Together, let’s Rethink Short-Term Missions

For many years, people have travelled abroad on short-term missions' teams or as individual volunteers. You may have been one of these people with a heart to make a difference in the lives of communities around the world. 

However, with the many complexities involved in cross cultural missions and power dynamics, unfortunately some of these good intentions don’t always result in the best outcomes for children, families and communities' volunteers seek to serve. 

Sadly, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, international borders were slammed shut and missions' trips were cancelled indefinitely. Although unfortunate, as we eagerly wait for international travel to resume, we can use this opportunity to rethink short term missions and prepare for the time when we can travel once again. 

Together, let’s improve mission trips and leave unethical missions behind

#rethinkingSTMs
#Letsrethinkstms
#Ethicalmissions

SO HOW CAN WE RETHINK SHORT-TERM MISSIONS? 

We have consulted with Christian leaders from around the globe and have used their valuable insights and varied experiences to develop this campaign. We are looking forward to continuing to learn from them as we rethink short term missions.

Before jumping into planning new missions trips, it is important to look back at previous trips and evaluate:

What went well?
What didn’t go so well? 
What are the long-term impacts?
What could you do differently?
Was the experience of the team the priority, instead of what was best for the community?

Let’s take the time to stop and ask host communities and organisations how best we can help them. Do they even need the help of short-term teams or are there better ways we can support their work?

Does this mean just sending people with specific skills sets or just going to learn from their teams or other organisations?

As borders open and restrictions ease, let’s not just go back to the way we’ve always done things. Let use what we’ve learnt as we’ve reflected and listened, to create more ethical missions programs. 

We must be willing to prioritise the best interests of local communities over creating experiences for our teams.

 CHILD SAFE VOLUNTEERING

For a long time, visiting and volunteering in orphanages has been a common
component of short-term missions (STM) trips.

The needs of children stirs many good-hearted people to seek opportunities to volunteer within programs that assist children such as orphanages and shelters. Without careful consideration and awareness of the broader issues, our good intentions could contribute to the exploitation and vulnerability of the children we seek to help.

ARE YOU READY TO RETHINK

SHORT-TERM MISSIONS?

Continue to our ethicalmissionstrips.org website to begin working through some of the complexities that are involved in rethinking short-term missions and how we can put the best interest of children, families and communities at the core.

See here for all the videos and
content you can share in your own networks.

 Rethinking Short-Term Missions is supported by the Australian Government and implemented by AVI and ACCIR