Preparing for a mission trip is no small task. You’ll dedicate hours to organizing every aspect of the trip.
From finding local partners to scheduling transportation, training your team, and securing financial support, you’ve carefully considered each detail.
You spend so much time planning, working out the logistics, recruiting your team, raising funds, and preparing every piece before and during your trip that sharing the impact with your congregation afterward is often an afterthought.
However, you’ve gone to great lengths to involve your entire congregation in your mission trip, and they should be aware of the impact their prayers and giving have had on the local population and your team.
Taking time to recount how God worked in and through your team will help you continue to connect your whole church with fulfilling the Great Commission.
1) Give a Mission Report
As soon as your team returns and has had a chance to rest and debrief, have them share their experiences with the church.
Dedicate part or all of a service to hearing about how the Lord moved.
Ask your team to share as much as they’re able about what they did while on the trip. Remember, if you went to a closed country or worked with missionaries who need to remain anonymous, your team will need to censor what they choose to share.
Once your congregation has a good idea of what your team did, have them share how they saw God through the experience. Sharing testimonies and stories of salvation and transformed lives will help your members see the impact your church had on the people your team went to serve.
Have them share specific examples of ways they saw the Spirit moving or things they learned about themselves or the Lord. Include photos and videos so your members can get a sense of what the trip was like and really understand how their efforts left an impact on the mission field.
2) Schedule a Call or Visit
It’s always a positive for your congregation to hear from those who traveled with your team. But it’s even better if your members can hear directly from those your team worked with in the field.
Depending on where you traveled to and whether you plan to continue partnering with the people you served, it may be possible to schedule a visit from one of the local missionaries to your church in person.
Even a planned call or video message from someone your team worked with will help your congregation see the tangible impact of your mission team.
The tendency when sending out mission teams, especially to third-world or closed countries, is that the people back home have trouble visualizing what those who go are actually doing.
Having a mission partner share in person or through a call is a great way to help your congregants see the connection between their prayers and support and the work done during the trip.
They’ll be able to put a face with a name and hear directly from someone living through the impact left by your team.
The testimonies from those you sent are compelling, but they can’t compare to the local missionaries who can share stories of long-term, life-changing results from the work your team did.
3) Follow Up a Year Later
Once a trip is over, it’s easy to return to normal. While your team members may have been changed enormously by their experiences on the mission field, those who didn’t go will likely have pushed the trip to the back of their minds.
Following up with your mission team and those they worked with on location will help your congregation see the long-term impacts of their mission efforts.
Even those who didn’t personally go on the trip could participate through prayer and support. Show them how the work your team did is still making a difference, or what the local ministries need in the next season.
Your team worked hard to ensure they left a lasting and meaningful impact on the community they visited. About a year after the mission trip, check in with the missionaries and ministries they partnered with.
Get an update and share it with your congregation so they can see how God is still working even though your team has returned home.
Share the Impact
You spent months planning and preparing for your mission team to be the hands and feet of Jesus. They accepted the call to go, and your congregation generously supported their efforts.
Don’t miss the opportunity to show your members exactly what your team was able to accomplish and how God moved in and through them while they were away from home.
As you plan your trip, include steps to give a mission report, schedule a call or visit from the local missionaries, and follow up a year later.
The best way to get your whole congregation involved every time you plan to send a mission team is to regularly show them the impact they can have through those who go!
ACS Technologies
ACS Technologies sets a new standard in church technology, offering a holistic suite of solutions that streamline administrative tasks and empower your staff to excel in their roles and your church to excel in your community.
In the ever-evolving landscape of church engagement and management, ACS Technologies rises above the rest. Our comprehensive church solutions, bespoke digital offerings, streamlined communication tools, comprehensive ministry consulting, and training make us the trusted choice for over fifty thousand churches. Experience the ACS Technologies advantage and elevate your church’s online presence, connectivity, and generosity today. Join us in redefining church technology for the digital age, where your ministry’s success becomes our shared mission.
