Jeff Thompson | Youth Missions Insider

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts Does it really take that long?

Planning for a mission trip is a big deal. And can take a long time. Exactly “how long” is tough to answer. There are groups that register for a trip with our ministry as little as a month before the trip. Crazy (to me) but entirely possible because our “job” is to take care of all the details. But… we have learned a few things from ministries that prepare very well for their mission trip.

Prepare as early as you can. Like 1 year in advance. The longer you have to work on all the details of a trip the better chance you have a making sure everything comes together. Giving yourself and your group plenty of time also allows you the chance to even forget something and still have time to get it together!
Choose where you are going right away. 9 months to 1 year before the trip. There is more involved that just the “place” you are going. Who are you going to serve? Where are you going to stay? And… how is all the details going to come together? Regardless if you’re going to plan all that yourself or go through a mission provider, there is a lot of information to pull together and share with your group. Give yourself time to do it right.
Choose who is going on the trip right away (even before you choose where you are going…). Do this as soon as you can, even 9 months before the trip. Knowing who is going gives you the ability to begin to prepare them for the trip. Pre-trip meetings, devotions, study, and forms are much easier when you’re not “guessing” who needs to do what. It’s also the only way to allow students to take leadership roles on your team.
Choose the other adults who are going to serve on the trip as chaperones or leaders. Try and make sure this is accomplished the same time you finalize the students. Your don’t want “warm body” adults who are just along for the ride. Your group needs fully engaged, committed adults who will truly help lead the trip. Getting their commitment early will allow you the chance to help prepare them completely for the experience.
Fundraising… You can’t possibly start this early enough. There are other “costs” associated with a mission trip beside the food/lodging/projects. Travel to and from the service location. “Fun” stuff to do on the way there or the way home. Are you going to make adults pay for themselves or cover their costs? Gas for vehicles, incidental costs that might arrive, a donation for the ministry you’re partnering with… Like i said. There are lots of costs.
Be sure to the take the time to prepare all the participants (youth and adults) with meetings, devotions, detailed information and question & answer sessions. If you’re planning your own trip, you will need to pull together these resources on your own. Our friends at Simply Youth Ministry have a great resource “Prepare. Go. Live.” If you are using a mission provider (like our ministry Group Workcamps), they usually will provide that preparation materials for you (I know we do).

Remember these ideas are from great youth leaders you have taken youth groups on mission trips for years. They believe if you follow these simple ideas, getting ready for your trip will be easier. It may be spread out over months, even a year, but it won’t feel crazy or rushed…

Add Comment September 28, 2010

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts The infamous 3-legged race!

About a month ago, the Simply Youth Ministry team challenged members of the Group Workcamps team to a 3-legged race. Well, the SYM folks just didn’t do so great… The Workcamps team killed it! Guess we know who’s just… better…

You can see it all for yourself here.

Go Workcamps!

Add Comment September 26, 2010

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts Where to Serve?

Where do you take your youth group on a mission trip? That’s a pretty big question. And a very important one. Where you serve is a big part of the overall experience for the group.

So… how to choose… a few basic questions will probably lead you in the right direction.

Does your church support a ministry that could really use the help of a group of highly motivated teenagers? Do they have a ministry that needs staff (VBS, outreach program or elder care)? Could they use some good ol’ fashioned labor (to build a church or house)? These kinds of partnerships can go a long way to creating a meaningful experience for your group.
Does your youth group feel a “call” to serve a particular place? Is it a location(a city, a state or a country)? Is it a group of people (inner-city, Native American or Peruvian)? Serving a place or group of people brings clarity to the mission experience.
Is your group interested in helping to address a specific issue? Is there a domestic struggle your group feels a desire to help (homelessness, ignored elderly, or suburban poor)? Is their dream to tackle an issue in a foreign country that feels bigger than all of us (Africa and AIDS or Malaria, extreme poverty in Peru, or hopelessness in the former Soviet Union)? Rallying your youth group around a cause is a great way to challenge yourselves in ways you never thought possible.

However you answer these questions will guide the planning of your mission trip.

If you are going to serve a ministry your church already partners with, you may be able to take advantage of the experience of other people or groups in your church that have served there before. You can ask them how they got there, where they stayed and how the service was organized.

If you are interested in a particular place or location, you should be able to Google for a ministry or mission provider that serves there. Working with a mission provider can really make planning your trip a lot easier. Mission trip organizations specialize in taking care of the details for you.

If it’s a cause you want to serve and make a difference, you may have to use other sources beside internet searches. Ask other youth workers and pastors if they’ve ever served with a ministry that addresses that need and where they served. Youth Conferences are a great place to meet the staff of a lot ministries that serve in a variety of ways both domestically and internationally. Your denomination (if you’re a part of one) is another great place to get ideas.

With just a little work, and a couple key questions, you should be able to get your group serving right where God wants them this next summer.

Add Comment September 24, 2010

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts Fall Fundraising Ideas

While your summer trip (mission trip, camp, rafting, etc…) may seem a long way off, it’s never too late to start fundraising. Here’s a couple quick ideas to get you thinking what you can do now to begin to raise the necessary funds for next summer.

Yard work – Rake leaves, trim trees, haul trash and debris for a fee – but make it fun! The crazy thing is many people will give a donation once the “free” work is done.
Fall Celebrations – Halloween substitute at the church without all the goblins and ghouls. Make it family friendly with games and treats suitable for kids and ask for money or a donation at the door. Make sure the event offers as quality an experience as a family would get anywhere else and they’ll gladly pay good money for good, safe family time.
Pumpkin sales – Arrange to help set up a stand and sell pumpkins for your local farmers. Include homeade donations like apple cider, apple sauce and decorations like corn stalks and hay bales. The more professional the sale the more $ people will be willing to pay.

These are basic ideas but you could combine a couple into a single event or use them as inspiration for your own unique idea. If you have a fall fundraising idea that has worked really well for you, I’d love to hear it!

Add Comment September 22, 2010

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts Choosing Student Leaders

So now that you’ve decided to take your group on a mission trip, the task of planning the trip and bringing everything together begins… There’s the travel to and from the location. The breaking down of your bigger group into smaller teams that will serve together. Preparing your group for the work you’ll be doing (construction or VBS or helping in a homeless shelter). Pre-trip scripture thoughts, worship times and devotions. The list could just keep growing…

A great way to make sure all of the stuff that needs to happen, well… happens, is to give your students the responsibility. But who? Which ones in your group are ready for that challenge? Who is ready? Choosing the right student leaders is actually more important than the “job” you give them.

Who’s gifted or passionate about a certain area? – just ’cause kids follow the “cool” girl doesn’t mean she should be leading devotions. Who in your group is passionate about God’s Word, loves making sure all the details are perfect, or has worked with their dad’s construction company the past 3 summers? Could those kids lead your pre-trip worship services, make sure all the plans and forms come together on time, and train your group to be ready to build the house?
Who demonstrates maturity? – giving the responsibility of preparing the prayer journals to someone who is just going to sneak out after lights out the first night is not the best idea…
Who wants to lead? – it’s really hard to make someone lead, force them to get up in front of the group, or make decisions that affect everyone. Do you have a couple kids in the group who just love to take responsibility? Challenge them with the chance to really use that gift.
Who does everyone follow? - one definition of leadership is “influence.” If there’s a girl or guy in the group that everyone seems to copy or follow, can you use that “power” for good? Could that teenager plan the travel? If they think camping out on the way there is cool, chances are everyone else will also.

Any one of these ideas alone is not a good enough reason to give one of your youth a position of leadership. But a combination of 2 or 3 could really mean that person is ready for the challenge. Just imagine how easy it will be if you don’t have to handle every detail of getting the trip ready. And how fantastic it will be for the rest of your group to see their peers really leading the group.

Add Comment September 20, 2010

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts My reaction to [doug's] Dumb Idea…

A couple days ago I posted about Simply Youth Ministry’s huge contest called [doug's] Dumb Idea. They are giving away a total 30 Free mission trips to our Week of Hope program, free registrations to the Simply Youth Ministry Conference, and copies of LIVE Curriculum to 3 lucky youth pastors. Simply Youth Ministry just posted video of the day I found out…

This is video of Andy Brazelton and I discovering the contest.

Go here to sign up for the contest!

Good luck!

Add Comment September 8, 2010

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts Choosing adults for your next mission trip

Who you select as volunteer adult leaders for your next mission trip will have the single biggest impact on your trip. The adults on the trip will set the tone for the students. If they are upbeat and positive and having a great time serving, so will the students. If the adults are grumbling and having a bad attitude and unhappy with the lodging, the students will reflect that attitude. So how do you choose the right adults for the trip?

Here’s a couple ideas that we know work from hundreds of great youth leaders across the country.

Choose adults for their passion for youth ministry and/or missions, not for their availability – there are a lot of adults who “can” go on your trip. But the adults who will serve your group the best are the ones who want to go.
Just because they love teenagers doesn’t mean they’ll love a mission trip – you probably have adults who are fantastic at helping lead a small group or leading games or even teaching a lesson but do they want to sleep on the floor, eat the same meal for 6 days straight, and drive 17 hours to get there? If not, there are other adults.
They love missions but do they love students? – in your church there are adults who want to go on every mission trip. They feel called to missions. But you’ve never seen them at a youth group function or at a small group and they’ve never really even talked to you. They’d be best to stay at home…
Choose adults who compliment your strengths and weaknesses – you love organization, so pick adults who are outgoing and will spend time with the students. You’re outgoing and love just hanging out, better pick some adults who naturally love organization and taking care of details.

I know this feels like a basic list, but it’s actually a very difficult list to strictly follow when you’re having difficulty finding adults. My advice to you is not to compromise. Choosing the best adults will make your mission trip the absolute best it can be!

Add Comment September 7, 2010

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts Is this work?

Those of us in youth ministry often get asked, “What’s it like playing with teenagers all day long?” Some times the question is said with a smile and a joke. Other times it’s said with a little bit of bite. The way it’s said it hurts a little bit.

But isn’t there just a little truth to the question. Wait, don’t delete this post… Let me finish. For so many of us our “work” with youth is a calling. It’s our life. It’s so much more than a job. We know it’s not “playing” but it’s also not like filling out paperwork or building a house or working on an assembling line. We really enjoy what we do. We smile way more than we frown. We laugh about our work way more than we complain. Working with teenagers is actually a lot of fun.

There are times, though, when it is work. There are times when it almost doesn’t feel worth it. But how often?

This Labor Day I pray God give you a relaxing break and you can get back to you ministry this week re-energized to serve those God has given you.

Add Comment September 5, 2010

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts Free Game – Hide and Seek (with a twist)

Here’s a thought-provoking twist on an old game that you can use at a youth group meeting to help kick-off your fall and to generate a great discussion about community and commitment to each other. With this new twist on the classic Hide and Seek, from back in the day, your youth will have to make a decision that will provoke deeper thoughts as to: “Why we hide sometimes,” “Why do we not seek others out” and “How does it feel to be ‘found’.”

Hide and Seek (with a twist)