My Top Ten Mistakes

Txs to Henrique Vicente Creative Commons

My Top Ten Mistakes to Avoid in doing short term missions trips: This list reflects my experience doing short term missions trips. The list could be longer. But I hope this short list helps you do short-term missions trips better than I did.  

1. Trips without a purpose clearly stated--do a missions trip because you have-to
2. Doing it alone--Going solo is not only lonely but draining.
3. Not asking for help--it takes a team to make a great missions movement. Don't settle for trips. Seek momentum towards a movement.
4. Go with the first contact you discover that matches when you can go--rather focus on the why you go first, when you go comes later.
5. Not Clearly thinking about how your trip fits with your church's purpose and values--connect what you do with the vision & values of your church
6. Not training or equipping helpers--you might have helpers, but those helpers need some training to be great helpers.
7. Being too carefree in planning and during the trip--"flying by the seat of your pants" may feel exhilarating, but it often leads to missed opportunities.
8. Being too rigid in planning and during the trip--Micro-managing may feel like your in control, but often you short-circuit empowering new leaders.
9. Not praying for the right people to go on the right trip for the right purpose--have a short job description of successful outcomes for your trips.
10. Not debriefing or following up with those who return from a missions trip--you may lose the momentum in people's lives to synergize greater things where God can work towards a lifetime of being on-mission versus a great memory of a trip.