While there is really no universal prescription, we can be confident that all followers of Christ have been commanded to go.God is a missionary God. The Bible is filled from cover to cover with missionary stories, from Jonah to Paul and his friends. Mission activity is not merely God’s method for cross-cultural Great Commission work. It is also His tool to draw His servants closer to Himself. Mission trips can be a mighty tool in your youth ministry to produce Great Commission, world Christians.

1. It will broaden their burden and give them a global perspective.
2. It will help them see their potential ministry possibilities.
3. It will build their faith like “crazy” (technical term).
4. It will confirm their consecration as God’s instrument for God’s purposes.

But the impact doesn’t stop there. The local church will be changed. This strategic initiative will expand the vision of each member and give them a world perspective on the Great Commission in new ways. Those who support through prayer and giving will see their faith grow. But more importantly, the local church will become the biblical sending body that she is commanded to be.

In the end, the deepest impact may be felt on the mission field itself. Evangelistic efforts will increase exponentially and career missionaries will be encouraged in their labors.

I challenge parents, church leaders, and students to radically consider what God would have them do. The recent dialogue around the “gap year” strategy has turned the wheels of my ministry imagination with the simple question, “what if?” There’s more than a dozen ways to address this. My challenge to parents, teens, and church leaders is that we become proactive. Stop dancing with the road blocks to obedience and map out a strategy for sending our children on mission. Richard Ross, Professor of Student Ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has suggested that parents and/or grandparents open missions accounts for their children or grandchildren. Maybe you should plan a family mission trip and live out the Great Commission together.

Last week, I received an email from my friend Steve Wright telling me about a ministry that is designed to mobilize 18-25 year old students for global missions through a 2 year US/2 year abroad strategy while getting their degree. Check out Trek-X and start being intentional. The question really isn’t “To gap or not to gap?” The real question is “To go or not to go? The answer to that question is unmistakeable in view of Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8.

Yesterday we had some outstanding class discussion. We didn’t cover as much as I had planned, but students are digging in and genuinely trying to grasp the transferable principles and how they apply in their context. Today, we were cooking. Great comments and questions plus we covered a lot of ground. The last two days of class looked like this:

• Develop a long term strategy for a campus ministry
• Key questions for assessing schools
• Restructure for a campus ministry(talked a little about Phil Rice)
• Becoming an Insider
• Understanding Contacting: To Be Seen, To Be Known, To Be Understood
• The Campus Meeting: Impact Meeting

Tomorrow we will wrap up the week by digging into student evangelism strategies. This is always my favorite part of this class. It will flow like this:

• The Campus Meeting: Insight Meeting
• Mobilizing Teens to Reach Their School
• Preparing for a Campus Ministry: The Youth Leader & the Students

Outside of class, we had even more fun. Mentoring can be the most fun you ever have in youth ministry. We left class and went to a mall for lunch at Chili’s.

What a great mall with unbelievable views of the city looking out over an infinity pool. My students (I mean Dennis’ students) really welcomed me to the group. (Did I say how much I love what I do?) It was their first time to eat at Chili’s, it’s a pretty new mall.

After lunch, we caught a movie. We saw Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It was my second time to see it, but this time it was in Spanish without subtitles. I really enjoyed it (probably because I just saw it 5 days ago).

To all the students in my class, “Thank you.” You have made this an unforgettable adventure this week. I hope I have another opportunity to hang out with you in the near future.

PEOPLE:

Their Calling…God has so richly blessed this city with God’s people who love to see others hear about His wonderful grace. These people care deeply for their country and willing to sacrifice to see that happen in their communities. They have set aside the normal course of their lives to pursue “unsung hero” status. The ministry that they have been called to often presents great difficulties that would cause youth pastors in the United States to resign or announce that “they sense God is moving them to a new ministry.”

Their Hospitality…In the last 6 years I have the opportunity to teach youth ministry students at 3 of our international centers (Kiev, Kathmandu, & Mexico City), and without question God’s people have always received me like family. The people of Mexico City are no exception. But I want to express special thanks to my students and interpreter here this week. You are all brothers & sisters on the same mission and you make me want to love Jesus more.

Their Food…Okay, so this one is not very spiritual, to you. However, sharing a meal together is a very spiritual activity in the body of Christ. It brings us all to a place where we connect with each other in a heartfelt way. But here, that fellowship is accompanied with entrees that taste sooooo good. Thank you seminary kitchen ladies.

CLASS:

We had a very productive class today. We began the day with a review of our Youth Ministry Mission Statement and Philosophy and also reviewed the 5 C’s for Measuring Spiritual Growth. The rest of the day flowed as follows:

• Foundations of  Campus Ministry
• Characteristics of a Movement
• Ingredients for Growth
• Benefits of a Movement
• Goals of a Movement
• Basic Principles of a Campus Ministry
• Initial Steps to a Campus Ministry (part 1)

Students also worked in groups to develop a survey to use on a school campus (MS=Secondary, HS=Preparatory). They will continue with that project tomorrow.

I’ll post another update on Wednesday. In the meantime, if you happen to read or understand Spanish, you can check out YMI’s Latin American Site. If not, take a look at this promo video for the National Center for Youth Ministry-Mexico.

This trip is a very special one as I will return to teach youth ministry students at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary. It has been over 3 years since I have been with these students and there are some new people in the program that I am excited to meet. It is one of the sweetest adventures when you get the opportunity to spend time with believers in another country who share your passion for the Great Commission and reaching young people and their families with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

It’s a great privilege to serve with fantastic leaders like Dennis & Janell Poulette with Youth Ministry International. However, this trip will be Poulette free and I get to spend time in the language barrier zone with my friend Huberto Perez. Hube is a graduate of the program and a local youth pastor who loves God & loves people.

I’ll post a few updates this week about our time as we push forward to recruit, train, place, & network youth leaders GLOBALLY!

International Center for Youth & Family Ministry