Can't Send Short Term Trips? Tip 2: Equip Your Leaders

Can't Send Short Term Trips? Tip #3 - Communicate Well Big Picture: Communicate well and often so your participants feel honored and stay well engaged... don’t allow room for doubt. Seasons of uncertainty can bring doubt and confusion and as things shift around us, we’re all wondering what’s next, how do we navigate things, and what should we be doing. That’s only natural as humans as we think about our base needs. What’s great is how this sets you up for success in being a guide for your participants to help show them the path forward. Being a guide is one of the most important things you do for your participants. They are looking to you for direction and even if you don’t have all the answers, I’m certain you have a picture of what the next few steps you’re taking might be. Great! Communicate that and be transparent about things. People don’t need to know the entire plan but they would like to know what’s the next step or two. So let’s unpack a few things you should consider in your communication strategy. Create a Plan - even not knowing how long things might be on pause, go ahead, and create a rhythm of communicating every so often. Perhaps it’s once a week or every other week. Just have some consistency. Engage Multiple Parties - remember it’s not just about your trip participants - it’s also about your team leaders, your field partners, your donors, your volunteers, and anyone else who is involved in the process. Send Prayer Needs - a great place to start in your communications is sharing key prayer needs from your partners with your participants. This is something that can always be of value. Point to Current Opportunities - international trips might be on pause, but what can you be doing in your own neighborhood now? Point your participants in a direction that allows them to use those servant-minded skills now. Remember Acts 1:8 with the intention to reach Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Create Benefit - we are all inundated with communications and emails. That said... make yours stand out. The simplest way to do that is to make your communications beneficial to your participants (focusing on their needs and not your own). Think Sequentially - this is more advanced, but consider leveraging your overall communication series to help teach something but doing that in parts. For example, you might have a 10 part teaching that’s communicated over 20 weeks. Be Creative - these can certainly be simple text emails but also think about adding videos, giving assignments, inviting into online discussions, and more. Be creative in what you communicate to make it fun and engaging. Create a Community - consider creating some online community and always point back to it so that your participants can connect with each other and see that they are never alone on this journey. Share Stories - stories are powerful means to engage our hearts and minds. Share what stories you have but also ask people to share their stories. Mix these with international experiences and local to help cast that local vision.   Download the full FREE ebook Today

Can't Send Short Term Trips? Tip #1 - Focus Your Message Big Picture: Focus your message on living a missional life whenever and wherever you are. It’s a lifestyle, not just a single experience. Missions and the vision we are inviting people into is far greater than simply engaging in a short term trip. We are inviting people into a radical lifestyle shift and a challenge to how they view the world. Short term trips are an excellent way to achieve that but they are not the only means. And in a season where trips cannot be sent, there is still a need for your leadership and direction. Focus your message on the bigger picture... the vision that we are all called to serve others and that missions is a way of life, not just a trip we attend. Even reflecting on the Great Commission, Christ doesn’t say “go...”, He says, “as you go...”. And so our invitation to people who serve is both inviting them into specific opportunities to serve but also into a lifestyle of service and mission. Help unpack this for your participants. Here are a few ideas: Drip Emails - send a series of emails to your alumni and current participants to coach them on this mindset. Just remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day and it’s okay to take your time coaching and walking people through this process. Teaching Nights - organize teaching nights of fellowship and teaching around this bigger picture. Adjust Your Website - take a look at your website and see where you can communicate this greater vision in your overall message. Train Your Leaders - make certain your key leaders and team leaders are fully “in the know” and equipped to teach others in this mindset. Create a Course - create an online or small group course specifically for your organization or church to guide people through this vision. Remember the big picture WIN... creating a movement of people who live on mission. Yes, the short term trip is a goal but it’s a stepping stone goal to a larger goal. Everything shifts to when you focus on a greater goal. Download the full FREE ebook Today