Links to Internet resources on short term missions
- How do you judge if your mission trip was a success? [ mission trip standards ]
- Upcoming opportunities: Mission trips on the schedule
- Work & Witness -- Nazarene headquarters information [ go to site ]
- Family oriented short term mission trip: Resources for Southern Nazarene University's annual "Commission Unto Mexico" trip over the New Year's holiday [ get info ]
- Requests from mission fields
- Caribbean region Work & Witness possibilities [ go to site ]
- Southeastern Europe and Western Mediterranean possibilities [ see listing in Microsoft Word format ]
- Larry Webb, retired missionary, forms Work & Witness teams from people all over the U.S. and Canada. Each year, he takes several of these "maverick" teams to Bolivia. For dates and information about his upcoming trips, call him at: 626-285-1011 or e-mail him: ljwebb@juno.com
- Missiontrips.com
- Samples of mission trip application forms:
- Web sites promoting other opportunities
- Project reports from local churches and districts
- Dave Edmonds of PK Ministry Webs will help people in your home church see photos of your trip and read reports while you are actually on the trip. [ more info ]
- Fellowship of Short-Term Mission Leaders - annual conference In Atlanta (and formerly held at Bear Trap Ranch)
- National Short Term Mission Conference
- Missiontriptools.com
- Resources
- Missions Trip Resource CD from Bryan Waggoner at Bethesda Baptist Church in Brownsburg, Indiana
- Philosophy and strategy
- Short-Term Mission Trip Standards
- "The Dirty little secret about mission trips" by Bo Cassell
- "You're taking my kid where?" Are the risks and rewards of youth missions and service trips worth it?
- "Why Most Missions Trips Are A Waste of Time (and how to make sure yours isn't)"
- Articles in Youthworker
- Five lousy reasons to do summer missions (for my youth pastor friends) by Randy Friesen (published in April 9, 2004 Mennonite Brethren Herald)
- Short-term missions: Is it worth it? article in Latin American Evangelist by Susan Loobie
- Overcoming Culture Shock
- International short term missions - article in Youthworker magazine
- "Debriefing the mission," an article by Mike Woodruff in the May/June 2000 Youthworker
- Seven principles for highly effective short-term missions - published in East-West Church & Ministry Report
- Are you going overseas for a year or two as a married couple? Make sure your marriage is strong. [ missions and marriages ]
- Re-thinking mission trips by Eric Wilbanks (Relevant Magazine article) [ read article ]
- Youth People Turning to Short Term Mission Work, Religious News Service article
- Re-entry help: "How to Keep the Flame Alive After Your Missions Trip is Over"
- Fund raising
- Bill Dillon's "people raising" resources [ more info ]
- Local church policies and procedures
- Bethlehem Baptist Church (Minneapolis, MN) [ read policy ]
- Park Street Church (Boston, MA) [ read policy ]
Speaking through an interpreter: Did he really say what I said?
- Wheaton College's short term mission links page
- Christian Travel Information, Equipment, and Advice from Mission2Go.Com
- Packing suggestions
- How do you know what to take with you on your missions trip? Read this "Possible packing list for your overseas trip"
- Baggage tips [ read article ]
- Learning about your target country
- Where to get airline tickets and arrange transportation: Travel agencies
- Airlinesticket.us: Consumer resource offering tips on how to find the best air fare discounts
- Campbell Travel -- Cathy Phelps. Toll-free phone: 800-435-0510; Email: cathy@campbelltvl.com [ article by Cathy Phelps ]
- Cheap-Hotels-Airline-Tickets.com
- Expedia Travel
- Fairway Travel - Africa
- Fodor's Travel Guides
- Go ABC Mission Travel
- Golden Rule Travel
- MinistryTravel.com (formerly Harvest International Travel)
- InterMissions World Travel
- Menno Travel Service
- Mission Mountain Travel Regan Kelley, International Group Specialist, phone 888-630-5200, fax (406) 844-2097, 217 Sunrise Lane, P.O. Box 299, Lakeside MT 59922
- Missionary Air Phone: 800-545-7118
- MTS Travel Phone: 800-835-0106
- Priceline
- Sky Auction
- Hotel reservations
- IRS deductibility for U.S. taxpayers:
What mission trip participants pay to care for their expenses while they are serving as volunteers to a non-profit organization are tax deductible. The Better Business Bureau web site says that the Internal Revenue Service allows people to deduct out-of-pocket expenses directly related to voluntary service (including lodging and meals when an overnight stay is involved). So, check with your professional tax attorney or preparer.
The monetary value of your time is not deductible.
- Pennsylvania Association of Non-Profit Organization (PANO): Out of pocket expenses for volunteering
- The Internet Nonprofit Center answer on tax deductions for expenses incurred by volunteers [ click here ]
- IRS Publication 526 (see closing statement) [ online in Adobe Acrobat format ]
Insurance and medical issues
- Sample medical release and indemnity form
- BPB Associates - Travel Insurance: Travel medical insurance for missionaries and their families, including online quote and purchase. Coverage for all citizens, worldwide.
- Dissinger Insurance Services: protecting and addressing the special needs of faith volunteers
- GoMissionTrip.com insurance for mission trips
- Insurance Services of America -- A Christian organization that specializes in international health insurance for missionaries.
- International Medical Group
Spanish for Mission Trips Printed STM resources
Nazarene Missions International has published a number of small paperback books on short term missions. In chronological order, these include:
- Ambassadors to Latin Lands by H. T. Reza (1965)
- Ambassador diary by Paul R. Orjala in collaboration with John Smee (1967)
- Discovery: Student Mission Corps by Franklin Cook (1969)
- Work and Witness: One of the great success stories of Nazarene missions by James Hudson (1983)
- A dozen who dared : Trading comfort zones for mission fields by Jeanette D. Gardner (1996)
- Just Cause : How Nazarene students are changing their world by Frank Moore (1998)
- Through his eyes : The story of Youth in Mission edited by Ken Couchman and Jason Vickers (1999)
While these are all out-of-print, they can be obtained through used bookstores.
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Howard Culbertson, Southern Nazarene University, 6729 NW 39th, Bethany, OK 73008 | Phone: 405-491-6693 - Fax: 405-491-6658
Copyright © 2002 - Last Updated: May 9, 2008 | URL: http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/shortlnk.htm
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Article by Howard Culbertson. For more original content like this, visit: http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert
