Missions
Missions trips are a tried-and-true component of Youth Ministry. But what impacts do they have — on us, on our young people, and on the communities we seek to serve?
Instigating a Guerrilla Love Movement
Guest blog by Amy Croy – Youth / Young Adult Minister St. Paul’s, Edmonton “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and … Continue reading
Another Perspective on Short-Term Missions
by Andrew Stephens-Rennie I came across this blog post while trawling the internet this week. It’s a post by Jamie Wright, the self-proclaimed “very worst missionary.” It’s definitely worth a read. Whether you agree with it or not, it might … Continue reading
What My Two Year Old Taught Me About Mission Trips
By Christian Harvey My son just turned two years old, and he always wants to be helpful. He loves unloading the dishwasher (though it results in a lot of dropped dishes), sweeping (which is a hazard to everyone) and stirring … Continue reading
Invisible Children, Joseph Kony and Complexity :: Part 3
Rattling around in my brain last night were words from the second chapter of St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians: Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind … Continue reading
Invisible Children, Joseph Kony and Complexity :: Part 2
Yesterday, almost as soon as I hit ‘publish’ on my previous post, I had the sense that I would need to write a follow-up. The thing is, I know that it’s really easy to rail against a group or an organisation, … Continue reading
Invisible Children, Joseph Kony & Complexity
Many of you have probably heard the hype by now. I’ve seen links to the cleverly marketed Kony 2012 video come through my feed from multiple unrelated sources. It’s come from men and women, young and old, and mostly white. … Continue reading
The Heart of Mission
Why does a film like Crash get hold of our hearts and minds, and move us in ways that a textbook on racism never could? How is it that a week-long camp experience sends young people home with a deeper desire … Continue reading
Troubled Waters :: Part 2
In this blog series, Christian and I will try to unpack some of the issues around short-term mission trips We’ll be using my experience as a trip organizer and leader as backdrop, and if he’s worth his salt, Christian will … Continue reading
Troubled Waters
In February 2009, and again in February 2010, I co-led two successive trips to New Orleans. Both times, we travelled during University reading week. Both times the trip closely coincided with Mardi Gras. I wonder why the students came. Was … Continue reading
The Problem with Mission Trips
By Christian Harvey Last week Andrew posted a great reflection on the trouble with short term missions. This is something with which I have struggled with a lot and would like to come at it from a different angle. Most … Continue reading
