Source: Touch the World
Some 1.5 million American Christians serve on short-term mission trips every year, but more than 95% of them receive little or no pre-trip training. The Missions Academy hopes to help change that. Their curated selection of online courses address topics like these:
- A biblical understanding of missions
- Methods for culturally sensitive ministry
- An understanding of the complexities of poverty
- A heart focused on service
Access materials from anywhere, move at your own pace and interact with others preparing for mission.
Materials are designed with youth (over 12) and young adults in mind, but you should be able to use them with adults as well. It all feels agency-neutral (not specific to one brand or type of ministry) and is in line with the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.
A few mini-courses are free. Longer courses (still in bite-size pieces) range from US$17 to US$47 and are available in “bundles” of recommended training, or you can access all courses for US$9/month. You can also purchase workbooks including a 30-day devotional and a re-entry journal.
Touch the World also does in-person training and they are currently developing a global poverty simulation that can give your group a taste of what it’s like to live on two dollars a day.
Learn more about Touch the World or go right to The Missions Academy.