Faith in action
How to plan meaningful service trips By Amy E. Robertson
S
ervice to others is a key practice of discipleship. Many churches organize service (or mission) trips as an eye-opening way to put faith into action.
Tese independently organized “volunteer vacations” are growing in popularity. How can we make sure our efforts are effective? I was 13 when I traveled to eastern Washington with
my church youth group on a service trip for Habitat for Humanity. Joining up with 100 or so other youth, we built both homes and friendships. Te experience was transformative, opening my eyes
to realities beyond my own. Economic injustice now had faces—and those faces had become my friends. Te youth leaders I got to know during that week became role models of faith in action. Te week had a major impact on my eventual education and career in interna- tional development. When I reflect on why my first service trip had such an impact, there are four key aspects.
Doing vs. donating Would it be better just to send the money? Te truth is, we aren’t usually choosing between a service trip and a donation. We want to travel, and we’re choosing what kind of experience we want for ourselves (or for our youth). As the adage says: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” How can we have compassion for others if we don’t
know their situation? It’s wonderful to assist at home, but traveling to serve presents another experience beyond our upbringings and surroundings. Putting effort into addressing an issue, we better understand the challenges.
Learning and exchange
A key component of an effective service trip is learning and exchange. By reading and watching videos about the desti-
nation and its people while still at home, volunteers become better equipped to understand and process the reality they encounter when they arrive. Education about the destination’s culture, concerns and context
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Michael Peterson, a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Naperville, Ill., connects with local children while on a recent mission trip to Haiti.
should be integrated into the trip. Understanding can’t
‘It’s not that one partner has the
occur if we keep people at arm’s length. Yes, get- ting to know someone different from ourselves isn’t always easy or com- fortable. It’s tempting to fall into the trap of socializing only with those in our service group. But how then will we get to know and understand cultural assumptions and worldviews that differ from our own? How will we learn which concerns and joys we share? Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to strike up conversations and friendships with the community in which we serve. A family our youth group served had teenagers who
became my friends. Te experience was richer because of this. Which brings me to my next point.
Accompaniment
Te organization I first volunteered with, Habitat for Humanity, treats its housing beneficiaries as equals and requires their involvement (they call it “sweat equity”) into the construction of a home. It’s truly a shoulder-to- shoulder experience, a partnership between volunteer and beneficiary. Te idea of accompaniment rather than sponsorship
resources and one
partner has the need. We come together in mutual need.’
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