How To Build a Mission Team

“And it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples to Him; and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles…” (Luke 6:12, 13)

The time is coming soon when many churches and individuals will begin planning their summer mission trips.  Alice and I have been planning, leading mission teams, and traveling on mission trips for over 20 years.    Over the next couple of months I will be writing about the process of preparing for a mission trip, including fund-raising, details on planning your trip, deciding on where to go, and even what to take.  We are looking at leading a couple of trips this year ourselves, and I hope you will take this opportunity to join the discussion and ask any questions you may have.      

Most of us have heard the story of how Jesus called the twelve disciples.  We have this picture of Jesus walking up to these unsuspecting individuals with an air of confidence, and with His voice calling out their names with authority.  He must have been persuasive because fishermen and tax collectors alike dropped what they were doing and stepped forward to serve Christ.

But there is a short verse right before the final team is selected.  In this verse we are told that Jesus went and prayed all night long about what He was about to do—picking the future leaders of the church.  What was He praying for exactly?  We don’t know, but we can see the results.  Those whom Jesus picked were unlikely candidates but were used to bring the hope of Christ to the world.

The moment when you select those you will serve with is a key one.  Many times this isn’t the center of the process, but merely a formality that must be done.  At its essence, a team is a system of human relationships.  In the process of building a team, any leader or manager needs to understand not only the needs of individual team members, but also how those individuals are affected when working in groups.  

So many times outreach efforts fail because of issues and conflicts among those serving together. Jesus knew that the team He worked with was just as important as all the speaking and healing that He did.  As you participate in a group effort, pray that each member would bring pure motives and a servant’s heart.

As you pray about putting together a group to serve on a short-term mission trip, the following practical tips can help:

1) Find your passion. 

What do you love?  What kind of services can you offer people in need?

2) Find an organization that can deliver for you.

Do your research and look for an organization that is transparent about where your money goes.

3) Set your budget higher than what you think you’ll need.

This is important, especially if you are planning to lead a group. Some people live on tight budgets and last minute $50 extra costs could be significant for them.

4) Start fundraising

Fundraising is a great way to get your friends, family and community involved.  Just make sure you keep your fundraising transparent.  People are donating their money to your cause, so you want to be able to show them exactly how it’s being used.

5) Collect supplies

Some people feel weird about giving money because they don’t know exactly where it’s going to go. I found it worthwhile to give them another option to be involved, and enable them to purchase and donate medical supplies.  Some supplies you can purchase in-country, which also helps stimulate the local economy, but there are supplies that are easier to bring with you - it all depends where you are volunteering.

6) Select the right people.

They need to be solid followers of Christ, flexible, adaptable and teachable.

7) Meet on a regular basis.

Prior to the trip, you should meet once or twice a month to pray, inform, and innovate.

8) Train the team members. 

Provide seminars by experienced missionaries, assign one or two books to read, and studies on spiritual preparation.

9) Delegate responsibilities.

Preparing for short-term mission trips is a lot of work.  Allow others to help you.  Provide opportunities for them to grow and be stretched even before you reach the mission field.

10) Communicate often before, during and after the trip.

People don’t like to be left in the dark.  No surprises.  The more you communicate, the more they will follow!

11) Get feedback.

Evaluate the team’s health regularly.  Ask for input, ideas, suggestions and constructive criticism.

12) Research the culture.

Every culture is different and it’s important to be culturally informed, not only to relate to the people but to protect yourself.  Look up some common phrases in the local language. Research appropriate clothing.  Understand what might be interpreted as culturally offensive in the place you’re going.

 Be sure to add any thoughts you might have on building your own mission team.   If you have any questions just email them to me at: vmi2019@protonmail.com and I'll respond as soon as possible.