Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 6) continued from page 5 have “seen missions,” but it typically is not long enough to provide a realistic experience. In a week or two, you do not really have time for the adrenaline to wear off. It is all a whirlwind and very exciting. But that is not what missions is like. Missions is all about being faithful through drudgery, routine, and only the occasional moments of terror. Lust for adventure is a lousy reason to become a missionary. My recent mission team experience lasted eight weeks, and intentionally; I wanted the students to have enough time to get really tired. That is part of what they needed to learn. My greatest fear in short-term mission work is that I, or the team, will turn out to be more of a burden to the missionary than a help. Most shortterm “missionaries” do not realize how much work it is for a missionary to prepare for and supervise the work of a team. I know of cases where teams ran up significant expenses for the missionary (I hope without realizing it) and then left him to pay the bill. The team leader needs to discuss frankly with the host missionary whether what the team is doing is really worthwhile from the missionary’s perspective; the team needs to ensure that the missionary lets them do as much of the work as possible;8 and 8 I have no wish to stereotype, but many missionaries are used to working alone and thus are not particularly skilled at delegating. Teams need to they need to pay attention to the costs they are running up.9 A very significant danger of shortterm work is the fact that in a short stay, team members cannot learn to work effectively in a strange culture. They do not have time to learn the language; they are unknowingly being strange and offensive in virtually everything they say and do;10 and their effectiveness at carrying out the Great Commission will be significantly hampered. One more danger worth mentioning is the temptation to cut corners on qualified, discipling leadership. Team leaders need to know how to disciple believers, how to discern what is happening spiritually in the lives of team members, and how to confront biblically. There are all kinds of leadership styles, of course; some leaders are very intense and driving (in a healthy way), while others lead with a lighter touch. But whatever their style, leaders encourage their hosts to let them do as much of the work as possible—and then they need to do the work well. 9 On one trip recently, I had to press the host fairly hard to get him to let me buy him a tank of gas after he had been driving us around for most of a day. I’m not sorry that I insisted. 10 Yes, I’m exaggerating, but not by much. On a recent trip to South Africa, I was setting up twoperson teams to distribute flyers for a youth rally. I suggested that each of the “Americans” team up with one of the “Africans.” But this was a Colored (mixed-race) church we were working with, and they unfortunately took offense at the word “African,” which to them was a synonym for “Black,” a different racial group in South Africa. I meant simply someone who lives in Africa, with no thought of race. I should have known better; this was not my first trip to South Africa. But it illustrates how easy it is to be wellintentioned and yet inept. need to lead, and they need to be proactive in spotting and addressing spiritual needs as they arise. Not everyone can do that well; knowing a lot about the country or the culture or the cuisine or the airline is simply not enough. This is a mission trip, not a cultural exchange program. Personnel Experienced business people will tell you that a business rises and falls on hiring; if you hire the right people, everything else about the business is a lot easier. Mission teams are no different. Leading a team that gels and works proficiently is one of life’s greatest joys; herding a bunch of cats around a strange country is one of the worst experiences imaginable. So who should be on the team, and who should not? As was implied earlier, you want to weed out the tourists. You also want to filter out the abysmally selfish, the secretly sinful, and the well-intentioned but largely useless hangers-on. This can be difficult, obviously, because we cannot see hearts, and people who want to go on a mission team tend to be on their best behavior when around those who are deciding who will go. Many team leaders have found that the simplest way to discourage the insufficiently or improperly motivated is to set up the team so that it costs something in personal effort before the team leaves. Team members are required to read certain books, memorize verses, or prepare and perform a children’s Bible story or two—not busywork, mind you, since these are things that they will need and use during the trip—but things that require some discipline and sacrifice. Have potential team members engage in exercises or ministries where you can page 6 Teacher to Teacher | May 2008
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page Intro) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 1) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 2) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 3) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 4) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 5) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 6) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 7) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 8)
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