The Importance of Disorienting Experiences & Short-Term Missions in Shaping Our Youth

[James Nored]

In Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church, author Kenda Creasy Dean speaks of the importance of "liminal" experiences. Liminal experiences are experiences in which we are out of our element--disorienting experiences. It is the time in the desert, in a culture out of our own, in a situation never faced before (loss of job, child, etc.). It is during these times that we often become most open to God.

Dean tells the story of Gabrielle, a teen who took a mission trip to Mexico, which was a new, disorienting experience.

"In Mexico, doing new work with new people under new circumstances, Gabrielle begins to reconsider the person she was in Watertown. Her denses melt, making her pliable to Holy Spirit's prompting to think about God, herself, and others in new ways. In the reflection times throughout the week, Matt [the youth minister] reframes his youth group's sense of cultural and existential clash with the gospel of Matthew, sharing the story of the rich young man who sneaks out one night to ask Jesus what he must do to be saved. As Matt describes Jesus' challenge to this young man to give away his most cherished possessions--to leave his comfort zone and follow Jesus--Gabrielle recognizes herself in the story for the first time." -p. 172

Camps, short term mission trips, retreats--these are the types of experiences that open people up to a new experience of God. This is, I believe, part of what Jesus was doing by sending out his disciples without their purse or shoes before wolves in the Limited Commission. He was making them depend upon God and one another.

I have had a minister friend of mine say, "We need camp for adults." It is true. We need to get people out of their comfort zones so that they may have an opportunity for a profound God encounter. Short term mission trips, retreats, and the like are great for this--not only to reach others, but for our own transformation.

I believe that Almost Christian is the most significant book on youth ministry to come out in some time. It is theologically ba

sed, sociologically informed, practically grounded, and well researched. I highly recommend this book for all Christians.

How have you seen "disorienting experiences" help lead a person to faith or open them up to God? How could we better facilitate such experiences in youth and adults?

[James Nored]

Chris, I too was impacted by short term missions. I went on Let's Start Talking mission trips in high school and college. This is a ministry in which mission teams partner with churches in foreign fields, offering free conversational English lessons from the gospel of Luke. As with your trip to Costa Rice, these trips were formative for me.

Check out this video on Let's Start Talking.

[Chris Walker]

I took teens to missions in Venezuela - several have gone on to ministry and missions. Some dropped out of faith all together.

I'm on the mission field because of a trip 13 years ago to Costa Rica. As I've gotten to know other missionaries, many of my generation chose the mission field because of the life change wrought by a short term trip.

I've also hosted short term teams who have come, and done training for various mission schools - the long term impact that a short term trip can have can alter someone's destiny - not just their eternal destiny.

Chris

[James Nored]

Thanks, Bill! Yes, adults need these experiences too, and we need to depend upon God. Why is it that everyday life does not seem to do this for us?

Thanks for the book recommendation.

[Bill Bowman]

I think this article very good. I believe it is not to be limited to teens, but adults need these type of experiences where they are truly depending upon God in the task at hand. Mission trips, etc. are good methods, but each of us can get involved where we are right now in a project where we have to depend upon God. There is a good book "The Adventure of Living" by Paul Tournier I recommend. Life should never be boring. Honoring God in all we do can turn out to be a great adventure. bill b