Adventures in Missions

Are Short Term Mission Trips Effective?

Gauging the effectiveness of short-term missions Being a short-term missions organization, we obviously believe that short term mission trips are effective, but there is a lot to consider in building a case for or against the effectiveness of short-term missions (STMs). In choosing a mission trip, someone should have a healthy amount of skepticism and reservation before engaging in any kind of short-term (or long-term) mission work, but one also needs to be aware of the potential fruit in a short-term missions experience. On one side of the argument, there are some...

Missions Photo Contest Winners: Final Results for Round One

After reviewing over 3000+ photos, the judges’ votes are in for the Missions Photo Contest. Below are 30 photos (from 30 different photographers) that they chose. Their selections were based on the criteria that the picture needed to capture a soul, a moment, a place, and a ministry. Given the vast amount of excellent photos that had to be reviewed in a short amount of time, this was quite a challenge for our panel of judges. Therefore, we’re leaving open the option for this week only that if you’d like to suggest one that we missed, please give us the URL in the...

Announcing the Round 1 Winners of the Missions Photo Contest

We’re proud to announce the first part of the Round 1 Winners of AIM’s Missions Photo Contest. We’re posting an initial group today and will post the rest on the blog tomorrow. Our panel of judges has selected 30 photos. The 30 photographers will now put together a 20 picture portfolio that will be available for public viewing. Stay tuned (you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here) for more. Once the Round 2 winners are posted, we’ll show you how to check the online portfolios that our qualifying photographers are building. On July 15 we will select...

The Case for STMs: Do Short Term Missions Work?

The Case for Short Term Missions Do Short Term Missions Work? AIM founder and Executive Director Seth Barnes expands on a previous answer to the critics of short-term missions and builds a case for the effectiveness of mission trips, explaining why how short term missions work: A random person recently wrote me saying, “Hey, I am doing a speech opposing short term missions [STMs] today, I was wondering if you have any data or statistics that would work for this?” I’m afraid my response wasn’t too encouraging: “You may have mis-read my...

Nicaraguan Princesses for a Day

Rebecca Chuckney shares the following story from Nicaragua: Even after living here for over half a year now, I am constantly discovering new parts of town that make me wish I had longer to live in this city! I was blessed to be able to spend last week with my brother and sister, Mark and Lindsay, as they were here leading a group of their friends on a spring break trip here in Nicaragua. Part of their week included spending time with eighteen beautiful girls who all live in an orphanage here in Granada. This was my first time even seeing this place and it was such...

How You Can Help Mexican Missionaries

In 1997, AIM began the Missions Training Institute (MTI) in Matamoros, Mexico. (For the full story of how the MTI began, click here.) Starting the MTI was something that God led AIM’s founder Seth Barnes to do in order to raise up long-term, national missionaries in Latin America. Since the inception of the institute, the MTI has trained an mobilized hundreds of missionaries, sending them into unreached areas of Mexico and all over the world. This year, the MTI is relocating and needs $35,500 to make some much-needed renovations on the new facility. These...

The Missions Training Institute Needs Your Help

AIM’s Missions Training Institute (MTI) needs $35,000 to continue operating. We need your help and support to keep this ministry going! Click here donate… To find out more, click one of the following links: About the MTI How You Can Help Hear the Missionaries’ Stories Ways to Get Involved About the Missions Training Institute In 1997, AIM started the Missions Training Institute (MTI) in Matamoros, Mexico. It was something that God led us to do to raise up long-term, national missionaries in...

Five Keys to a Successful Mission Trip

Five Keys to a Successful Mission Trip Important Factors to the Success of Any Mission Trip The factors for what makes a successful mission trip may differ in many ways, but they’ll share a few common denominators. Before getting started, it’s wise to look at the following: 1. Your purpose in going 2. Your partner on the field 3. Selecting & preparing team 4. How you set up & lead the project 5. How you follow up on your project Determining your purpose: In a broad...

Last Call for the Missions Photo Contest!

The way we’ve set up the photo contest, there are three rounds. The first, the qualifying round, ends in a few days, June 15. $3000 cash goes to the winner. All you need to qualify is one really great picture of ministry happening on a mission trip. By “ministry,” we mean it must capture interaction between people communicating the love of God. We’ll select the top thirty photos and those photographers will then submit a portfolio of their pictures in the second round. And in the third round, we will select the top portfolios and award...

Seven Misconceptions About Short Term Missions

Seth Barnes exposes some major misconceptions about short-term missions, explains why going a mission trip is a privilege as well as a responsibility, and gives some practical advice for youth group mission trips: We’ve all been victimized by lies. My guess is that the plot in half of all sitcoms is based on a difficult situation wherein one of the characters is tempted to shade the truth. Not only does our enemy trade in bald-faced lies, but he also has a fondness for the subtle misconception. Sometimes it can be just as...

Missions Youth Conference in Mexico

Are you tired of fruitless youth retreats and conferences? Looking for a practical, powerful way to inspire your students to serve? Join Adventures In Missions for an Extreme Youth Event in Matamoros, Mexico this December for four days of exciting worship, inspirational teaching, and unforgettable opportunities to serve the people of Matamoros. This event will move your students’ hearts and propel their hands to act, while encouraging them to pursue a lifestyle of missions and ministry wherever they are. Sign up...

Why Go On an AIM Mission Trip?

Why you should go on mission with Adventures in Missions What is so unique about an AIM mission trip, and why should you consider going on mission with us? You have a lot of choices in missions. Summer work camps, service projects, and summer camps abound in the U.S. Your church supports missionaries who need help. Many short-term agencies offer options. So, why ask AIM to organize your mission trip? The bottom line is that we are tightly focused on helping your team to grow spiritually through prayer and evangelism. AIM takes the following simple steps to help...

Author: Adventures