Choosing adults for your next mission trip

Jeff on September 7th, 2010

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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…
  4. 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!

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You’re Only as Good as Those Around You

Jeff on September 3rd, 2010

Just a quick thought about those we serve with in our ministries.

I have the wonderful blessing of working with an amazing collection of people God has blessed with tremendous talents, gifts & abilities. And they use those skills to help thousands of people serve those in need every year. It’s my privilege every day to work alongside them. I thank God for them.

It makes me think about you. How has God blessed you with those around you? Fellow staff members, a spouse, a volunteer, or a team of people. Don’t forget to thank them. And don’t forget to thank God for them. Where would any of us be without those God has blessed us with?

Thanks God for allowing us the chance to work with others. Thanks for not letting us be alone. Thanks God.

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Free Game – Hide and Seek (with a twist)

Jeff on September 2nd, 2010

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)

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Sending an Adult Home

Jeff on June 24th, 2010

Our friend, Doug Franklin, had a great post on his blog the other day about this difficult but important aspect of the ministry of youth missions.  When/if to send an adult home from a trip.  Our ministry has some of it’s own processes and steps we take in the context of what we do, and Doug’s thoughts echo our sentiments…

Sending an Adult Home

What do you think?  Is our ministry and Doug’s thoughts on the right track?  Do you agree or disagree?

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The others…

Jeff on November 21st, 2009

I had an interesting conversation with a Youth Minister yesterday. She has been taking her youth group on mission trips for over ten years. But she’s experienced a huge level of frustration on her last two trips. Her problem… adult volunteers from other youth groups.

Adults from other churches have made a girl in her group cry, sat around and not help in the service at all, or worse – bosing kids around like a dictator and doing everything for then because it wasn’t good enough. She has reached a point that if it doesn’t get better – she was thinking of doing something completely different with her group.

Her question to me was. “What can you do to help me?”. And I was at a loss… Our ministry provides a “guide” for all adults attending a trip, a pre-trip meeting for all adults, a video that walks adults thru what is expected of them, and a Code of Conduct just for adults. We strive to help all adults feel prepared to serve and yet there is, unfortinately, nothing we can do about an adult leader that chooses to have a bad attitude while on a trip…

Do you have ideas? What does your group do to prepare adults? Share a comment and help a struggling fellow youth leader out…

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