Adventures in Missions

January 2011 | Following Jesus, A Reunion, and A New Year with Real Life

January 26, 2011
Adventures
Missions Newsletters

A Word from the Director Learning to Follow Jesus in Juarez | Seth Barnes Seth shares a story of following Jesus’ model of discipleship during a short-term missions trip in Mexico: A number of years ago, on a missions project in Juarez, I was translating for a small group of students. This was their first time and they were a little worried. “How do we know who to talk to?” they asked me. “Well, let’s stop and ask God what we should do,” I replied. When we had finished praying, we looked up and saw a white truck approaching them on the...

Is Listening Prayer Biblical?

January 25, 2011
Adventures
Prayer

Does God still speak? Listening prayer has its fair share of critics, but is listening prayer biblical? What are the arguments for and against? AIM founder Seth Barnes takes a look at the art of listening prayer. People like me who believe that God speaks to people using a variety of means and not just Scripture face two frequent critiques: Luther’s tenet of Sola Scriptura and Hebrews 1:1-2. Sola Scriptura, according to Luther, meant “All that man needs for salvation is contained in the Bible.” He was responding to the abuses of the organized church which had...

Short Term Mission Trips Impact People at Home

January 21, 2011
Adventures
Short Term Missions

When our participants set out to make a difference on a short term mission trip, they’re bringing that impact back home to their community. For Erin Desautels, who recently participated in a short term trip to Haiti, the amount of people she impacted grew exponentially when her hometown newspaper The San Diego Union-Tribune featured her story. Desautels traveled to Haiti with Adventures in Missions for the second time in late December. She recounted her group’s journey on the anniversary of the earthquake that shook the country a year ago. ...

Real Life: Four Months of Changing the World Begins

As college students around the country step foot into classrooms for the start of the spring semester, more than 40 Real Life mission trip participants are stepping foot into foreign soil this week to learn some of the biggest lessons of their lives. The lessons began at training camp for these Real Life participants, where they learned some valuable lessons in letting go of expectations, learning about prophecy and ministering to others. Here’s a look at what some of the participants had to say about the start of their journey. “I’m jumping...

Missions Trips: Is Volunteerism Harmful?

January 19, 2011
Adventures
Missions (General)

Not all mission trips are created equal. There is a growing skepticism in the American church towards short-term mission trips. To be honest, many of the skeptics are justified. When not done well, short-term missions can, quite frankly, hurt more than they help. At the same time, there is a growing interest in philanthropy and volunteerism in our culture. We are more interested than ever in helping people, but less inclined to include Jesus in the experience. This approach can also be quite harmful, according to Todd Eckhardt, director of Homeland Ministries at World Gospel...

College Missions Video: Are You Satisfied?

“The world is going to change, because the people of God get up and move and do something about the realities of our world.” All over the world. . . . . . 385 million people live in extreme poverty. . . . 143 million boys and girls have been orphaned. . . . 27 million men, women and children are trapped in slavery. Will you be satisfied just standing by? If you’re not, check out Real Life, our missions program for young adults ages 18-22.

The Impact of Short Term Mission Trips on Youth

January 14, 2011
Adventures
Youth Missions

If short term missions can change the lives of at-risk youth, what could a trip to an Apache Reservation, Appalachia, or New York City do for your church’s youth? The Barna Group, a research organization that focuses on “the intersection of faith and culture,” recently released a study looking at the impact of short term missions and found what Adventures in Missions has seen in its own participants: short term mission trips change lives. Each year we send out youth groups not only around the world, but to domestic locations to experience many different...

Short Term Mission Trips Change Lives (Even Your Own)

January 13, 2011
Adventures
Short Term Missions

Benefits of Short Term Mission Trips: How They Change Lives As a mission organization that is over 20 years old, we definitely believe in the benefits of short term missions as a catalyst for long-term change. Without a doubt, short term mission trips change lives. But they also change your life. Short term mission trips can change the lives of strangers you meet in other countries with whom you might have an opportunity share the Gospel. They can change the lives of local Christians that you serve through acts of service. But short term mission trips can also...

One Year Later: Haiti, We Still Remember You

January 12, 2011
Adventures
Haiti Missions

A lot can happen in a year. A massive earthquake hits; aftershocks follow. Buildings crumble. A cholera epidemic ensues. A nation votes. Spiritual revival sweeps through the Haitian church. The Western church mobilizes resources, prays and serves. Hope and faith grow. A year full of the tension between life and death in Haiti. A lot more needs to happen this year: You and your church can partner with a church in Haiti. You can spend a week (or more or less) with us in Haiti. You can pray. You can give. Here are 12 posts from our Haiti...

7 Reasons Why Our Mission Trips Are Unique

January 10, 2011
Adventures
Short Term Missions

While there are plenty of great reasons to go on missions, there are some ways in which Adventures in MIssions is uniquely positioned as a mission organization to make your mission trip as meaningful as possible. These uniquenesses are why AIM has been doing ministry for over 20 years and why many groups continue to go with us year after year. 7 Reasons why our mission trips are unique Customization: You can choose the location and duration of your trip. If you don’t see what you’re looking for on our trip list, contact us, and we’ll help you customize your own...

Mission Trips to Swaziland: A Place of Transformation

Africa has without a doubt become a place of transformation for our mission trip participants. Mission trips to Swaziland are no different. Last spring, college age participant Katherine Tupper experienced her own transformation firsthand through the Real Life program. After witnessing the heartbreak and struggles that come when three children are left in the care of a neighbor after their mother’s death and father’s abandonment, she realized what great faith looks like. “On March 28th, Mhale Bwendwa asked her pastor to come to her home to be with her as...

High School Mission Trip: Lives Changed by Listening to God

How Lives Were Changed on a High School Mission Trip by Listening to God During a high school mission trip last summer, a team in Guatemala spent an entire day listening to God in prayer. Since listening prayer is a core value of our ministry, we place a strong emphasis on discerning what God is saying before we attempt to meet a need. Because this group of students took time to do just that, lives were changed. The group discussed ways to know that you’re hearing from the Lord and how to test it. Then, they spent the rest of the day going out into the community...

Author: Adventures