I don’t cry often. In my line of work, I see pictures of hungry children and hear pleas for help every week. It tends to diminish the emotional impact after a while. However, a few years ago, I served with a team in Romanian orphanages, and I saw things that shouldn’t be. Somehow I had been convinced the abuses heralded on “20/20” documentaries in the early ’90s had disappeared with time. Not in the orphanages I visited…and I needed to process it.
Thankfully, I have people in my life who love me enough to let me cry on their shoulders and are comfortable enough to force me to deal with disillusionment. Short-term mission trips may cause gut-wrenching questioning of God, or they may open the eyes of the participant to the reality of a world in need of the gospel. Whether the impact is born out of deep-seated trauma, short-term mission trips do cause people to re-evaluate life. The question is not whether participants will be impacted, but rather how we will assist them in processing their experience constructively. In mission lingo, this process is called debriefing.
You don’t have to be a trained psychologist to debrief your mission teams effectively. A little forethought and some intentionality go a long way. Here are some tips.
1. Plan your post-trip debriefing before you leave. The best of intentions often slide after the mission experience is completed. Negotiate a time for the team to get together to review the trip before you get on the airplane. Have participants identify an individual who will ask them more questions upon return. Ask team members to commit to a debriefing devotional upon return.
2. Diversify your methods of debrief. Debriefing comes in many forms. You may gather the group to celebrate God’s goodness by looking at pictures and recounting stories. You may Facebook new friends at your mission destination. You may journal private thoughts about God’s nature and work. You may talk with a mentor about how to refocus the way you invest your time. Debriefing is not an event; it is the processing of experience in the supportive context of community.
3. Prepare your team for long and short presentations. Some church members really do want a 30-second summary. Help your participants to know how to provide this without offering a sarcastic lecture or shutting down. Others will desire the five-hour rendition. Don’t cut them off at the pass by teaching your participants that no one wants to listen to their reflections. Prepare your participants to respond according to the situation that presents itself. Short answers and long answers can advance kingdom work when given thoughtfully.
Need some help with debriefing? Here are a few resources to set you on the right track. If you just need some questions to ask, you may read through the blog authored by Seth Barnes (AdventuresInMissions) on the topic of debriefing. He offers 30 questions to help you dive into the experience of a participant. He also provides a biblical basis for debriefing along with other philosophical insights.
If it’s a curriculum you are looking for, consider The Next Mile (a collaborative effort headed up by DELTA Ministries International). The Next Mile identifies the top 10 struggles short termers typically experience during re-entry, offering suggestions on dealing with each. It also provides a mentor’s guide for an individual serving as a personal debriefer. This power-packed booklet walks a lay mentor through the process of supporting a mission trip participant, coaches the mentor on how to pray and suggests topics for dialogue. The series even comes in a youth edition.
Debriefing is about community. Make sure your church is a place where mission participants can process their experience effectively within the confines of caring relationships.
More resources for short-term missions can be found at STMToolbox.org.
