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Let's talk about photo-op "mission trips".
Posted on 1/4/17 at 11:06 am
Posted on 1/4/17 at 11:06 am
Do you go to a hip church?
Does your hip church send people on "mission trips" frequently? I have recently attended a church that is sending people to freaking Germany this spring. They send people to Haiti like every other week. They send people to Rwanda, etc.
It seems mostly like photo-ops to me.
All of this, and there really isn't anybody on staff to "help" local people when they need it. For the money they spend on this type stuff, they could hire two more staff persons, say, a professional counselor, and actually minister to their flock and local community.
This "college kids" globetrotting is wasteful and narcissistic.
Does your hip church send people on "mission trips" frequently? I have recently attended a church that is sending people to freaking Germany this spring. They send people to Haiti like every other week. They send people to Rwanda, etc.
It seems mostly like photo-ops to me.
All of this, and there really isn't anybody on staff to "help" local people when they need it. For the money they spend on this type stuff, they could hire two more staff persons, say, a professional counselor, and actually minister to their flock and local community.
This "college kids" globetrotting is wasteful and narcissistic.
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Posted on 1/4/17 at 11:31 am to Numberwang
Didn't you start a similar mission trip thread here a few months ago?
Yes, indeed you did
Why not just bump it? Or better yet post it on the politics board? You might get better responses there.
Yes, indeed you did
Why not just bump it? Or better yet post it on the politics board? You might get better responses there.
This post was edited on 1/4/17 at 11:36 am
Posted on 1/4/17 at 11:54 am to Numberwang
quote:
This "college kids" globetrotting is wasteful and narcissistic.
my nephews have been to india, japan, greece and costa rica (i think costa rica?. i'm a little jealous to be honest.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 12:19 pm to Numberwang
quote:
I have recently attended a church that is sending people to freaking Germany this spring. They send people to Haiti like every other week. They send people to Rwanda, etc.
It seems mostly like photo-ops to me.
So spreading the word to communities that may have never been exposed to God before is bad IYO, because it's too far away?
quote:
there really isn't anybody on staff to "help" local people when they need it.
waht local people have been turned away and denied help because there wasn't enough staff in the building that day? I'm quite sure you won't have an answer for that because you just made it up.
quote:
This "college kids" globetrotting is wasteful and narcissistic.
They're spreading the word. It's anything but narcissistic.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 12:50 pm to Numberwang
I'm literally on the way back from a college conference called Passion. In this conference, all of us college students (roughly enough to fill the Falcons Stadium) were challenged to partner with a charity known as Compassion International to help kids around the world trapped in poverty.
4 countries worth of kids were sponsored. Four. Entire. Countries. We're talking THOUSANDS of kids sponsored by college students. It even overflowed into helping hundreds in a 5th country.
El Salvador, Rwanda, Tanzania, Indonesia, and finally Bolivia.
I said all that because we were all asked how many were being led by God to go to other countries and minister. I saw many stand, and who am I to dare challenge them or call them narcissistic after what just happened in the last 24 hours?
I've never been out of country on mission work, but I've been to various mission trips in the USA. I've also heard a number of people share about their mission trips. I've also heard people from these countries that were visited whose lives were changed for eternity because of God working through missions. Everywhere in the world has opportunities for missions, and God calls everyone to different walks of life.
4 countries worth of kids were sponsored. Four. Entire. Countries. We're talking THOUSANDS of kids sponsored by college students. It even overflowed into helping hundreds in a 5th country.
El Salvador, Rwanda, Tanzania, Indonesia, and finally Bolivia.
I said all that because we were all asked how many were being led by God to go to other countries and minister. I saw many stand, and who am I to dare challenge them or call them narcissistic after what just happened in the last 24 hours?
I've never been out of country on mission work, but I've been to various mission trips in the USA. I've also heard a number of people share about their mission trips. I've also heard people from these countries that were visited whose lives were changed for eternity because of God working through missions. Everywhere in the world has opportunities for missions, and God calls everyone to different walks of life.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 1:01 pm to Numberwang
If a person or a church has the funding to go then they should. I do believe a person should ask themselves if they have any real skills to offer a community in need. For instance, if a person feels the need to go to an impoverished area that is in dire need of clean drinking water and they have no skills to bring that clean water to the community, maybe they would be better served to give up their spot and sponsor someone who has experience in digging wells, water filtration systems AND sharing the gospel.
Having said all of that...There is nothing wrong with anyone wanting to spread the gospel and I would never do anything to discourage anyone from doing so.
Having said all of that...There is nothing wrong with anyone wanting to spread the gospel and I would never do anything to discourage anyone from doing so.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 1:02 pm to Kodar
I will add that it is entirely possible that there are people who go on mission trips with a narcissistic outlook, but unless I personally know the person in question and have asked about their intentions, it's all speculation at that point.
I know of some who have taken large amounts of photos on the trips as part of sharing about their experiences with folks back home.
Sorry if I seemed like I came down hard, but this is a subject pretty close to home. Not necessarily mission trips out of country, but mission trips in general.
I know of some who have taken large amounts of photos on the trips as part of sharing about their experiences with folks back home.
Sorry if I seemed like I came down hard, but this is a subject pretty close to home. Not necessarily mission trips out of country, but mission trips in general.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 1:03 pm to Numberwang
Well, there's a nine year old Filipino kid in Calabrazon Province that can brag about having his pee-pee touched by Tim Tebow.
Seems worthwhile.
Seems worthwhile.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 1:11 pm to Kodar
quote:
were challenged to partner with a charity known as Compassion International to help kids around the world trapped in poverty.
My wife and I have sponsored a child through Compassion International for 7 years now. That organization does great work.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 1:13 pm to madmaxvol
quote:That's amazing!
My wife and I have sponsored a child through Compassion International for 7 years now. That organization does great work.
I fully intend to sponsor a kid when I actually have a steady income. I simply believe that's where the Lord is leading me right now. Compassion has a special place in my heart. I've heard several people who were kids in Compassion who are full adults now, and it's amazing to see how God worked through Compassion in such a huge way!
Posted on 1/4/17 at 1:28 pm to Numberwang
quote:
Does your hip church send people on "mission trips" frequently? I have recently attended a church that is sending people to freaking Germany this spring. They send people to Haiti like every other week. They send people to Rwanda, etc.
It seems mostly like photo-ops to me.
There are many different types of mission trips - construction, vacation bible schools, orphanages, church planting, street evangelism, encouragement, whatever. All have value for different types of people.
Frankly, I wouldn't say that I have great skills as a personal evangelist. But I can swing a hammer and have been fortunate enough to go to South Africa twice in years past. WE built a church in a remote are the first time, and I was able to help with some repairs/renovations at a poor Christian school the next.
These days I don't have the work flexibility to be gone for weeks but I feel fortunate enough to be able to donate financially and give to our missions partner CASAS POR CRISTO, who leads teams building homes for families and digging clean water wells in Latin America. I feel that we are making a difference one family and community at a time, and that impacting people in a very real tangible way is often the best method.
On the other hand, for teens and college kids - simply SEEING the conditions of third world countries has a very real benefit all by itself. Often, it is of immense value even if all they come back with is an appreciation of what they have themselves, both materially and spiritually.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 3:47 pm to madmaxvol
quote:
My wife and I have sponsored a child through Compassion International for 7 years now. That organization does great work.
I do something similar in sponsoring a national preacher thru Gospel Link. They also built a seminary in Zambia that you can sponsor a student with.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 3:54 pm to Kodar
quote:
4 countries worth of kids were sponsored. Four. Entire. Countries. We're talking THOUSANDS of kids sponsored by college students. It even overflowed into helping hundreds in a 5th country.
Awesome, Thanks for sharing Kodar. I get tired of hearing the negative all the time when the positive rarely gets mentioned.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 4:15 pm to iglass
Some people like to travel on mission trips. Some like to teach Sunday school or work with youth sports, etc.
I do not enjoy travel so I don't go on mission trips. I have taught Sunday School, coached basketball, feed the homeless, helped house the homeless, work party at a camp, etc.
Do what you can. Give with a cheerful heart. I don't begrudge people that like to share Christ further from home. I've even given them money for their expenses.
I do not enjoy travel so I don't go on mission trips. I have taught Sunday School, coached basketball, feed the homeless, helped house the homeless, work party at a camp, etc.
Do what you can. Give with a cheerful heart. I don't begrudge people that like to share Christ further from home. I've even given them money for their expenses.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 4:16 pm to Numberwang
This is such a strange thing to get upset over 
Posted on 1/4/17 at 4:49 pm to Hogwarts
quote:When I heard that news this morning, it blew me away. I'm trying to think of something to describe that moment, but I'm having trouble
Awesome, Thanks for sharing Kodar. I get tired of hearing the negative all the time when the positive rarely gets mentioned.
So, I'll simply say God is good. 
Posted on 1/4/17 at 5:21 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
So spreading the word to communities that may have never been exposed to God before is bad IYO, because it's too far away?
quote:
Germany
Does not compute.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 6:03 pm to Numberwang
The perpetually single but slutty fat white girls on my instagram are always posting pics hammocking in Honduras and other such places. Instagrams with brown children is hip.
There's absolutely nothing that woman brought to the children of Honduras that was worth the $2500 or so she spent on her trip. It's stupid and it's something most churches offer because people enjoy traveling.
There's absolutely nothing that woman brought to the children of Honduras that was worth the $2500 or so she spent on her trip. It's stupid and it's something most churches offer because people enjoy traveling.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 6:54 pm to Numberwang
Frankly, if you have no chance of getting malaria or dengue fever you're not on a mission trip but a glorified "Christian" vacation. I've seen churches do mission trips to Ireland, Sweden England and other first world nations. Got to call bullshite on that.
Posted on 1/4/17 at 7:03 pm to Kodar
quote:
Kodar
Much respect
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