How do you feel about missions trips?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's great, as long as they are not trying to convert people.

I agree, it WOULD be great if they weren't converting people but that's not the reality nor the sole purpose of mission trips. The number one reason is to spread the "word" or "gospel". They are called mission trips because that is the mission, conversion. If anyone tells you different, they are not telling you the truth. Helping in other ways is secondary to the cause.

Here are a few sites you can look through. The purpose is always clearly stated.

This one is front and center with "Make HIM Known". (India)

https://missionindia.org

Scroll down to the middle and click on the types of work available. Again, it's made clear that ministry is the purpose. (Cuba)

http://experiencemission.org/trips/communitypage.asp?community=-cuba-mission-trips-&commid=6d1d05cd-e7aa-47d3-a355-ac84f30d6d52

This one is to spread the word at an orphanage. And it's family friendly so bring your kids along to see the poors. (Guatemala)

http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/get-involved/guatemala-mission-trips/

This one's very well established and churns out local pastors in 10 weeks. (Ghana)

http://www.hsminc.org/Ghana-Short-Term-Opportunities-in-Accra-West-Africa.html

[Anonymous]

#NotAllMissionTrips

if you're helping but also trying to convert people to a religion that you believe in, big deal. Is the issue is there is no real help -- fine, criticize that. But if they're spreading the word but also actually helping, who cares. Lots of purely securely foreign NGOs in the developing world do nothing helpful. Criticize the helpfulness or lack thereof. That help may come with a religious component is not inherently bad.

[Anonymous]

^^^ if the issue is

^^^ purely secular

[Anonymous]

Send a check and stay home... especially for the ones overseas. Its not like you are actually helping people.

[Anonymous]

This is a great experience and, most of all, helps kids bond with the youth group which is of major importance if you want them to continue through high school. It was a life saver for both my teens, who aren't athletic or especially popular but have a strong core set of friends in church youth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's great, as long as they are not trying to convert people.

I agree, it WOULD be great if they weren't converting people but that's not the reality nor the sole purpose of mission trips. The number one reason is to spread the "word" or "gospel". They are called mission trips because that is the mission, conversion. If anyone tells you different, they are not telling you the truth. Helping in other ways is secondary to the cause.

Here are a few sites you can look through. The purpose is always clearly stated.

This one is front and center with "Make HIM Known". (India)

https://missionindia.org

Scroll down to the middle and click on the types of work available. Again, it's made clear that ministry is the purpose. (Cuba)

http://experiencemission.org/trips/communitypage.asp?community=-cuba-mission-trips-&commid=6d1d05cd-e7aa-47d3-a355-ac84f30d6d52

This one is to spread the word at an orphanage. And it's family friendly so bring your kids along to see the poors. (Guatemala)

http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/get-involved/guatemala-mission-trips/

This one's very well established and churns out local pastors in 10 weeks. (Ghana)

http://www.hsminc.org/Ghana-Short-Term-Opportunities-in-Accra-West-Africa.html

Yep, this is why I don't support them or approve of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a great experience and, most of all, helps kids bond with the youth group which is of major importance if you want them to continue through high school. It was a life saver for both my teens, who aren't athletic or especially popular but have a strong core set of friends in church youth.

I didnt think the purpose was for them to benefit per se, but rather die the recipients to benefit. Send money and let the professional provide real help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great experience and, most of all, helps kids bond with the youth group which is of major importance if you want them to continue through high school. It was a life saver for both my teens, who aren't athletic or especially popular but have a strong core set of friends in church youth.

I didnt think the purpose was for them to benefit per se, but rather die the recipients to benefit. Send money and let the professional provide real help.

Why not do both? There are multiple purposes for these trips, as any halfway self-aware person can recognize. A lot of it is for the participants to grow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could have done better for those families by sending money to employ local laborers to build the houses. Then, not only would some folks have houses, but other folks would have jobs. These trips badly distort local economies by putting local builders out of work, and allow the cost of supplies to be unreasonably increased. Sure, it might work for the 3 families who get a new house, but it's overall very bad for the community.

Exactly. Take the money you spent on plane tickets and donate it instead. Go pull trash out of the Anacostia River if you want to make a difference in the world.

http://www.anacostiaws.org/programs/stewardship/cleanups

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could have done better for those families by sending money to employ local laborers to build the houses. Then, not only would some folks have houses, but other folks would have jobs. These trips badly distort local economies by putting local builders out of work, and allow the cost of supplies to be unreasonably increased. Sure, it might work for the 3 families who get a new house, but it's overall very bad for the community.

Exactly. Take the money you spent on plane tickets and donate it instead. Go pull trash out of the Anacostia River if you want to make a difference in the world.

http://www.anacostiaws.org/programs/stewardship/cleanups

You know -- for lots of people, a "mission" trip is the only kind of trip they take overseas. Are you telling all your friends vacationing the Bahamas to go pull trash out of the Anacostia River instead? In the US, religious people are more charitable as a percentage of income than non-religious people.

[Anonymous]

^^ vacationing in the Bahamas

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on the organization and the individual. There are some very good programs and there are some very superficial ones. I also think there are some participants that do it for the "wrong" reasons. For me I did a great, post-college, non-religious, Peace Corps-type of volunteer program and it was immensely valuable in teaching me about the world, about being grateful for my life and about how to nurture humanitarian spirit within me. I would love for my kids to do something similar but you can bet I will be researching it very thoroughly before they go. My niece just went on a church mission and I sort of thought it was about indoctrinating HER, as much as the locals and it put a bad taste in my mouth.