Researchers study return on short-term missions

Associated Baptist Press: Researchers study return on short-term missions

WACO, Texas (ABP) — Research has revealed students who participate in short-term mission trips tend to have lower levels of materialism, greater appreciation for other cultures and a better understanding of missions as a lifestyle, says a Baylor Uiversity professor studying whether short-term mission trips are good stewardship.

The number of United States Christians taking part in trips lasting a year or less has grown from 540 in 1965 to more than 1.5 million annually, with an estimated $2 billion per year spent on the effort. That investement of time and money has sparked debate whether the money might better be spent giving directly to a country’s Christian partners for spreading the gospel and offering medical aid, construction assistance or other help. Some long-term missionaries complain that culturally insensitive short-term mission participants do more harm than good by damaging relationships that had taken years to build.

Dennis Horton, associate professor of religion at Baylor says the answer to whether volunteers missions "is worth it" is a qualified “yes.”

Two-thirds of short-term trips last two weeks or less, with a host of purposes ranging from evangelism to digging wells or teaching English-as-a-Second-Language classes. On the surface, Horton said, the trips seem a win-win-win situation — for those who send participants, for team members who make the trips and for host countries.

“It is very much worthwhile. But I’m qualifying that by saying I think a lot of churches and groups need more follow-up to help mission team members incorporate what they’ve learned on their trips into their daily lives,” Horton said. “Long-term involvement, whether global or local, is where you see transformation taking place.” …