The above logic sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? But that simple calculation overlooks some key
factors. First of all, it overlooks the fact that the first word in the Great Commission is “Go” and the first two letters in the word Gospel are “G-O.” Furthermore, it overlooks the fact that Great Commission is not merely a suggestion, but a commandment for us to move beyond the familiar confines of our local Jerusalem, taking God’s message of redemption to “all nations” (i.e., people groups) even to “the uttermost part of the earth.” Above all, it overlooks the whole principle (and power) of “incarnational” ministry. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ was 
God’s ultimate plan to connect with us. Christ came to earth in the flesh to show us what God was like and to demonstrate (through the cross) how much God loved us. Today, we who belong to Christ are His body in this world. We are His hands and His feet. We are His eyes and His ears. We are His touch and His voice. And thus we today are the most visible and tangible expression of His love to a lost and dying world. And nothing else even comes close. Not money. Not materials. Not anything else. There’s no substitute for seeing the love of Christ manifested through the life of a real, flesh-and-blood human being.
yourselves treasures on earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” The real treasures of life are not silver and gold, but the eternal souls of men, women, boys and girls. Furthermore, the Bible also teaches us that “To whom much is given much is required.” And, when it comes to having been given much (in terms of material blessings) no one in the world even comes close to matching the prosperity of the North American church. Truly, dispatching teams of short-term missionaries into the world is an investment of obedience to God in which the Great Commission comes more fully alive (to both the sender and the receiver) and the Kingdom of God is gloriously enhanced. In that regard, at I see it, there is (at minimum) a fourfold benefit to a local church sending out mission teams:
1. There is the benefit to the nationals, the native peoples of the lands we visit. 
When churches invest in direct hands-on missions, lives are touched for eternity. Lost people are saved. Believers are encouraged. Seeds are sown. Bonds of love and friendship are forged. On a mission trip, contacts are made that will never be forgotten, even if the parties never meet again this side of Heaven. And even when language seems to be an impenetrable barrier, the language of the heart, the language of love, always trumps the limitations of the tongue.
Over the years, Sandy and I have been blessed to meet and make friends with a number of believers in other countries. Some of these we maintain close contact with to this day. Our lives have been enriched by those Christian friendships—which transcend all cultural, ethnic and political divisions—and Sandy and I trust that we in turn have been an encouragement to each of them.
2. There is the benefit to our ministry partners, who live and work daily on the mission field. When a team of 
believers with servants’ hearts come to help, those who labor in God’s vineyard on an ongoing basis are greatly encouraged and refreshed. Whether they are national Christian leaders with whom we work directly, or appointed missionaries from the States serving overseas, our ministry partners are clearly blessed when a team comes to visit. Time and again, I have seen the tears, 
witnessed the smiles and felt the hugs that all say “Thank you for coming. It means more than you will ever know.” Truly, whatever gifts, talents or expertise a team brings with them—or whatever specific task they are assigned—it is the ministry of encouragement and the ministry of presence that most blesses those we assist. I’ve tried to make that a priority with every mission trip I’ve done.
3. There is the benefit to the team members themselves. When you go on a mission trip, it’s certainly not about you. Nonetheless, a mission trip does for 
you some things that few other experiences will do. It moves you out of the safety net of your comfortable and familiar surroundings. It challenges you to be adaptable. It teaches you teamwork and cooperation. It decreases your self-reliance as it increases your dependency upon God. It gives you a greater awareness of the activity of God in this world and a greater sense of gratitude for the blessings on God on your life. It gives you a vision of God’s kingdom far beyond just that of your own church. In fact, it gives you global perspective regarding God’s work in this world.
When you engage in cross-cultural ministry, it is indeed an eye-opening experience. Seeing brothers and sisters in other lands laboring in the midst of great adversity (and sometimes in the face of significant opposition and persecution), and to see them do it with such grace and courage and joy—this for you can be a great source of inspiration (and conviction).
For me as a pastor, leading church members on mission trips is a personal joy. For I know that for them it will be a time of significant spiritual growth. It also will be a time of deepened fellowship. Some of the closest relationships I have developed with church members have come through time spent together on the mission field. And when team members return home from such an experience, they all have a common bond that they share forever.
4. There is the benefit to the sending church at large. Theologian Elton Trueblood has said that “when the tide of missions rises in the church, all the other boats rise with it.” What are those other “boats”? Things like fellowship, worship, discipleship, stewardship, and so forth. In other words, the various factors that make for a healthy church. Pastor Rick Warren, author of the best-seller The Purpose Drive Life, further observes that “a church’s health is measured not by its seating capacity but by its sending capacity.” Indeed! Amen to that!
Teams returning from the mission field can bring a fresh wind of revival to their home church, resulting in a more fervent love for Jesus, an increased burden for the lost, and a greater passion for God’s work. Honestly, through the years, there have been some times as a pastor that I wish I could have chartered a whole 757 and filled it with people—hundreds 
of them—and flown them to some of the most desolate and difficult places on earth to do mission work. I think it would have done many of them a world of good. But alas, that’s not something I or anyone else can compel. People have to hear the call of God in their own heart.
A mission trip is no vacation. Far from it. (Note excessive sweating in photo above.) Some of the greatest challenges and stresses I’ve ever faced—spiritually, emotionally, and health-wise—and some of the hardest work I’ve ever done has been on mission trips. (But it is equally true that some of the greatest joys and greatest victories 
I’ve ever experienced have been on mission trips.) Once or twice, I even wondered if I was going to make it back from a trip. (i.e., one time I was placed under house arrest. Another time I became dangerously dehydrated and deathly sick.) But God keeps opening doors and sending me. And I keep going. And I keep encouraging others to go. Because I know that even though the cost can be great, I understand that the cost of not going is much greater. And the benefits of obedience extend far, far beyond what we can fully comprehend in this life.
Someday in Heaven, I look forward to seeing people of different tribes and tongues—people from places like Cambodia, Honduras, Cuba, Greece, Albania, Togo, and other places—coming up to you and me, saying “It was because of Mount Hermon Baptist Church that I am here today. It was because of what your church did that I found Christ. It was because a team from your church came to my country that I am now in Heaven. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
Truly, for all of us that shared in the investment—by giving, praying or going—those very tangible results of our investment will be our joy and our crown.
Pastor Danny
