I’m a checklist kind of planner. I enjoy writing out tasks, writing out the tasks it will take to complete said tasks, and checking off all the tasks as I complete them. So, when I think of planning a mission trip, my mind gleefully begins a long list of satisfying tasks to look forward to: Passport? Check! Visa? Check! Mosquito repellent? Check! Secret stash of peanut butter? Check! If you are like me, oftentimes the critical tasks of vision casting and inspiration fall by the wayside in favor of less ‘messy’ work. This article, part of a series on mission trip planning, will look at the importance of casting and maintaining vision, as well as inspiring young adults and their churches with God’s heart for the nations.
Vision casting and inspiration are not “one and done” elements of planning (and executing) your mission trip. Rather, they hold all the planning and tasks together, giving purpose, focus and drive. As followers of Jesus, the vision casting part has been laid out perfectly for us in the scriptures. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 instructs believers to go and make disciples of all nations. The vision of the Great Multitude in Revelation 7:9, reveals the promised result of the proclamation of the gospel to all nations, tribes, languages and peoples. The book of Acts is filled with examples of missionary work, as the apostles and the early church began to spread the gospel to the gentiles. Helping your young adults understand God’s heart for the nations and the Biblical basis for international missions is where vision casting begins.
Inspiration might come in the form of an understanding of the reality of lostness among the nations, missionary testimony or highlighting opportunities to serve. As a young adult, it would not be overstating to claim that I ‘devoured’ missionary biographies. They were instrumental in getting me to the field as a career missionary, inspiring me through the faith, courage and steadfast character of the missionaries.
As campus ministers, collegiate engaged church pastors, and lay leaders you have the task of setting the tone for the mission trip. Before you announce a location, job description or trip cost, take some time to point your young adults and entire congregations to the scriptures and the incredible truth that “this gospel shall be preached to all nations” (Matthew 24:14). Highlight the role the Church has been given in this great missionary endeavor as well as the way your local church plays a role in the preparation of your missionaries. Include moments of inspiration for the entire community.
As you prayerfully consider the location of your mission trip, gather teammates to train and serve with, and dig into logistics, here are some ways that you might weave vision casting and inspiration throughout:
Begin with a Biblical basis for missions:
Set aside several main sessions to highlight God’s Heart for the nations according to the scriptures. Include an emphasis on the biblical basis for missions in small group and/or discipleship time. Have students who sign up for the mission trip complete our Blueprint: Recognizing God’s Design for His Glory among the Nations course before they travel.
Highlight unengaged and unreached people groups:
Cast a vision as wide as the nations by introducing your young adults to some of the thousands of unique people groups around the world. Educate your students on what ‘unengaged and unreached’ mean. Encourage student leaders to adopt a people group for their discipleship groups to learn about and pray for. Home – PeopleGroups.org is an excellent resource with information and prayer points for people groups around the world.
Use media, such as videos, maps, podcasts and social media platforms:
Including media to cast vision and inspire helps lock it all in! Set aside some time to plan out how you will use media to support your efforts to point your students to the work of missions, to the lost among the nations and to the peoples and places where you will be going to serve. Video Gallery – IMB; People and Places: Explore Global Missions IMB; Sam James and Missions in Vietnam – IMB
Invite a missionary to share a testimony:
Whether inviting a career missionary, alumni missionary, or student who just came back from a mission trip, having a missionary speaker is an impactful and memorable way to cast vision. This is an opportunity for your students to hear that it has and can be done! Have your speaker discuss their calling to the field, their experience and what they learned about God while they prepared for and went on their trip. Tackle the tough questions: How did you raise support? Were you scared? What was the hardest part? Leave plenty of time for Q&A. Speaker Request – IMB
Recommend missionary biographies and books on international missions and evangelism:
Giving your students an opportunity to dig into books and biographies on missions and evangelism is yet another way to offer inspiration and solidify the biblical foundation for missions. Groundwork and Blueprint are two excellent texts from IMB which discuss the biblical basis for missions and all things IMB missions. General Resources – Books – International Mission Board Store
When I was a young adult I led mission trips regularly and my family and friends would often observe that my demeanor would change as I entered ‘mission trip planning season’. It wasn’t the joy of making and checking off those task lists that caused the change. It was the excitement of the mission that God had called me to and prepared in advance for me to participate in. It was the joy of obedience, based on a knowledge of God’s character and His work through His people among the nations. As I cast vision to and inspired my teammates, I was catching the vision and being inspired myself! This is my prayer for you as you embark on your mission trip planning journey.
Julia Baird is the Sr. NextGen Mobilization Strategist and Pipeline Specialist for the International Mission Board. Follow IMB NextGen @imbnextgen on Instagram.
