What makes a “successful” mission trip?
Josh Dye
Bachelor of Arts student
Avondale College of Higher Education
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
Here’s a typical question I’ve received since returning from a One Mission trip to the Solomon Islands in December: “What did you achieve?”
It’s a fair question—we like to quantify things. A typical answer could be, “We baptised 50 people through our evangelistic series,” or, “We built a school for disadvantaged children so they can receive a Christian education.” But One Mission Solomon Islands didn’t baptise anyone or build anything.
“What will we achieve?” As leader of a team of 14, I mulled the question over before and during the trip—for the record, we organised kids’ clubs, conducted soccer clinics, taught English classes, led Bible studies and presented a series of worship meetings. The question frustrated me because I knew I needed to submit plans for the trip to God but felt as though I had to have something tangible to say. It frustrated me because I don’t believe we should judge the “success” of mission trips by comparing numbers of baptisms or the size of building projects.
Are baptisms and buildings trophies to show when we return home? If mission trips don’t provide any follow-up personal support for new believers or financial support for maintaining new churches, is it responsible to call for baptisms and construct buildings?
Let’s look beyond baptisms and buildings to the example of Jesus, who devoted most of His life on earth to mission. Yes, He valued baptism and even buildings, particularly one in Jerusalem—think the clearing of the temple, but He didn’t see those as achievements. His one mission? Connecting with people.
Jesus valued relationships above anything else. He blessed, healed and taught to build, restore and strengthen them. So should we.
Tags: Josh Dye, One Mission
Amen! Mission trips should definitely be more than just about baptisms and buildings—they’re important, but to maintain these, and to even grow from these beginnings, follow up is essential.
The long-term success of any mission trip depends on what happens after baptism and building. The activities and programs you and your team implemented in the Solomon Islands are valuable in connecting with people, in building, maintaining and growing relationships.
We’re relational beings. It’s amazing the difference it makes when we know we’re not alone, particularly if we’re experiencing pain and suffering in our lives.
Being a Christian does not guarantee a life free from pain and suffering. Instead, it equips and strengthens us to face pain and suffering and to stop and prevent further pain and suffering. Being a Christian is following Christ’s example. His primary mission while on earth: connecting with people, healing and teaching to build, maintain and grow His relationship with others and their relationships with each other.