Types of Short-term Missions Trip

Vision Journey
The purpose of this type of trip is to gain exposure to missionary activity in a given location and to acquire a vision of the work of God either in a specific context or in general. Main activities on the trip are visiting and sharing of experience with the missionaries, native workers and believers. It is expected that prayer, particularly intercessory prayer, remains an integral part of this trip. Its duration is usually 7 to 10 days. Participants should finance this trip completely out of their personal funds and should not take more than one of these trips.

Prayer Journey
The nature of this trip is to provide prayer coverage and support to the missionary effort or native church ministries. Major activity of this trip is to lend targeted and coordinated prayer support to individuals, locales, or specific projects in the field. Prayer walking may be the most common activity. But there may also be sporadic opportunities for other ministries such as private witnessing, teaching, or preaching. Prayer journeys are indispensible missionary outreaches to countries or regions that are access-restrictive to tradictional missionaries. Duration of such trip is less than 3 weeks.

Ministry Trips
The purpose of this type of trip is to provide ministry support to the native churches or missionaries. On this trip, the members are expected to actively engage the native population in personal outreach, evangelistic meeetings, sharing testimonies, preaching, worship, and teaching. The objective of such trip is to come alongside the local churches to assist them in ways they normally cannot undertake successfully by themselves. The duration of this trip is less than 3 weeks. Participants must be prepared to perform personal outreaches and to exercise their unique talents required on the trip.

Other Trips of Longer Duration
This type of trip is usually of longer duration going into access-restricted countries. The purpose of this trip is to indirectly minister with the love of Christ to the native population by providing social-welfare activities to them, such as teaching English, free medical and dental clinics, flood relief, etc. The aim is also to establish favorable support with the local government in the name of Christ and the Church. Participants are expected to possess working knowledge of the fields of services they are to provide on the trip. This trip usually lasts from 4 to 6 weeks, or up to 6 months to a year as temporary ministry assistants to the native church workers. Financial assistance by the church to the participants may be considered.

Youth Short Term Missions Trip
Although participants of youth trip normally engage in a large variety of activities in support of the native churches, the nature of this trip is largely a Vision Journey by virtue of the stage of life of the participants. The purpose of youth short term mission trip is to assist the participating youths in discovering the calling of God as they prepare to transition into the next stage in their lives. This trip usually lasts from 1 to 2 weeks. Youths who participate on the trip are also eligible for consideration of financial assistance.