Live Your Faith | Young People's Ministries

Mission: It's Not Just a Trip
by Barbara Wheeler

Mission: It's not just a trip. That's the slogan that headlines the youth and young adult website of the General Board of Global Ministries. The message wrapped in that simple phrase can be puzzling to some who read it. For many youth, young adults, and Methodists of any age, mission trips are important manifestations of their faith, and an opportunity to volunteer and serve in a capacity that isn't inherent in their everyday lives.

I applaud mission trips, and their chaperones, and I appreciate the opportunity they provide to learn about a different culture (in another country, or your own), and experience a new way to view the world. Mission service is an opportunity for each of us to be the hands, feet, and faces of Christ. Mission trips have played a very important role in the lives of many of the young adult missionaries who have become involved in the mission programs of GBGM. I am a product of an extended mission trip — the US-2 Program for young adults.

Back to the slogan: Mission: It's not just a trip. What does it mean?

First, mission does not need to be corralled into a two-hour, two-week, or two-year experience. As Christians, we are called to be in mission every day of our lives. Mission is usually defined as a “sending forth” or “commissioning” of service. God sends us each day into a world where we are commissioned to serve. We may be sent to our place of employment and commissioned to our occupation, and it is no small task to be in mission in these environments.

Second, mission doesn’t require you to go to a new town, a new country, or a new culture. There are opportunities for mission in our local churches and communities that impact the lives of our local brothers and sisters in Christ. It is crucial to be aware of our role in working for justice and peace in the lives of people in other countries, but we must not miss opportunities to serve in our local neighborhood. Our everyday practices of supporting local businesses and volunteering at a neighborhood charity are part of mission.

Your attitude can be devoted to mission: not just on a trip, but every day of your life. How do you do that? Well, there are many opportunities, and I’ll note three.

Pray — There are constant moments of prayer in my life. I thank God for the ability to walk through a revolving door and not need to use a handicap entrance. I pray for the homeless woman I pass on the street. This can begin a conversation between you and God about mission.

Serve — Volunteer at a local charity. Find a cause or issue you are passionate about and learn more about it. If your concern is national or global in nature, there are plenty of ways to contact our government leaders and solicit their support.

Be faithful — Mission is the living out of our faith, and there is no timeline for the fulfillment of the mission or necessarily resolving a social concern like homelessness or hunger. Therefore we are called to be faithful, and heed God’s call to be in mission.

In this discussion of mission, I would be remiss if I did not mention the specific programs at the General Board of Global Ministries that focus on mission service and social justice: the US-2 Program; the Mission Intern Program; and the Global Justice Volunteers Program. The US-2 Program was integral in helping me explore my faith in the context of mission. There are more details available at our website as well as information about other opportunities for mission service, advocacy, education, and resources for youth and young adults.

How do you live out mission in your daily life? Tell us at youngpeople@gbod.org

Barbara Wheeler serves as the Missionary in Residence for the Young Adult Programs, Mission Intern and US-2, at the General Board of Global Ministries. Contact her at 212-870-3660 or miryap1@gbgm-umc.org