Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Christian Studies

First Reader

Dr. Raymond E. "Ray" Franklin

Second Reader

Dr. J. Daniel Hays

Third Reader

Professor Ian Cosh

Abstract

A couple hundred years ago missionaries would go to the mission field without any cultural or language training. They often arrived in one country and spent their entire life figuring out the lifestyle, language, and culture. However, times certainly have changed. Long-term missionaries are never sent to the field without training. Short-term missionaries should also be trained, but this does not always happen. On a short-term mission trip, there is not enough time to dive into the culture or to face huge cultural barriers without training. Since short-term missionaries are abroad for a short amount of time, it is necessary that they prepare as much as possible before leaving home. With the number of short-term missionaries on the rise, a great deal of money is going to fund these short-term trips. Thus, training and developing short-term missionaries into people with a big vision for the world is very valuable. Investing in proper training materials is valuable because it may turn short-term missionaries into long-term missionaries or long-term missionary supporters.

This paper will look at culture shock and reverse culture shock, as well as the different steps that are needed for well-rounded short-term mission trip training. The information and analysis will focus mainly on short-term mission trips overseas, as opposed to short-term trips that stay in the United States. This writer's passion is to see short-tem missions leaders who are excited about training the next generation of missionaries to be wise, courageous, and effective as they bring the gospel of Jesus to people of every tongue, tribe, and nation (Rev 7:9). Proper pre-field, on-field, and post-field training is critical for raising up this generation of short term missionaries into changed and radical Christians for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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