Over Here, for Over There: A Future for Short Term Missions?

Imagine the possibility of future short term teams where the destination and unreached people group served over there is determined by the unreached people group your church serves over here.

"Pastor, where in the world do you think the Lord is leading our church to go this year?"

"Possibly Morocco. He has been at work among the Moroccans we have been serving in our community. Why should we attempt to create something new, but work where He has already been working?"

Imagine the possibility of future short term teams where the social connections of family and friends of unreached peoples over here are the bridges across which your church's teams travel to enter countries over there.

"What are you doing in our country? Why are you here? I need to know before you are permitted to enter."

"We are staying with the relatives of Siaeem for the next ten days. He is a friend of ours from back in Texas."

Imagine the possibility of future short term teams where your church does not depend on missionaries over there to provide lodging or travel, but you only accept hospitality over there from the relatives of those to whom you minister over here.Imagine the possibility of future short term teams where your teams are received as "insiders" over there as a result of your church serving and loving unreached peoples over here.

"Ja-lin has told us to hear what you have to say about God. She speaks so highly about you and has experienced your love and hospitality in Atlanta. Thank you for welcoming her into your community."

Can you imagine the possibility of what the Lord can do among the nations as we serve the strangers next door? The future of missions--particularly short term efforts--begins to look differently whenever we recognize the importance of transnational social networks and the hand of the Divine Maestro orchestrating the movement of the unreached peoples into our communities.Imagine the possibility of connections made at a well over here opening opportunities to serve in a village over there.

"Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world” (John 4:40-42, ESV).

We live in a highly integrated world.  The world knows this. If only the Church would grasp this. Kingdom stewards are quick to recognize the hand of God among the nations in their communities and ask, "Can faithful service among the strangers next door over here lead to global possibilities over there?"Is "Over Here, for Over There" a future for short term missions? It has already become a present reality for some churches. What about yours? (Image credit: Microsoft Office)