In my recent post about Mekdes Haddis’ book, A Just Mission: Laying Down Power and Embracing Mutuality, I promised to add a further post with her wisdom regarding short-term mission.
She offers five questions and seven practices…
Five Questions
- Why are you going?
- Are you connected to people in your community who are originally from the country or the community you seek to go serve?
- Have you sat under the teachings and leadership of pastors from that community?
- Is the organisation you are going with led by local pastors and leaders?
- How long do you intend to stay?
These questions help the goer decide if they have the right motive for going and if they have a holistic approach to mission that doesn’t undercut local pastors’ leadership (106).
On her website she expands on these questions a little bit more.
Seven Practices
- Visit the country of interest purely as a tourist. Engage the culture through the eyes of the locals; learn about their heritage and what defines them as a people.
- Connect with believers in the community, visit local churches, and worship and fellowship with locals, making the goal the building of a relationship.
- Collect data on what type of connection they have had with the Western church in the past. Ask what would most benefit the local pastors and leaders and ask them to provide potential solutions.
- Present your case on how you would benefit from their engagement with your church and organization and make sure it’s more than mere cultural experience. Give them opportunities to teach, lead and disciple your people.
- Take only groups of people with the skills that fulfill needs presented by local leaders. Do everything you can to find local people with the desired skill set first and fill the gap afterward.
- Leave your camera at home, even if it means leaving your phone at home. You can have the host take pictures, resulting in images that reflect their perspective. Better yet, hire professional photographers from the community and participate in supporting small buisinesses.
- Limit or extend your stay based on the need and plan on going on a regular basis to support and encourage the work being done. (112-113)
nice chatting
Paul
About Me
the art of unpacking
After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.
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