When Your Summer Mission Trip Is Cancelled

With the current COVID-19 crisis all but ruling out any possible youth mission trips this summer, missionaries and churches have been stretched to find new ways to connect. This is especially true for young people who had their sights set on ministry outside of their area. While you can’t replace the opportunity to serve, here are a few ideas to connect your youth with ministry in another city, culture, or country:

• Summer Connection: What do your young people and the missionary’s children of similar age enjoy in the summer and how can they share that activity (ice cream, hanging out, beach time) via video call? If they are missing some activities, they can share those too.

• Photo Swap: Use pictures from your youth group and those of the missionary family to illustrate what fun looks like in summer. Exchange photos by email and post them in your church or on the screen before worship.

• News Conference: Hold a fast-paced, question-packed news conference where your young people ask the questions. This can help them learn more from the missionary on the other end of the video call. Submit the questions prior to the call so the missionary can prepare.

• Missionary of the Week: Meet a new missionary each week through video call and learn more about their ministry. With some guidance of adult leadership, students can run the session and ask questions.

• Support the Missionary as Planned: Youth groups have been raising support for their summer trip over the past year. Maybe the trip has been postponed to next summer, but some of the funds raised could be sent to support a missionary’s ministry this year. Find out how those special funds will be deployed by contacting the missionary in a video call.

• Prayer Support: Above all and in all, prayer support for the missionary and the ministry is important. Ask missionaries how you can pray for them and their ministry, and gather your youth for a prayer gathering. Missionaries are happy to pray for your younger members, too. 

Written by Randy Bohl, Church & Mission Support Developer for Resonate Global Mission