This is the fifth in a series of posts entitled "Mission Trip Advice." [Post #1, #2, #3 and #4 in the series.] So you have signed up to go on a mission trip, and maybe you don't know exactly what to expect. And you are maybe looking for some advice. What is one piece of advice that experts could give you?Dr. Ryan Bolger is assistant professor of Church in contemporary culture at Fuller Seminary and teaches classes on emerging churches and postmodern/global culture. Ryan is coauthor (with Eddie Gibbs) of Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Communities in Postmodern Cultures (Baker Book House, Fall 2005).
Dr. Bolger's advice:
The key thing for your students to understand is that the trip is for them and not who they are going to...It is to develop their awareness, wake them up, spark something. Rarely do the recipients of these trips experience long term change (although there are always exceptions!). I would encourage your students to journal and to process what is going on for them a changed Westerner can mobilize even more efforts when they get home...Much thanks to Dr. Bolger for his advice and experience!
Yes, we can change the world, but it will involve the rest of their life and not just two weeks...but praise God for small beginnings...
Technorati tags:: student+missions, Ryan+Bolger
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