5 Ways to Get Students Excited about Missions

Going on a mission trip can create life long changes in the hearts, minds and lives of students. Here are 5 ways you can get them excited even before they head out!

1. Pray together!

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving…” Colossians 4:2

Missions should always start with prayer. Get your students excited by setting up time to pray as a group. Pray intentionally for your trip. Have students partner up and pray for one another. When you encourage honest, intentional prayer with one another, you are cementing the bond between members of your group. Encourage them to share their worries and concerns with one another but also the joys they hope to experience through going on a trip. Pray for the city you are going to; that God would continue to work and move. Pray and give thanks that God has allowed you all to be a part of what He is doing in our world. Prayer gets students excited and prepares their minds for what is ahead!

2. Build together!

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ…” Ephesians 4:11-12

It is amazing what you can discover about yourself and your team when you take the time to do team building activities. I always find it extremely exciting to work as a team and see what each others strengths are. This is a great way to get students excited about the work ahead. Help them learn about their own gifting and the gifting of their teammates. Through organizing team building activities, your students will have an opportunity to problem-solve, brainstorm and debrief, which are all essential to doing missions.

3. Share stories together!

“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.” Psalm 66:16

Do you have students who have done missions before? How about leaders? What stories could they share with the group? What encouragements could they give? This is a great way to get your new students excited! Maybe they have fears or worries about the trip that can be calmed by others sharing their own experiences.

4. Fundraise together!

Fundraising can also be used as team building as you are preparing for your trip. Get your students excited by setting up fundraising activities. This will also give them the opportunity to tell others about what they are preparing to do!

Need some fundraising ideas? Here you go...

5. Serve together!

"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” Matthew 25:40

Do you have a local soup kitchen or food pantry that could use some volunteers? Are there kids in your neighborhood that you could organize a backyard bible club for? Get your students excited about missions by...doing MISSIONS! One of the biggest things you will be encouraged to do by the CSM staff is to take what you have seen and learned and do it locally. You don’t have to wait until you get back. Get your students excited by starting now!

As you can see, all of these suggestions are things that should be done as a team. It is so important to have your students bond before, during, and after your trip. It creates meaningful memories and depth for all when you focus on community with one another. Most of the testimonies I have heard from trip participants haven’t been so much about the actual work done as it has been about the relationships that have been built within their team and how it translates to building relationships with people they are serving. What’s more exciting than that?!

- Marquita Farmer, CSM New York City Director

How does YOUR group prepare to serve in the city?