Stop Taking Missions Trips: Rethinking How We Go — and Why
Over recent decades, millions of American evangelicals have gone on a short-term mission trip. Those numbers reflect something quite positive—a genuine desire to prioritize global missions. It reflects the conviction that supporting missions is not just about sending money but about sending people. It reflects a biblical intuition that one of the best ways to develop a heart for the nations is to see gospel work up close. But not all mission trips are created equal. Some trips—though well-intentioned—might just do more harm than good. If we’re serious about the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20), serious about planting and strengthening churches (Acts 14:21–23), and serious about raising up faithful leaders (2 Tim. 2:1–2), then there are certain kinds of short-term mission trips that we need to stop taking. Provocative title aside, I'm very supportive of missions trips, so long as they are guided by biblical priorities. Here are nine kinds of short-term trips that are more damaging...
