The Pros and Cons of Short Term Mission

Hey dudes,

Hopefully by now you have thought about why you are going to Fiji, how you will benefit and be blessed by our time away as well as how you will benefit and bless those who we will meet.

But I wonder if you have thought about pros and cons of Short Term Missions in general.  Here are a few pros and cons for you to think about ...

PROS AND CONS FOR THE FIJIANS

Pros

• Fijian Christians are encouraged when other Christians care enough to come to visit, help and spur them on.
• The Fijian Church become recipients of prayer - more people will pray for them now since they are more aware of the needs of the Fijian Church.
• They are introduced to new ministry ideas and different ways of doing ministry.
• The potentional for future links including financial and prayer support are increased greatly.
• Having a Short Term Mission team visit can help to start a new ministry that locals may not have had the time nor energy to get kicked off themselves.
• Short Termers can be 'a breath of fresh air'.
• Short Termers can bring practical help, such as materials and skilled workers that may be too hard or expensive to attain in country.

Cons

• It may become possible that ministry in Fiji can become dependant upon Short Term Missions. This is something that we need to be especially aware of since there are now more Short Term Mission teams than ever heading to Fiji.
• There is a great deal of preparation and planning required for locals. Also, hosting Short Term Mission teams can place a large drain on resources if there are too many people on team.
• Short Termers can be a lot of work due to the lack of language and cultural knowledge (hence why we do so much training before we go!).
• Short Termers may struggle with culture shock and so become useless in their work.
• Attention given from locals to Short Term Missions can take away from long term work.

PROS AND CONS FOR MISSIONARIES

Pros

• It is refreshing to have people from your own culture visit - you speak the same language, enjoy the same foods etc.
• Short Termers can bring resources for ministry and life as well as gifts from home.
• Short Termers are exposed to what the mission organisation does and so will help to increase awrareness and help to raise potential prayer and financial support.
• Short Termers can do things that Long Termers can't.

Cons

• Short Termers can do things that Long Termers can't and therefore dependence on Short Termers can be built.
• Short Termers can be a total pain in the butt!
• There is the potential that YEARS of relationship building can be destroyed in a single culturally inappropriate moment.

PROS AND CONS FOR MISSION ORGANISATIONS

Pros

• Short Term Missions can be a recruiting process for Long Term Missionaries as people get a taste of overseas mission.
• Organisations develop a pool of people and resources that they can draw upon.
• Relationships will be built with Churches in the sending nation as they send their congregation members out.
• Long term missionaries are better prepared and equipped for service if they have had a short term experience.
• There is an increase in awareness of what the mission organisation does and raises potential prayer and financial support.

Cons

• It can take a lot of time, resources and money to organise a mission trip.
• Short Term Missions can backfire if the participants have a really bad experience with the organisation.
• Can draw attention away from other things the organsation could be doing.
• Short Term Mission participants might represent the mission organisation badly.
• There is the potential that Short Termers will give money in inappropriate ways and therefore potentially forcing the mission organisation to cough up money once participants leave. Things such as this will prove harmful future ministry.

PROS AND CONS FOR THE HOME CHURCH

Pros

• A Church can mobilse young people to be committed to overseas mission. Upon the participants' return the potential that they will impact those who remain is large.
• Short Term Missions provide a great opportunity for development of new leaders. They will now have a world-wide view of God and His love for all people.
• Short Term Missions will help bring mission awareness to the congregation as a whole.
• Will help to raise support, awareness and links with a mission organisation.
• The Church leadership will be encouraged as they see some of their members taking Christian service seriously.
• People from the Home Church can see the body of Christ in action as they hear and see the ways that people's individual gifts are being put into action.

Cons

• Short Term Mission can compete for time and money with existing programs.
• Home Churches may not want to 'let go' of their key people.
• There is a general lack of leadership for mission within the Church as a whole and so there may not be anyone willing or able to lead a Short Term Mission.
• A returned Short Termer could feel negative about their home church and be arrogrant about how they share about their trip, taking away from the ministry of their own church.

PROS AND CONS FOR YOU, THE PARTICIPANT

Pros

• You get to see God at work in a totally different culture - this can have a huge, long lasting impact on your Christian life.
• You will be stretched outside your comfort zone and realise that you can do much more than you thought possible.
• You will come back with an increased awareness and concern for people.
• You will build relationships cross-culturally and be blessed by those relationships.
• You will be encouraged by the enthusiasm of Fijian Christians.
• You will come to realise that although we are totally different, Fijian Christians are also made in the image of Christ and you we all redeemed sinners.
• You will gain a realistic view of being an overseas missionary, how hard it is to ask for support, communicating with locals and local living conditions.
• You will be encoruaged in areas of giving, prayer, stepping out in faith and the generosity of the body of Christ.
• You will grow spiritually as you experience God at work.
• Short Term Missions provides direction for your future ministry and passion.
• You will realise the value of your education and material resources.
• You may be inspirted to be a full-time overseas missionary!

Cons

• You may come home with a romantic view of mission - experiencing only the "honeymood phase".
• There is the possibility that you will become critical of your home country, society and Church.
• You may see others who are upfront and outgoing in overseas mission, and you begin to doubt whether you can actually be useful and effective.
• You may have a feeling of disconnection with your home Church, mainly depending on how supportive they have been of you and your trip.
• You may come back with a negative view of mission and see only the difficulties.
• If something large and significant happens, there is the potental of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (this has never happened for a Year 13er in the past, however we have to recognise the potential).
• There is a large financial cost.
• You will have an increased risk of disease, sickness and perhaps even death (again, no-one has ever died on a Year 13 mission, but we need to recognise the potential risks).
• You will experience re-entry and reverse culture shock - both can be tough and discouraging.

I'm totally happy to chat to you guys more about the above if you'd like.  We will see a lot, experience a lot and process a lot while we're away, but the biggest and best prayer you could pray at the moment is the God uses the great things and the crappy things to draw you closer to Himself and make you more like Jesus.

Moce,

Trin