STRATEGIC AND IMPACTFUL SHORT-TERM TRIPS
Life-changer for Those Who Go
A short-term mission trip is how many missionary journeys begin. Lance was called to missions during his freshman summer trip. On his second trip, he met his future wife, Dion. They've been tentmakers for 18 years and raised their family overseas.
Marlene's story is rather striking. While prayer-walking on a short-term trip, the Lord revealed to her the university where she would teach in the future. It came to pass—ten memorable years of service on that campus.
Although God's call is not always dramatic like Marlene’s, most long-term workers would attest that their first exposure to missions through a short-term trip played a significant role in shaping their journey toward long-term service overseas.
The experience of working closely with long-termers even for a couple of weeks can strengthen the relationship and the short-termer’s commitment to pray for them. The short-termers’ growth in faith and appreciation for God’s heart for the world in turn can contribute to the spiritual vitality and missions perspective of their sending church.
Benefits for the Sending Church
Short-term missions don't just impact those who go. They profoundly benefit the sending churches as well. A college pastor once said, "A summer out here on mission has accomplished more for our students than two years’ worth of teaching and discipling!"
Many churches report that short-term teams come home more motivated to serve in their local community outreach or work among internationals. Their prayers for local and global needs are also more fervent.
Strategically Designed STMs
Given these many benefits, short-term mission trips should be well organized to meet objectives that align with the sending church’s core mission. A good example is Pastor Nate’s trip to “serve the servants”, i.e. the missionary families his church supports.
Over the years, GLS has offered other types of STMs, strategically designed with different age groups and skills of individuals in mind. For example, students and young adults have joined our student leadership and cultural exchange projects as well as vision trips with service components. We have also organized professional exchanges for academics, scientists, engineers, physicians, lawyers, and entrepreneurs.
Today, GLS is focused on bringing God’s love to the unreached by mobilizing Christians with business and tech expertise to serve emerging economies in the 10/40 Window.
God has blessed Christians in N. America with abundant professional and educational assets. In the last 25 years, our products and services in the area of tech and business have changed the way that the world lives and blessed the American economy with huge financial returns.
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Luke 12:48). So, we must ask what we have been given and entrusted with, and how we can give back.
IT Professionals Giving Back
Last summer, a group of software engineers offered an IT boot camp for university students in a Muslim country. Young people are fighting unemployment and the country is fighting brain drain. A career in IT and developing the country’s IT industry offers hope and excitement. Here is a space where we can give back.
As a follow up to last year’s successful bootcamp, we are launching a series of hybrid seminars that will allow “digital missionaries” to serve young people thousands of miles away. You will be partnering with local believers in IT who can mentor and reach out on the ground.
Some of you may consider joining our 2025 IT boot camp at the end of the summer. For more information, contact us at STM@goliveserve.org.