Team Leaders

Praise God for Team Leaders like you!

Planning, preparing and being responsible for a team of people is a BIG undertaking. MissionGuide, together with MissionWorks, our family of ministries, have compiled some of our favorite resources recommended by our trusted ministry partners to help you plan, lead and host mission teams with excellence. From training before you go, to managing trip details and all the communication in between. We even have resources here to help you network with the larger short-term mission community as you seek to continually improve the outcome of trips you host, coordinate or lead. 

Reach out to us if we can be of assistance to you, MissionWorks-What we do. 

Enjoy looking through our list-there’s many!

Books

• Short-Term Missions, a Christian Guide to STM’s, for Leaders, Pastors, Churches, Students, STM Teams and Missions Organizations: Survive and Thrive! by Matthew Backholer
• As He Walked 3-part Combo book– Deeper Roots Publications has combined their short-term mission devotional series into one book that includes pre-, on- and postfield study and reflection. Excellent devotional journal for mission trip leaders and participants.
• Reentry Guide for Short- Term Mission Leaders by Lisa Espineli Chinn Must-have, must-use guide for mission trip leaders to better understand and better prepare their short-termers for “re-entry” return back home.
• A Guide to Short-Term Missions: A Comprehensive Manual for Planning an Effective Mission Trip by H. Leon Greene
• Maximum Impact Short-Term Missions by Peterson, Aeschliman & Sneed
• When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor …and Ourselves by Brian Fikkert & Steve Corbett
• Effective Engagement in Short-Term Missions: Doing it Right! by Robert Priest
• Short-Term Mission Team Essentials – Together on the Journey is an easy to use 3-session training guide that equips STM leaders to prepare their teams to be God’s instruments of hope in overseas settings. The guide is a dynamic, interactive training program that includes sections on devotional materials, team-building, cross-cultural ministry skills, language learning and logistics. The guide can be adapted to any size of team, context and duration of short-term mission trip.
• The Next Mile Mentor Guide a simple and practical resource for mission mentors. Free PDF Download

Documents

• Mission Trip Planning Toolkit: Resources include travel tips, devotions, fundraising advice, cultural awareness training, and more.
• Short-Term Mission Trip Team Covenant – The success of a mission trip is often based on team unity which necessitates putting others needs above your own. Great resources to discuss with your team and have them all sign.
• Short-term Mission Trip Quick Audit – Use this self-assessment tool to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your mission trip helping you to see how you can improve on future trips.
• The Lausanne Standards – Biblical affirmations and agreements for giving and receiving money in mission. Especially helpful when navigating mission partnerships in other countries. See their latest report, State of the Great Commission.
• Trip Leaders Guide – This 14 page trip leader guide includes sections on your role as a team leader, preparing the team, on the trip and post trip.
• Team Applicant Reference Form – It’s always wise to learn about your members and what other ministry leaders have observed about their character and gifting.
• Debriefing Your Team and Sharing Your Story – Sample debriefing agenda that provides time for trip participants to process their trip and prepare a 2 minute story to share with others.
• Sample Host Survey – (downloadable pdf) Check out this sample host survey that will provide a good starting point to collect the information you need to maintain a good partnership with your host.
• The Status of Global Christianity, downloadable  PDF from Gordan Conwell Theological Seminary.

Articles

• Topics for Training From the IMB, topics for easy access to information on specific ideas that have to do with engaging in cross-cultural missions.
• Preparing your church or self for Short-Term mission trip Considering short-term missions for your church or yourself? Here’s some information as to why and how you should move forward, what you should know if you do, and several pitfalls to avoid.
• Debriefing Short-Term Trips  From Upstream Collective Blog, by Greg Mathias, Director of the Global Missions Center and Associate Professor of Global Missions at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, who lived overseas.
• Follow Through With Mission Hosts  This article looks at some categories of communication with your hosts that are important upon your return home.
• 7 Common Pitfalls When Returning Home This article shares research into the post-trip phase of the short-term mission experience with short-term mission participants and organizers from MissionExcellence.

Know of any exceptional articles to help mission trip leaders wrestle with all that goes into planning, preparing and taking teams? Let us know what you’ve found helpful and our team will consider adding it here. [email protected]

Podcasts

• How Pastors Can Share in Short-term Missions (24 min) – Hear a pastor share highlights, challenges, and lessons learned from his short-term mission experience.
• How Local Churches Can Encourage Young People in Missions (28min) – In this Global Missions podcast you’ll hear about some strategic steps that local churches can take to encourage their young people in missions.
• How to Do Short-Term Mission Trips with Excellence (35min) – This 4-part miniseries Brian Heerwagen begins with describing how an excellent short-term mission is God-centered, and how trust and communication can lead to empowering partnerships.
• Missions Talk — A podcast by 9Marks and Reaching & Teaching International Ministries
• MissionShift Exploring the changing face of global missions, from Cru. 
• Missions Podcast Directory from MissioNexus

Supplies

• Audio Scriptures – solar-powered, durable players can help you share God’s Word with those still waiting to hear. Available in different languages!
• Z-Source Water Bottle – personal water bottle and revolutionary 0.1 micron water filter that filters out bacteria, protozoa, parasites, and even microplastics from your water.
• Blessings International -Essential medicines including deworming and antimalarials, vitamins, and medical supplies for your international mission trip. Repackaging option in 22 different languages. 

Services

Travel/Insurance

• MissionArmor Insurance (A ministry of MissionWorks)– multiple levels of coverage options as well as trip management and tracking fundraising. 
• MissionTripInsurance.com Individual, group, property, emergency evacuation, trip cancellation insurance and more. 
• Good Neighbor Insurance, as well as goodmissionaryinsurance.com, a service of Good Neighbor Insurance for individual missionaries and for short-term teams.
• Insurance Services of America Insurance (missionaryhealth.com)
• Insurance Consultants International Trip Insurance (globalhealthinsurance.com)
• Talent Trust Consultants Trip Insurance
• GoMissionTrip.comTrip Insurance
• BrotherhoodMutual.com Trip Insurance
• Economy Travel Travel services
• Go2Serve– Valuable tool for charitable workers to search for the best possible full coverage insurance, low cost travel options, and convenient access to travel resources.
• Also see Insurance for Missionaries and Christians(World Christian Resource Directory).

Fundraising Tools

• MissionLinked -(A ministry of MissionWorks) Engage with supporters through fundraising tools that tell your story and share ministry in real time in a fun and secure platform.
• Managed Missions, Mission Minder, and Go Method, – Mission trip management software providing multiple functions and automated reminders to trip participants about deadlines. 

Training

• Customized Training– (A ministry of MissionWorks) MissionExcellence, formerly Standards of Excellences) offers a variety of onsite training programs including team training and team leader training.
• XP Culture Equipping teams to be learners, guests, and ambassadors.
• Be Changed for Life Curriculum written primarily for short term mission teams traveling internationally.
• CultureLink Cross-cultural training for short-term teams and mission team consulting.
• The Missions Academy In-depth online training programs prepare short-term mission participants for effective cross-cultural service through transformative discipleship.
• Training for Missions in Hard Places  Tactical Evangelism was founded during the 2020 pandemic through the collaboration of missionaries and Special Operations veterans who are experienced in navigating crisis and solving complex problems. Provide mission, crisis and apologetic training.
• Concillium, Crisis Management Risk assessment, training
• Crisis Consulting International Provider of security and crisis management services to the international Christian aid, humanitarian, and sending community.
• Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention Helping ministries create safe places for kids. Including giving you a review of your ministry.
• S.H.A.P.E Test – The nice thing about this profile is that it takes into account 5 areas of life, giving participants a well-rounded view of how they are wired to be on mission with God. This free online assessment takes 30-60 minutes to complete and can be a great tool for team members to get to know each other before their trip.

Apps

• The Hands and Feet of Jesus – A YouVersion app developed by MissionExcellence, this 14-day pre-trip devotion series is written for short-term mission participants to help them prepare to be the hands and feet of Jesus. 
• Voke – Overcome today’s disruptions, distractions and distance – all with one app. Geared towards 14-24 year old groups and their leaders. 

Videos

• Short-Term Missions Team Training – Short-term mission trips are more than trips to a destination. They are a dynamic part of our discipleship journey. Stream this 7-part course through Right Now Media. This course and leader’s guide will supplement your team meetings with practical preparation and foundational missional teaching that will draw individuals into a deeper relationship with Christ as they serve side by side with others in ministry.
• Mission Trip Training – Check out this short video as you are introduced to a mission trip training curriculum that includes books and DVD’s for team leaders and participants.

Websites/Blogs

• MissionExcellence – An accrediting and resourcing body for those who send, receive, facilitate and support mission teams. Excel your church, organization or school mission trips by implementing better standards in effective Kingdom service.
• Best Practices for Christian Short-Term Healthcare Missions– An international working group of Christian scholars, leaders and practitioners from diverse backgrounds seeking to promote best practices guidelines for the planning, execution, integration and follow-through of cross-cultural health missions.
• MissionGuide.global –This user- friendly mission trip search engine has current trip details from 100+ organizations to help you find the right trip for your group.
•  MissionConnexion Providing regional conferences and focus events providing training to accomplish your mission. Opportunities to network and exhibit also.
• MissioNexus – Learn, meet and engage with others in the Great Commission.