Right now, there is a trend of making one’s life less “toxic” …whether it comes to relationships, cleaning products, skin care, or even the pots and pans one uses for cooking. There is a growing concern to identify and eliminate harmful things from homes, diets, and mindsets. And in turn, a deep longing to care for one’s body, mental health, and home. As Christians, we can admire the longing to seek after that which is healthy and good. And while, as Christians, we may not be able to avoid a life of difficulty or harm, I think we can glean from the “non-toxic” movement and examine how can we make ministry or missions less “toxic,” or in turn, more healthy and helpful. Particularly, I would like to take a look at missions. And as a disclaimer, ministry and missions always involve people and where there are people, things are bound to be imperfect and may even get messy. However, there is deep need to figure out how we can steward the knowledge and preparation and planning that goes into missions to aim for a positive impact. For too long, short-term missions have gotten a bad rep- sometimes, rightly so. However, I truly believe that it is possible to do short-term missions with a healthier, constructive approach! Here are 3 keys (of many, as this list is not exhaustive), to move toward non-toxic missions.
Be Present in the Field
Especially when doing missions in a different country or cultural context, it can be easy to come in with a tourist or spectator mindset. And while it is not wrong to be eager to learn about and experience the culture, one must be mindful not to have this detract from respecting those they are serving and treating them with dignity. Oftentimes, missions involve going into homes, orphanages, villages, schools, etc. It can be tempting to want to immediately pull out the camera in these settings. However, in these moments, we must put ourselves in the shoes of those we are serving and remember that we are strangers. If you are serving those who are orphaned, when you go to the orphanage, you are stepping into the place they know as their home – what is supposed to be a safe place. How would I feel if someone came into my home who I had never seen before and started to take a bunch of pictures? This is not to say that pictures can never appropriately be taken. In fact, many children enjoy making silly faces for the camera! Rather, it means pausing in these moments to be present – being less quick to pull out the camera and quicker to introduce yourself and listen to those you are serving. Some guidelines I prefer to use is first of all to abide by the rules of wherever I am serving (some ministry sites will not permit any pictures for the protection of the children or others), and secondly, if I don’t know their name or haven’t gotten to ask permission, I probably shouldn’t take a picture. I am curious how Jesus would have instructed his disciples to handle their cellphones during key ministry moments. While I can only speculate, He would most likely prefer they put the phone down and be present.
Partner with Local Ministries
When going into a community to serve, there can be such an excitement to meet needs and implement programming we have seen work in our own experience. And of course, such excitement comes from a well-intentioned and well-meaning place. However, we can be too quick to skip over connecting and partnering from other local ministries or members of the community who may want to be involved. What are they already doing? What do they know about the cultural context and needs that we may not how? How can they help once our trip ends? In our short-term trips to Nassau, Bahamas, we include local Bahamian volunteers who can share insights specific to the cultural context. For instance, if we try to teach on budgeting based on the American economy and commerce system, we may unintentionally provide inaccurate information. Thus, it is vital to include our local partners in the planning and teaching of our content. Additionally, we aim to partner with local ministries to connect the youth we serve to, so they can continue to grow in their faith and be connected to community even when we are not there.
Be Prayerful Before, During, and After
Short-term mission trips can be powerful for all involved. As someone who has been on several trips, I can attest to sometimes it feels like a spiritual mountaintop. It can also be eye-opening to witness and experience a different culture, incredible need, and hear impacting stories. However, when you come back from the trip, inevitably, your life goes on and it is easy to lose sight of what you experienced. I encourage trip participants to journal some of these experiences, writing down the names and stories of those they meet and the needs they see to be able to revisit them and continue praying. On one of my short-term trips to East Africa, I remember writing the name of a woman who welcomed me into her home to visit and share the gospel within my Bible and now I am reminded of her often. On our trips to the Bahamas, when permitted, we share the names of the children we will meet from the homes we partner with our trip attendees so they can begin praying for them. And then, at the end of the trip, we remind our trip attendees that when they get home life will go on, but life does not go on quite as simply for the children we serve. They stay in the Bahamas, in the home we have visited, and may continue to face some of the difficult realities we saw or learned about. It is our part to continue to lift them up in prayer and pray about how to continue to partner beyond the trip itself.
As mentioned, this list is not exhaustive, but these are a few practical steps to take toward a healthier model of short-term missions. Missions is ultimately about people, building relationships, and pointing others to a relationship with Christ. All of which are important to be done with great excellence and care, even more so than the many things we aim to make non-toxic. I am encouraged by those who serve with Advance the Faith, who aim to make a healthy, lasting impact with our partnerships and mission opportunities. As an organization, we will continue to prioritize this in our missions, to better Advance the Faith!
To learn more about our missions, who we serve, and how to get involved, click below.
