Part 4 of a series on the subject of dependency in STMs.

Many youth groups for whom a short-term mission trip (STM) has become a faddish part of their calendar are stuck in a U.S.-based project rut. These projects are good for a stunted faith and can provoke helpful thoughts like, "Gee, maybe I shouldn't be so selfish," but they do little to expand a world view or stimulate a passion for the Great Commission.

On many U.S. projects, whether in rural Appalachia or in the inner city, the host partners are overwhelmed by the dysfunctional community around them. They probably don't have a triumphant vision of the future, rather they are caught up in a discouraging cycle of care-giving and triage. The people they minister to are either very young, very old, addicted, or in some way caught up in a cycle of victimization. In these cases, dependency is a given and the STM participants will likely be limited in what they experience.

To really break STM participant hearts, or to give them a vision for the Great Commission, or to confront the pathologies attending their cultural paradigm, you need to get them out of the country for a longer period of time. A week in West Virginia may begin the process of waking up your participants to the Kingdom, but in my experience, it will not transform them into world changers.

Much better to take them beyond the U.S. borders for at least six weeks if you are serious about changing their narcissistic perspective. The STM paradigm needs to change from the lowest common denominator project of "one week eye-openers," to a longer term discipling experience. Unfortunately, most youth pastors are too risk-averse and tactical in their discipling vision to do this.

If you are a youth minister caught in a U.S.-based STM rut, consider really challenging your group next year with something much longer and overseas. It may seem wildly risky, but it will be the best discipleship you ever do. If you're interested, email me and I'll put you in touch with churches who have pioneered this model and made it a mainstay of their discipling ministry. Or if you're serious, I believe so much in what I propose here, I'll even help you myself.