Adventures in Missions

Short Term Missions: The City that Loves You Back

The fifth-largest city in the U.S., Philadelphia, Greek for “brotherly love” (from philos, “love” or “friendship”, and adelphos, “brother”), was founded in the 17th century by William Penn. A Quaker, Penn had been subjected to religious persecution and wanted this colony to be a place of religious freedom.* Do you remember the 1990s sit-com The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, starring Will Smith? The whole series begins with Will Smith’s character being shipped off to live with his aunt and uncle in a southern California suburb because his...

High School Summer Missions: Erin Go Bragh

Éire go Brách Roughly translated, that means, “Ireland forever.” And this St. Patrick’s day, whether you have Irish roots or not, why not consider being Irish not just for today but for the summer? St. Patrick’s Day (in Irish, “Lá Fhéile Pádraig”) isn’t just about wearing green, eating green gelatin dessert, or decorating with shamrocks. Patrick was a real person, who was born in Britain when it was part of the Roman Empire: Little is known of Patrick’s early life, though it is known that he was born in Roman Britain in the 4th...

Short Term Missions: Serving the Least of These in Appalachia

Appalachia. Most of us see the word and wonder how to read it aloud (we hear it’s pronounced “Apple-latch-ah”). Some of us may have hiked the Appalachian Trail. But we’d be hard pressed to point out this region on a map. And perhaps if we were honest, we don’t know why Appalachia is considered a mission field. First, where is Appalachia? According to the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), The Appalachian Region… is a 205,000-square-mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern...

High School Summer Missions: It Ain’t Summer Camp

“We love Jesus, yes, we do! We love Jesus, how ’bout you?” It’s been a long time since you’ve been to vacation Bible school (VBS), but chants like this bring you right back. Sure, there’s something refreshing about being able to shout your love for God across the dining hall to your fellow/rival campers, but now that you’re 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18 years old… you’re starting to ask yourself… What if someone actually replied, “No”? I’d say no only to see how everyone would react (I really do love Jesus). How would...

No Ordinary Summer: Real Life College Missions vs. Summer Job

Are you about begin a summer that’ll make you wish you were back in school? Perhaps you’re landed a gig nannying three of the spunkiest kids you know for a few weeks. The kids’ dad has to go on a business trip and you’re there to lend a hand or two. They’re cute and fun… for the first four hours. Then the stinky diaper changes and refusal to eat anything green takes the shine off real quick. Maybe you’re applying for a job at [insert major clothing retail store]? True, you’ll get that sweet employee discount and you’ll be styling...

Short Term Missions: Sharing Christ’s Love in Chicago

February 25, 2011
Adventures
Short Term Missions

Chicago is one of the most exciting cities to visit in the U.S. It has the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), Navy Pier, Buckingham Fountain, Wrigley Field, and many other exciting attractions. There are many reasons to visit the Windy City. And one of those reasons is the city’s people. Although the city is both beautiful and culturally diverse, it also has pockets of people who are in need of Christ’s love. There are people around the city who struggle to get by, and people whose hearts are hurting and spirits are dry. One youth group from...

Teen Summer Missions: It’s Not Summer Camp

You lucked out with getting the bottom bunk and have settled in nicely. You’re glad that your camp bff is in the bunk right next to you. You’ve come up with the best name for your camp small group. You’ve planned your extracurricular activities. Maybe this will be the summer you’ll do the giant swing into the lake (but that tree looks kinda old and that rope is kinda thick and heavy…) or maybe do the zipline stuff again. You can literally go through the obstacle course blindfolded, both hands tied behind your back. If camp offered AP Origami, you’d...

No Ordinary Summer: Real Life College Missions vs. Summer Camp Counselor

February 23, 2011
Adventures
College Mission Trips

Oh, the joys of summer camp – color wars, arts & crafts, food fights and quality time with the swimming pool… If you’re a camper, that is. When you’re one of the camp counselors, probably not so much. Being camp counselor means running things behind the scenes. You’re the referee. Or the lifeguard. The babysitter. The chaperone. The lunch lady (or man). If the campsite keeps the cabins separate from the bathrooms, then you’re also on-call for potty patrol, ready to respond to a little one’s pleas to pee in the middle of night and escort...

It’s Not Summer Camp: High School Missions Trips

Spring’s almost here and that means summer will soon follow. And for many of you, summer means Christian camp. You close your eyes, and you can clearly see the sign, “Camp [Insert Native American sounding name]”. It’s in the middle of nowhere but you’ve memorized the route by heart. You’re hoping that this year’s t-shirt will finally come in your favorite color. You take a look through your foot locker of camp gear. All of it’s still in good shape, so there’s no excuse to go shopping. You hope last year’s...

No Ordinary Summer: Real Life College Missions vs. Internship or Summer School

February 17, 2011
Adventures
College Mission Trips

If you’re a college student, chances are you’re in the thick of midterms. You can hardly wait for spring break. Before you know it, you’ll hit finals then school will be out for the summer. Maybe you’re looking for an internship that’s remotely related to your major. You might be willing to do anything that might boost your resume, even if all you end up doing is making coffee, answering the phone, copying/collating/stapling – for free. And you have to dress up – at least – business casual. Okay, you might get a stipend for...

The End of Short Term Missions As We Know It?

February 16, 2011
Adventures
Short Term Missions

That’s great. It starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes and aeroplanes… -REM, “It’s the End of the World“ Lately, there seems to be a lot of criticism about the effectiveness of short-term missions. To be sure, there are plenty of pros and cons to short term missions, and there have always been critics. But I’m wondering if the growing number of these discussions is any indicator of a new season of ministry for the church that may provide new opportunities for the kingdom of God to advance. Are we approaching the end of...

Are You Unemployed if Not Working for God?

February 15, 2011
Adventures
Missions (General)

As a short-term missions organization, we often minister with people who are torn between their careers and a calling to missions. For some, the calling came later in life — once they had a house and a family and a job. For others, the prospect of full-time mission work is intimidating. How does one begin exploring such a calling? I came across this interesting article on the Christian Post that addresses this issue. Here is an excerpt: As far as God is concerned, someone is unemployed if the person is not working for Him, said a Latin American mission leader at a...

Author: Adventures