Sometimes it may seem like a challenge to take your family on a mission trip, but serving together can not only build great memories but help your children or teens find ways they can serve God and others together.
It can build lifelong availability and hearts for serving and growing in their faith. Not to mention it can build your family unity in positive ways.
Here are some ways to help you in choosing family oriented mission trips.
1. Find a family friendly mission group.
Did you know that hundreds of short-term teams allow (or are even created entirely for) families to serve on mission trips together? Try a search on MissionGuide.global. This link refines the results by checking the box “Families” (under “Group or Individual”). That will limit your search to opportunities that allow the whole family to participate. You can then narrow down options based on other criteria such as dates, type of ministry, location, etc.
Just some of the groups that have partnered with MissionGuide that we recommend who offer mission trips specifically for families include:
- Adventures in Missions (U.S. and international destinations)
- World Gospel Outreach (U.S. and international destinations)
- Mission Discovery (U.S. and international destinations)
- Bold Hope (International destinations)
- Commit Ministries (International)
- Merge (North America)
- e3 Partners (international destinations) See Legacy.
2. Explore whether you should join a trip already planned or create a more customized experience.
Some short-term mission programs and church-based teams will respond positively when you ask if you can bring your whole family. Why? They may see you as adding maturity and stability. But be certain you ask a lot of questions, know what to expect, and can be confident it’s a good fit for you and your family as well. Unmet needs and unspoken expectations can produce much stress and conflict.
Perhaps the best thing to do is to take your family out apart from a larger team. Going “on your own” takes some additional preparation, but also increases freedom and flexibility.
Sometimes it’s much easier. Why not contact a missionary family or ministry you know and ask if you can visit? Get to know them, serve and care for them, and learn to see life through their eyes. Be an encouragement rather than a drain on their resources. Maybe you can help with a project that could use your expertise or just a few more pairs of hands. If everyone brings along a servant’s heart and appropriate expectations, your visit can bless both your family and those who receive you.
Thinking about going overseas long-term? A family mission trip is a way to try things out. It will allow you to experience things that going separately will not. As you look ahead, visit AskaMissionary.com for missionary answers to these and similar questions.
3. Learn from others how to prepare for a family mission trip. Whether you join a ministry that caters to families, fold your family into an intergenerational mission team, or design a mission trip on your own, good preparation can help you thrive and get the most out of your family mission experience.
A few resources to help you:
Written by MissionGuide Staff.
Editor’s Note: See also Taking the Kids, and, from the International Mission Board, Family Mission Trips: Why You Should Take Your Kids Overseas from Go Serve Love blog, 8 Ways to Help Family Flourish Overseas and Youth Specialties blog, Four Principles for Creating Family Ministry Opportunities.
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