“I have always wanted to go on a mission trip! There is just one thing, I do not want to have to beg people for money to get there.”
If you’ve ever led teenagers on a service-oriented trip, you have likely heard the sentiment expressed above. The initial buzz and excitement of going to another part of the country or the world wears off. Then students and their parents want to know: “How much is this going to cost?” Even though fundraising can seem daunting, God’s word offers followers of Jesus a way to think rightly about stewardship.
What is a Short-Term Mission Trip?
In order to help students see the need for fundraising for a mission trip, we must first expose them to the vision behind a missional endeavor. I am defining a short-term mission trip as a cross-cultural trip lasting for a week or several weeks with the purpose of sharing the gospel through word and deed.
For a trip to be considered short-term, students would not need to obtain long-term financing, housing, or visa requirements. A trip in this category has some kind of cross-cultural element, meaning students need to step outside of their cultural bubble, whether within their own region or internationally, and learn to bring the gospel to another people group. Finally, a mission trip is directly related to the mission of the Church, the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20).
The missional element of a trip might be helping to build a sports facility through which the local church will build relationships and share the gospel. It could mean distributing water filters to satisfy physical hunger and sanitation needs, and meanwhile talking with people about their spiritual need. Or it could involve equipping students to initiate relationships with local people and to talk with them about the gospel. As teenagers see how their contributions reflect the mission of the global Church, they will better understand the role of fundraising.
The Reason for Missions
The mission of the church is the task given by God for the people of God to accomplish in the world.1 Our task is to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Triune God and teaching them all Christ has commanded. As teenagers begin to dip their toes into this incredibly big mission, we are hoping their heart begins to grow, both for the nations and for their neighbor. The simple reason we do missions as a church is because that is what Jesus told us to. Introducing our middle and high schoolers to the mission field—whether far away or in our own hometowns—is an education in Christian obedience and joy.
When students invite their friends or family to support a short-term trip, they are inviting people to partner with them in the greatest mission the world has ever known. They are telling people the good news about God’s redeeming work through Jesus!
How to Develop Ministry Partners
Developing a group of people to support your mission trip is more than just asking for finances, it is developing partners in the gospel. God calls people both to go and to send. (Luke 8:1-4;1 Cor. 9:14; 16:1-3, Phil. 4:14-20; 1 Tim. 5:18). Importantly, though, these senders are not only financial partners; they should also be prayer partners. It takes a lot more than funding to accomplish faithful ministry. We need prayer and blessing from the Holy Spirit.
With that in mind, consider a three thirds model for your fundraising for your mission trip.
First, ask your church’s missions committee to consider paying one third of the funds for the trip.
The people of your church faithfully give to missions. Your students are not Junior Varsity missionaries but are full partners in the gospel. It is vital for churches to value what teenagers contribute to the mission of the church. Supporting teenagers by allowing them to mutually participate in missions will also benefit their spiritual formation and (as we pray in faith on God’s grace) their lifelong faith. This is one of the amazing ways a church can practice intergenerational integration.
Second, come up with a fundraising event your whole team can run to cover another third of the trip.
Students and their families can hold a bake sale or a yard cleaning day. Encourage them to organize a fundraising event with a goal of covering a third of trip costs.
Finally, have students participate in personal fundraising to cover one third of the funds needed.
You can facilitate personal fundraising through the following steps:
1.) Do some “name storming” together in order to generate a list of 200 names. Help your students to think about the people in their lives: family, friends, school, work, community, and so on. The time to dwindle comes later. Recategorize this list into three groups: (a) those most likely to give, (b) those somewhat likely to give, and (c) those least likely to give.
2.) Put together a template or form letter including two photos, a brief introduction, and the details of your trip. Then conclude with this important invitation: would your prayerfully consider partnering with me at $100 or some other amount?” Provide a link for online giving, a QR code, and a return envelope.
3.) Then, have the team personalize 50 letters to potential donors asking for prayer and financial partnership. Give them your scripted letter to send out, have them write a personal note, and remind them how to address an envelope. Consider sending the letter to individuals or families who do not attend your church, since church members have already supported through missions giving and your fundraiser. This step is the scariest and hardest but most rewarding for teenagers as they begin to understand partnerships between missionaries and the local church. You are planting seeds for students to consider long-term missionary assignments later in life.
4.) Finally, encourage students to send thank-you notes. One of the most unfortunate things that can happen is that students forget to thank the people who helped to send them on a trip. Early in the fundraising process, ask for parents’ support in enforcing the thank-you note expectation at home. Then send reminder emails to students and their parents. Make sure you prompt students to write a thank-you note as soon as they (or the church) receive a response from a partner.
Practical Steps
Don’t fundraise alone. Raising funds for a mission trip is challenging work, both for you and your students. It can feel isolating for some students who do not have a financially stable community. Have a fundraising meeting together with everyone going in which you ask parents candidly for their participation and support.
Steward extra funds. If your church and extended network over-supports the trip, make arrangements to have these funds support a student who is struggling or who could never afford to go. Or put the excess away for a future trip so you can scholarship more heavily in the following years. You will likely need to work closely with your church’s financial office or stewardship committee in order to account for these funds properly.
Update partners. As the youth minister, make sure to send out some form of communication to everyone involved with funding the trip. Share what you did and how God used their finances and prayers to support kingdom work in another part of the country or the world.
The planning, preparation, and execution of a short-term mission trip can feel overwhelming, and the task of fundraising may feel like a second job. Youth minister, take courage that God goes before you in all things. Because of Jesus’ shed blood for us on the cross, we do not need to justify ourselves with how well we raise money. We can rest in Christ’s finished work for us and in his promise that he will be with us always (Matt 28:20).
Rooted Reservoir offers practical resources for gospel-centered youth ministry, including training videos for youth ministers and churches and Bible-based curriculum.
- DeYoung, Kevin, and Greg Gilbert. 2011. What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 62. ↩︎
