Our Vision for Student Missions-
Not everyone can pack up their belongings and become a career missionary, but many of us can go on a short-term mission trip. If you've never tried it, we encourage you to consider the benefits of taking the compassion of Jesus to another culture:
1. You will encounter God's heart. Our God is big and He cares about the nations. He's a global God and His ultimate goal is to gather a family that represents "every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Rev. 5:9). When you step into a mission field, you sense God's amazing compassion for another culture and you begin to know Him as Lord of the harvest.
2. You will expand your limited perspective. Too many of us are stuck in spiritual ruts. Every now and then, you need to step out of your comfort zone and allow God to stretch you; experience how other Christians worship God with fervor, discover how they plant churches and engage in evangelism, recognize that the way we do ministry in the United States or even here at Bridge is not necessarily the only way, and actually learn from the people you are going to minister to.
3. You will become more grateful. We have an attitude adjustment every time we go! Whether we are eating new foods, sleeping in weird places, or talking to strange people; we can typically walk away with an attitude of gratitude. We come back from these trips with a renewed appreciation for life's little blessings—air conditioning, running water, nice roads (yes, even California roads begin to look nice) and flushing toilets. There's nothing like spending time in a new place and experiencing new things to change one’s perspective.
4. You will discover spiritual family and lasting partnerships. When we minister alongside Christians in new places, the Holy Spirit bonds us together supernaturally in the communities we visit. People become like family members to us because of our spiritual connection and these relationships can last a lifetime. God gives us this strong bond so we will link arms and work for a common purpose across racial and cultural lines. This is the same type of bond the apostle Paul felt with the people he met in Greece, Italy and Asia Minor during his travels.
5. You will expand the kingdom of Jesus. The Great Commission was not a suggestion. Christ's kingdom cannot be built without bold, radical obedience to Matthew 28:19: "Go therefore...". Somebody has to GO! There's no way around it. To share the gospel with the whole world, we must be willing to pack our bags and leave home.
Of course, not everyone can hop on a plane and go to a foreign country for 10 days, some people have health limitations or family pressures that make travel impractical. Don't feel guilty if you are in that category, instead remember those who can't go to the mission field physically, can go through prayer or financial support and the reward will be the same.
When David defeated the Amalekites, he gave the same reward to the warriors who stayed behind to watch the baggage as he gave to the frontline soldiers who wielded swords (see 1 Sam. 30:22-25).
So, whether you go virtually or in person, let's recognize the priority of missions. Let's encourage every Christian to discover their role in God's great plan to tell everyone about Jesus and His love.
