Preparing for Short-term Missions

Have you ever felt strongly compelled be part of something great only later to realize you were extremely unprepared for it?  The call of missions is indeed a great calling.  God certainly calls some to spend long-term amounts of time on mission away from their home.  He also calls others to join His mission through short-term capacities.  Both calls require preparation. 

Short-term missions—individuals and teams joining a long-term missionary’s vision and strategy for advancing the gospel among particular places and peoples—requires much preparation in order to be most effective.   

While there may be times when a mission effort can be pulled together quickly, most often the preparation requires many months.[1]  No rigid timeline exists for short-term missions, but there are some general steps that allow a team to prepare well in advance in order to maximize the impact of the team with the strategy of the host missionary.  Here is a suggested timeline that can be used as a guide:

• 10 to 12 months prior–determine assignment
• 9 months prior—determine team leader(s)
• 9 months prior—publicize mission effort
• 6 to 9 months prior—recruit team/receive volunteers, deposit due
• 6 to 9 months prior—contact travel agent to begin searching ticket prices
• 6 to 9 months prior—schedule initial info meeting, collect bi-monthly or quarterly payments
• 6 months prior—apply for passport and check requirement for visas
• 6 months prior—plan team meetings and meet monthly to discuss general mission prep
• 3 to 4 months prior—purchase plane tickets
• 3 to 4 months prior—get immunizations (shots!) if necessary
• 3 to 4 months prior—team meetings should become more specialized according to what the team will be doing on the field
• 2 months prior—develop prayer team
• 4 weeks prior—plan commissioning service for team
• 1 week prior—hold commission service
• 1 week or month after—plan celebration time with team and/or church

May the Lord use our preparation in short-term missions to have lasting impact among places and peoples in need of knowing Jesus. 

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[1] Disaster Relief is an example of mission efforts that take place quickly, but even then, preparation and training have occurred months and even years prior.