4 Ways to Move Students From Mission Trips to Missional Living

Are you tired of seeing students live on mission for a week, only to come back home and forget everything they experienced on the mission trip? Yeah, me too! As youth workers, we constantly wrestle with how to lead our students to replicate the way they live on mission trips in their everyday lives. Well, it’s that time again… Mission trip season is here, and it’s our responsibility to equip our students to shine for Jesus daily, not just for a week in another state or country.

Who doesn’t love taking students around the world on mission trips?! I can honestly say that some of my favorite moments in student ministry are from serving alongside students of all ages. It’s powerful to see them challenged spiritually as they lead, serve, and share the gospel with the lost around the world. But if we’re not careful, students will leave those spiritual experiences behind when they return home.

Most students are bold and courageous in foreign countries but struggle to live on mission back home. In light of that, here are four ways to help students move from simply attending mission trips to living missionally every day.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

When was the last time you shared the gospel with someone who wasn’t a family member and not on a mission trip? If you’re like me, it probably wasn’t recent—or maybe you can’t even remember the last time you shared Jesus with someone who’s lost.

Here’s the reality: students won’t replicate what we aren’t willing to do ourselves. Sadly, many pastors rarely talk about sharing Jesus or take time to do it during the week, even though we preach on it regularly. How can we expect students to live missionally if we aren’t?

The first step in helping students live missionally is to practice what you preach.

PAINT THE VISION

Most students forget that the Holy Spirit is active and moving in their everyday world. On mission trips, they become deeply aware of the Spirit’s movement, and it rocks their world. But once they return to everyday life, they forget that the same God who moved on the trip is still moving on their school campus.

As youth workers, we need to help students catch the vision of what God wants to do in them and what God wants to do through them in their daily lives. One example of this is to be present on their school campuses as much as possible. When students see you actively reaching their campus for Christ, they’ll begin to catch the vision, too. This goes back to the previous point. If you’re telling them to reach their school with the gospel, then practice what you preach and go cast nets in your local middle or high school!

Give them space to dream. Ask them this question when you return from your mission trip: “How can you reach your school for Jesus?” Students will often come up with creative ideas we’d never think of—then cheer them on as they live it out and celebrate their wins with them!

The second step is to paint the vision and invite students to join in.

PREPARE THE PATHWAYS

Usually, after a mission trip, we head home and—for good reason—take a much-needed break! We plan the training and the trip down to every detail, but often, we forget to plan the debrief. Maybe students don’t carry what they learned into everyday life because we don’t give them time and space to process it.

I encourage you to plan just as hard for the debrief as you do for the trip. If you need a trusted debrief tool, click HERE to use mine from our church.

Also, give them immediate opportunities to live missionally once they return. Take them to a local mall, restaurant, or coffee shop for spontaneous evangelism. Your goal is to prepare a pathway for students to live for Jesus, not just in foreign countries but where they live, work, and play.

The third step is to be prepared for ministry opportunities after the mission trip is over.

PRAISE THE WINS AND FAILS

You will replicate what you celebrate. If you never take time to share gospel stories, your students won’t see it as a priority. I want to encourage you to stay creative in how you consistently remind students about the importance of making disciples. Here are a few ideas:

1. Testimonies – Have students share gospel conversations (both good and bad) with the rest of your student body.
2. Display Wall – Create a wall where students highlight their gospel conversations to encourage others.
3. Social Media – Share stories on social media about what God is doing through your students.
4. Wins and Fails Hot Seat – Organize a panel where students share their experiences—both wins and fails—for the entire church body.

The fourth step is to make sure you celebrate the wins and the fails!

I think we can all agree on this: We want our student ministries to grow. Imagine how your ministry would grow, not just in size but in spiritual maturity, if students didn’t just live on mission for one week a year but every day! I believe you’d see not only growth in your ministry but also your entire church being inspired to join in reaching the next generation for Jesus.

Ready for more articles and training? Check out these top posts!