Short-term mission
Cultural Intelligence: Crucial For Short Term Mission Teams (and Everyone Else)
Posted on May 7, 2013, 10:18 am | 2 comments
Topics: Short-term mission
Cultural Intelligence is a crucial skill not just for short term mission teams, but for everyone in today's society.  Read more »
Adapting VBS for International Settings
Posted on April 29, 2013, 8:01 am
Topics: Short-term mission
To reach children cross-culturally, you must listen carefully to what your hosts need and adapt your ministry approach to the local context. Wherever possible, resource local teachers rather than do it for them. Read more »
Sea to Sea: Cyclists as Missionaries
Posted on April 9, 2013, 8:01 am | 1 comment
Topics: Short-term mission
 When I was asked to join the steering committee for the 2008 Sea to Sea ride, I was skeptical. Hundreds of middle to upper income white folks taking the summer off of work to ride bicycles that cost more than some people make in a year was going to “end the cycle of poverty?” Read more »
Crossing Cultures at Home
Posted on August 13, 2012, 10:09 am | 1 comment
Topics: Short-term mission
We typically think of short term missions as something that happens when people from North America cross cultures by traveling to an unfamiliar setting here or abroad.  Recently, missionaries Mike and Megan Ribbens, who normally live in Abuja, Nigeria, crossed cultures by visiting their partner churches Read more »
Ten Questions for Debriefing after a Mission Trip
Posted on August 9, 2012, 11:43 am
Topics: Short-term mission
Debriefing a mission trip is just as important (if not more so) than orientation. Here is a recent Banner article that suggests 10 questions. Read more »
5 Lessons from Honduras on Short Term Missions
Posted on August 6, 2012, 8:00 am | 8 comments
Topics: Short-term mission
Honduras gets a LOT of short term missions (STM) teams, as the planes full of gringos wearing matching t shirts attests. It’s also the home of Kurt Ver Beek, Director of Calvin’s Honduras Program and well-known researcher of the effectiveness of STMs. I’ve read most of the literature; now, I had the opportunity to hear from the community itself how they felt about the North Americans coming to serve them. Read more »
Keeping Missionaries and Short Term Teams Safe
Posted on July 30, 2012, 2:25 pm | 2 comments
Topics: Short-term mission
It’s easy to listen to world news and hear all about crisis situations: Churches are bombed, governments are overthrown, terrorism rises, murders and kidnappings increase. Sometimes you get an urgent prayer request from your missionary. Other times you read about political unrest in a country where your youth group will be volunteering. Did you know that CRCNA has a crisis management team that monitors and evaluates these sorts of situations to help keep missionaries and volunteers safe? Read more »
Behind the Scenes of an Effective STM Project
Posted on July 23, 2012, 12:29 pm | 4 comments
Topics: Short-term mission
When I first chose to go on a January class term to Uganda, I was a bit apprehensive. Not because I was nervous to fly across the ocean, face the mosquitoes, or ride down the (sometimes very) rough roads, but because I had no idea what to expect. I had taken enough development classes to know the disaster stories... Read more »
Church Vans, Reconciliation, and Ministry in North America
Posted on July 16, 2012, 8:00 am
Topics: Serving, Short-term mission
This past week a neighborhood teenager put a message on Twitter that said, “You know you’re living in a ghetto when the church vans come in for spring break.” Read more »
Short Term Missions and the Task of God's Church
Posted on July 9, 2012, 5:09 pm | 1 comment
Topics: Short-term mission
Is short term missions (STM) a great means of discipleship or a huge distraction from the actual work of missions?  One thing is sure: STM has become a huge phenomenon.  One analyst counted about 500 short term missionaries in 1965 compared to 1,500,000 Read more »
re:kindle on Global Missions
Posted on June 11, 2012, 5:01 pm
Topics: Short-term mission
From June 7-9, young adults from across North America gathered to worship God and learn from one another on how to engage 18-30 year olds in the Christian Reformed Church. These young adults, leaders within their congregations, are passionate about their faith and concerned about declining membership... Read more »
Background Checks for Volunteers?
Posted on April 12, 2012, 11:55 am | 4 comments
Topics: Short-term mission
Christian Reformed World Missions office staff are working with hundreds of volunteers.  One of the issues we have faced recently is getting background checks for volunteers to check for any history of criminal activity or abuse.  Do you think this is a good practice, or not? Read more »
Short Termers, Think Long Term
Posted on August 22, 2011, 8:00 am | 6 comments
Topics: Short-term mission
I want to encourage short term mission trip planners/participants to think long term commitment. We have talked with Steve Brauning about the "commando" mission trips, where a team drops in, does the work and disappears, never to be seen or heard from again...  Read more »
Processing the Short Term Experience
Posted on July 11, 2011, 8:56 am
Topics: Short-term mission
Coming home from a STM trip can be an exhilarating and scary thing. It is exciting to come home and tell stories and show pictures. Often we have a new purpose in life. But it can be a scary, depressing time as well.I want to give you an idea of what to expect when your STM trip participant comes home...   Read more »
Launching & Landing Successfully: Short Term Missions
Posted on May 19, 2011, 10:20 am
Topics: Mission Emphasis, Short-term mission, Global Mission
Learn how an effective orientation AND debriefing can keep your short-term missions experience from a bumpy landing.  Many practrical tips, tools, and resource referrals will be shared. Presenter: Trish De Jong,  CRWM Missions Resource Consultant Read more »