There is a great temptation in youth ministry to have to attract and entertain youth. Whether this pressure comes from church leaders, the congregation or one’s own personality, the pressure to attract, keep and energize youth is real in many youth ministry settings. This reality is a blessing in some ways and a curse in others. There is no question that the vast majority of youth ministry today could be seen as too shallow, not having the depth that Christ has called us to as disciples. When I think about these two realities, I cannot help but notice their possible connection. These challenges have a wide variety of causes and implications in many of our youth ministry settings. One area of youth ministry that I see the temptation to attract and entertain youth growing in pressure is in the area of youth missions.

At some point during my youth ministry career, I realized more and more mission trips were happening in exotic locations that were commonly associated with vacations. It seemed that God’s call to youth ministries was growing dramatically in Jamaica, Hawaii, Alaska and other desirable locations. This is not to say there is not need in these areas, because clearly there is need in impoverished places such as Jamaica. However, I do think it is critical to check our motivation and consider the image we are portraying, as well as the message we are sending when we select our mission trip locations.

In some of the ministry contexts in which I have served, there has been an expectation that we select a new and different location for each mission trip. The youth, and perhaps others, may feel as though each mission trip should be new or fresh. While this sounds good in theory, it can create an attitude that might cause youth and others to value mission trips based on location. It is not long before this destination-driven philosophy can lead to viewing mission trips as a glorified vacation of sorts. In many cases, the recreation portion of our mission trips becomes more important than the work or ministry performed. While it is wonderful to see and experience new things, have time to unwind together and experience a different culture, the greatest power in mission trips is in the service (and processing of the service) that occurs on a mission trip. If we create or embrace a mindset that says it is the location that matters the most, youth mission trips become about something other than their intended purpose. I am not suggesting we never serve in places such as Jamaica, but we must avoid selecting mission trips based on a consumer mentality that focuses on attraction and hype instead of need and service.

The reality is that we can serve anywhere. It is possible in most youth ministry settings to do missions within your own community. Perhaps instead of choosing our locations based on the desirability or newness of a location, we can look at other factors such as areas of greatest need (communities recently hit by disasters), communities in which we can build long-term partnerships or relationships, or even communities that will give our youth the greatest opportunities to serve and experience a new and different culture that will lead to even greater transformation. It is much easier for youth and parents to get excited about going to an exotic location than it is to get excited about going to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, but leaders need to think carefully and theologically about the motivation, message and experience that we will give our youth when we choose a destination. The place is not the most important part of the mission trip, yet the locations we choose for our mission trips speak volumes to those we lead and serve.

My simple rule: If I would go there on vacation with my kids, for my anniversary or my honeymoon, I should think twice about making it a destination for a mission trip.