Organizing children's mission trips takes a good deal of advance planning, requiring organizers to find a safe location where kids can engage in meaningful work. The purpose of these trips should be to further the children's lessons in Christian principles and the Bible.
Choosing a Location
MISSIONS TRIPS
Organizers of children's mission trips should start first with the location. Mission trips, especially for younger children, should be close enough to home that children feel safe, but different enough that they are able to leave their regular cares behind and focus on the experience. Organizers must find a location that can support the work of a group of kids for a short period.
Locations should offer kids tangible work that lets them see results. Excellent projects include constructing something, such as helping to rebuild a playground. Another good mission trip is one that allows children to connect with the people they are helping, such as volunteering in a school or an orphanage.
Deciding the Logistics
Organizers, at the same time they choose a location, must determine the length of the trip. An afternoon trip to a soup kitchen takes a much different level of preparation than a weekend trip to help an area devastated by a natural disaster. Some things to think about in advance are options for lodging, transportation, meals, fun activities or recreation time, and overall cost.
With an older group, the work may be more in depth and meaningful, so organizers may want to consider longer overnight trips. Young kids have shorter attention spans and therefore need a mix of fun and work.
Tying the Work into the Bible Lessons
No matter what children's ministry mission trip is chosen, organizers must seek to tie in lessons from the Bible. For instance, if kids are going to volunteer at an orphanage or soup kitchen, a relevant story is Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Just as Jesus humbled himself to be the servant of his people, so must we serve those less fortunate than ourselves.
If a trip lasts more than one day, adults should take some time each evening to reflect with the group about the work of the day and how it makes them feel. Some children will feel that it is a waste of time or that it is too hard. Others will feel a sense of accomplishment at helping other people. This is a big reason why mission trips should produce tangible results - children need to see the fruits of their labor in order to build a sense of responsibility and develop habits of philanthropy.
Final Considerations for Children's Mission Trips
Organizers must first determine the logistics of children's mission trips. Some considerations include the age of the group, the appropriate length of a trip, and the lessons the children are learning in the Bible. Once a location is chosen, organizers must account for transportation, lodging, meals, and entertainment. Trips should mix work and play, and the work should produce tangible results that children can feel proud to have accomplished.
Children's Mission Trips - Logistics to Lessons MISSIONS TRIPS
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