What is the purpose of missions? What should the relationship between the missionary and the supporting local church be? Should the local church have missionaries they support all over the world to show their commitment? Are short-term missions trips a blessing or a trial for the long term missionaries?
Andy Johnson, author of "Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global" (Part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series) starts out with the various views Christians have about missions. He does an excellent job looking at how missions was done in the New Testament, and how to apply those principles.
I'm in a Southern Baptist, where technically through their Cooperative Program every SB church supports every SB missionary. Johnson suggests it may be better for churches to have a smaller number of missionaries to support and then give substantial support to the few.
On the subject of short term missions, Johnson questions if those trips are more for the benefit of the short-termer than the field missionary or the mission field. He suggests a long-term relationship between the local church and the missionary so that the short-termers are doing what helps the missionary. He gives an example of a short-termer from his church in D.C. taking care of baby sitting (including diaper changing) while the missionaries go through training. The missionaries were in tears when they learned the regular job of that short-termer was being on the White House staff.
As is typical for the 9Marks books, I highly recommend this short book.
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