Tips for the Journey

Preparing for a Mission Trip: Preparing the Team Members

Now that you have discerned where God is calling you to go for your mission trip it is time to begin getting ready. The success of your mission trip relies upon the planning and preparation you do before you leave home. In this article we will look at things you can do to prepare your team members. In a later article we will discuss the planning necessary to ensure a successful mission trip.

There are three areas you need to make sure your participants spend time focusing on in the months and weeks before the mission trip. Team members need spiritual preparation, skills preparation and equipment preparation.

To prepare spiritually have participants engage in Bible Study. This can be individually or corporately. If the Bible Study is individually directed there should be time for the group to gather to discuss their learnings. Bible studies related to servanthood are good choices as mission trips typically require flexibility and servant hearts. Other good options are Bible Studies that discuss discerning God’s will. Reports from mission teams indicate that participants frequently engage in a deeper examination of their own personal call to ministry while engaging in a mission project. A Bible study that helps understand how to discern God’s will and how to follow His call in the context of one’s life can help them clarify their call and begin to determine how to flesh it out in their daily living.

Helping the mission trip participants hone the skills needed to carry out the activities they will be engaged in while on a mission trip is also an important component of preparation. If your ministry will involve Vacation Bible School study the materials and practice teaching the sessions. If you will be working with an ethnic group other than your own learn the important do’s and don’ts of their culture. Take time to practice using the evangelism tools you will have with you. Practice moving conversations from impersonal to personal to spiritual so that team members will be comfortable giving a verbal witness to the faith that is in them.

Making sure all of the participants have the equipment they need, reduces frustration and shopping trips after you leave home. If you are taking on a construction project be clear about who is responsible for bringing which tools. Decide which witnessing tools you are taking and who is responsible for packing them? Make a list for participants of things they are responsible for bringing; sleeping bags, Bibles, toiletry items, hand tools, paint brushes, puppets, etc. Then take inventory as you load up to be sure nothing is forgotten.

Taking time to focus on spiritual preparation, honing needed skills and getting equipment ready will help your team engage their hearts and minds on the ministry God has called you to participate in once you arrive. When our energies are focused on God at work around us and not the details of our preparation we are better able to join Him in the Kingdom work of the mission trip.

© 2009 Adult Volunteer Mobilization Team, NAMB. Portions taken from the Volunteer Mobilization Project Logistics Manual. You can download the entire logistics manual from the AVM website.

If you want to read previous Tips for the Journey visit the Mission Trip Tips webpage.

Tips for the Journey are published in the Volunteers in Motion eNewsletter. To recieve future issues via email click here to subscribe.