Youth Missions Insider | How The Power of Missions Can Make A Difference That Lasts Forever

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts Shining Bright In Vegas

For the rest of the week we’re going to be highlighting some of our best friends who work in missions around the country. These are great people who love missions and helping students get the experience of a lifetime.

Today I want to tell you about Wes. Wes serves as the Local Coordinator of our Las Vegas Week of Hope. Wes and his wife consider this their ministry. Wes has another job and a “regular” life that keeps him plenty busy. But… organizing a summer of service for youth groups from around the country is his calling and ministry.

We often laugh and say we wish we could “clone” Wes. I wish I was more like Wes in many ways. He has chosen to live in a place with great needs and do what he can to help meet those needs. Thanks for all you do Wes!

Be sure to check out Wes’s blog and follow the story of ministry in and to Las Vegas, NV. God bless Wes!

Shining Bright Las Vegas

Add Comment July 18, 2012

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts I could not think of a better use for our building…

We received the following note from the principle of a high school that served as the lodging facility for one of our Workcamps this summer. I wanted to share because the ministry you do on a mission trip is so much more than just on the “project” you are assigned to work on. Your ministry will touch lives you may never even know – like a High School principle. Serve well!

I just wanted to let you know that we had a great week of camp here. As Principal, I could not think of a better use for our building. With the work of the kids, 58 different families in our community were helped. Folks who I am sure never thought that they would see the things repaired, repainted, roofed, you name it.

I got to know your staff well. They are some good folks and you can be very proud of what they accomplished here. God used them in a mighty way to prepare hearts for worship, giving God’s love to the community and just making the week a great experience for all of the campers, and for me and my staff.

I know that it may be a few years before we might host another camp, but as I told the staff, as long as I am Principal, Workcamps will always be welcomed.

Hope the rest of the summer is as much of a blessing for your organization. If you have a the same kind of people as you did here, I know that there will be blessings all over the country.

May God continue to Bless you all and thank you again for the opportunity to be a part of something special.

God Bless, Principle Knox

Add Comment July 13, 2012

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts My List of Heroes…

Jim Liebelt wrote this blog post for Homeword, Jim Burn’s ministry, and it’s about one of the volunteers that has served with our Workcamp program for years. Jim is a good friend of our ministry and used to help lead the worship programs at Workcamps. Thought you’d enjoy reading a story of servanthood and dedication.

Keep on Serving!

Add Comment July 11, 2012

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts “Hey! Look!” – a mission trip devotion

I hope this is something you might be able to use during your mission trip this summer. This devotion is inspired by one our crew devotions this summer at Group Mission Trips.

Say: Today’s verse starts with the work “Look!” – which is something like when someone yells “Hey!” at you. How you react to that may depend on the person who’s doing the yelling. If you weren’t expecting it and your parents yelled “Hey!” – what would your first thought be?

How about…

A teacher
The police
Your youth leader/pastor
Your best friend

Say: What if God yelled “Hey!” to you – so clear you could hear it? What would you think? Something good, bad, curious, scary, or what?

Say: Can someone read our verse for today? It’s Revelation 21:5 New Living Translation. (have a volunteer read the verse, and then continue)

Say: Sometimes we can assume that God is always going to talk to us like a police officer, or give us bad news, or yell at us about doing something wrong. But this verse doesn’t sound anything like that. Jesus is getting our attention so that we can see the amazing, wonderful, life-changing, miraculous NEW things he is doing. That’s good news. This week, as Jesus is trying to get your and my attention, he is doing it so we hear good news and see him doing good work. Jesus is making everything new. That’s great news!

Think about and answer this question for a minute: What is Jesus already doing in this mission trip to make things new?

(Pause to allow everyone time to think about the question)

Close in prayer asking God to help you see how Jesus will be working for the rest of the week making everything new.

Add Comment July 10, 2012

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts You do what?

Each year Group Mission Trips hires college and grad school students to fill leadership roles within our Workcamp and Week of Hope programs. We give them vehicles, tens of thousands of dollars in equipment, credit cards and tell them we’ll see them in about 9 weeks… Yes, it sounds crazy every time I say it or write it.

Here’s the thing – We love this part of our ministry!

That’s why we chose the best of the best (they really are) college students and employ them for the summer. And you know what? They’re amazingly good at filling those roles. Some of the best stories each year are from these amazing college students and how God changed their lives. Many of these summer staffers are now in ministry or choosing to study ministry for the rest of the college career.

What roles can you “give away” to you student leaders in your ministry? I believe you’ll be surprised how much responsibility they will take on.

Add Comment July 3, 2012

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts $5 Deal of the Day!

Our friends at Simply Youth Ministry have a great deal going today.

TWO SIDES: Finding what fits your youth ministry – by Darren Sutton

Here’s the reality of youth ministry: Gray often is the dominant color, differing opinions abound, and the way forward isn’t always clear or certain. But just like a wise sage, Two Sides: Finding What Fits Your Ministry will help you through the journey of discovering the right, best answers for your ministry.

Darren is a friend of our ministry and serves in youth ministry in Texas. This is a book written by a person in youth ministry for other people in youth ministry.

Add Comment June 28, 2012

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts Why is serving so hard?

Yesterday’s post got me thinking. Why are some projects on a mission trip so hard and others seem to be so “popular”? I’ve heard the same thoughts and fears and reluctance from students and adults over the years. In our mission trip context it’s things like…

“I don’t want to ‘just’ paint a house.”

“I don’t want to serve at a nursing home.”

“Why can’t my project have ‘harder’ work.”

“All we did today was sit and play games with kids. I was hoping for ‘real’ work.”

So often by the end of the trip, those comments have turned 180 degrees. People see the human side to the “work”. It often takes time for some people to recognize the true ministry and needs that are met by just interacting with another human being. When you live in a senior center or are a widow who lives all alone, having the chance to have an extended conversation with another person over the course of several days can be life-changing. It is one person ministering to another. A task might not get “done”. Or a project checked off the list. But a person communicating the love of Jesus simply by talking with them does happen.

And that’s what is supposed to take place on a mission trip. God works. We are a part of that work. We are there to be used by God to accomplish His purpose. God’s purpose may be to so some landscaping and beautify the grounds of a nursing hone in real need or God’s purpose could be to be there with that widow playing games for 4 or 5 days. Either way. God has you exactly where you are supposed to be.

1 View Comments June 28, 2012

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts They had to knock me unconscious to get me to do that

It’s only one full week into the summer mission trip season and already we’re hearing great stories of what God is doing all across the country. The great thing is God is working in people’s lives regardless of their role (participant, staff, recipient) or age (youth or adult). During last week’s mission trips we received this story from an adult chaperone. It’s from day one, week one. This is not the result of a week of interaction and worship. Just one day…

I was assigned the Alzheimer’s unit project and was dreading it. They had to hog tie me and tie me to a stick and knock me unconscious to get me to go to that. I would rather do anything than that. Anything. (after a pause ) Today was the best day of my life. Hands down the best. It wasn’t me … It was God working though me. Awesome.

It’s stories like this that make everything worth it. All the planning, preparation, recruiting, tears come together in a story like this.

Add Comment June 27, 2012

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts Great Mission Trip Memories

Recording and keeping the memories from your mission trip can be frustrating. Do you drag a bunch of technology and equipment with you? Do you just collect stuff from everyone once your back? Our friend Justin Boling at Simply Insider has some great thoughts.

Easy Made Mission Memories

Add Comment June 7, 2012

Jeff ThompsonMore Posts The Hardest Things Can Make It Worth It

Sometimes the things that are the hardest and most frustrating to deal with end up being the best. There are really hard times when you are planning your mission trip. Students back out after committing to go. Adult chaperones back out (one of the most frustrating things). The projects you were counting on doing fall through at the last minute. Your lodging situation changes and you no longer know if you have room for everyone. I won’t list any more things for fear of bringing up to many bad memories for us all…

But if you’ve done any mission trips you know that things like this can and will happen once you’ve been on a number of these trips. We’ve facing a situation like that right now with our mission ministry. There is a location that is proving to be incredibly difficult. Rules and regulations that don’t exist anywhere else. Local authorities who cannot think past there own rules. All of this is conspiring to make this mission trip very difficult for us and the youth groups that will be attending. It’s hard…

But, I have a sneaking suspicion that God will do something amazing on this mission trip. Do you ever have the experience where the hardest things end up being worth it? It’s in those hard times that God tends to show up. Right there. With you. Doing only what God can do. Making a bad situation good.

Because here’s what I know. There are people in that community who need help. Who will benefit from the relationships with the students attending the mission trip. God has a plan for this situation. Even though it’s very difficult for us to see it right now through all the difficulty.

And I believe the same thing for you and your group and your mission trip. Whatever difficulty you are facing right now, God is in that issue or situation. God has a plan. I pray that God will bless your trip through the hard things you are dealing with.