In this Episode:

• Participating in a short-term mission is very different than being a tourist.
• Training gives people tools, understanding, and insight to accomplish the ministry and navigate issues.
• Without adequate preparation, short-term mission trips can lead to emotional, physical, or spiritual harm to the Goers or to the hosts.
• Appropriate training must be a priority and intentional. It takes time, investment, and work.
• Short term mission training should be a biblical.
• Training should be presented by qualified instructors who have a solid biblical understanding.
• Training needs to be appropriate for the team that is going.
• Training needs to be timely.
• Some training needs to be presented early in the process. Training should continue after the short term mission trip.
• The training of team leaders is critical.
• The bulk of the training should be focused on the Goers, but not exclusively.
• Senders can be trained on why and how to give, on how to support the short-term mission, and how to communicate with the team.
• Host receivers (recipients) and ex-pat missionaries can also benefit from cultural training.
• A qualified trainer should have had training, as well as personal experience in short-term missions. The trainer should be skilled at transferring concepts to others.
• Research shows that thorough follow-through is the weakest area of short-term missions.
• Thorough follow-through involves capturing growth and dealing with struggles.
• Debriefing is an event that takes place pre-field, on-field, and post-field. A habit of intentional reflection is important.
• The GoJournal is a printed and online journal that helps with pre-field, on-field, and post-field reflection for short-term missions.
• A hand-off occurs after a mission trip when a team leader ensures that each member of the team is connected to someone who can help them continue to grow.
• Obtain evaluations from everyone involved in the short-term mission.
• There is more information about debriefing a short-term mission on Episode 022: How to Debrief a Short Term Mission Team with Don Johnson.
• Evaluations work best when there is a foundation of trust and accountability with everyone involved, and when they are discussed personally.
• A mission agency partner can serve as an intermediary and communicator between a sending and receiving entity.
• There are resources available at the Standards of Excellence website, at the STM Toolbox, and at ShortTermMissions.com.
• Don Johnson can be reached at djohnson@Send.org for questions.