As followers of Christ, we are called to live with a global vision for the gospel. One of the most eye-opening and transformative ways to experience this is through short-term mission trips. These trips are not just about traveling—they’re about seeing the world through God’s eyes and returning with a changed heart.
In his book Radical, David Platt challenges believers to step out of comfortable Christianity. He writes, “We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.” When we go on a short-term mission trip, we’re often taken out of our routine and placed into settings where the needs are great, but God’s presence is even greater. We begin to see that faith isn’t just for Sunday mornings—it’s for every corner of the world.
Jesus tells us plainly in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” That command wasn’t given to a select few—it was given to the Church. Short-term missions help us see that the gospel is bigger than our own community and that God is at work in places we’ve never been. We begin to understand that the Church is not just local—it’s global.
Jeff Iorg, in Live Like a Missionary, reminds us that mission work teaches us humility. He says, “Missionaries quickly learn they are not the answer to every problem—they are servants of the One who is.” Whether we’re helping with a construction project, teaching children, or simply sharing a meal with someone from another culture, we’re reminded that God is the one who changes lives—we are just His vessels.
Paul says in Romans 10:14-15, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? … As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” When we go—even for a short time—we take part in something eternal. We become the hands and feet of Jesus in places where hope is needed, and in the process, our own faith is strengthened.
Church family, short-term missions are not just about changing someone else’s life—they change ours. They deepen our love for the lost, grow our trust in God, and ignite a passion to live out the gospel right where we are. May we be a church that goes, gives, prays, and sends—so that the whole world may know the saving love of Jesus Christ.
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