpful short-term trips.
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