What About Holding a Missions Trip To Your Own City?

Every year students in high school and college feel the need to pack up their things and be part of missions activity in a different country or location.  Thousands of dollars will be raised for this endeavor, and an impact will be made on those kids seeing how others live and how to share the gospel.  This is not to knock these missions trips at all, for often times our young adults need to have their perspectives challenged, and for building projects and the like, sometimes you need the skilled labor.

But I’m beginning to wonder if the time, money and talents would be better off used to have a missions trip to your own neighborhoods, your own parks, etc.

The Great Commission– Only For Summer Time in a Foreign Land?

There’s something that happens when you’re out of your element, in a different place, with people that you know you won’t see again. You find that it’s much easier to take a stand for your faith than with your peers or neighbors. You find that you have a secure exit if things should go awry– you can go home. Also, while you’re home, you have all the normal things to be concerned about– whether it’s keeping your house up or doing all the errands you need to run. Going somewhere else allows you to set aside all those concerns that you have and focus on the big thing.

But if it’s such a big thing, why doesn’t it get a higher priority when you’re home?

The Great Commission– All the time

The Great Commission tells us that while we are going we need to make disciples. That going infers doing our daily activities, the things that we do on a daily basis. Making disciples should be part of our daily lives. Parents are to do this with their children and others that they have contact with. When we see Paul say that he is guiltless of the blood of all men, that’s because he lived this lifestyle of reaching out to all people to tell them of salvation and grow their Christian walk.

So how about holding that Missions Trip to your own nearest city? What about planning something to meet them where they are instead of hoping they’ll come to you? What’s holding you back?