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Tools for Your Mission

When we are preparing to take part in God’s mission, in whatever capacity, there is a significant amount of planning that is required.  From booking flights, to learning about the culture in which you will serve, to tracking down the right kind of bug spray— it seems like there is so much that we must do ourselves.

While all this preparation is absolutely necessary in getting ready to travel somewhere, when it comes to going on mission, you must prepare your heart to be open to what the lord has for you through your service.  Here are a few helpful tools for you to use in order to help you prepare your heart for the mission and service that you will take part in.

  1. The Spirituality of Fundraising, by Henri Nouwen, is a short read detailing how trusting God to fund your mission is a great testament to God’s faithfulness.
  2. The Nazareth Manifesto, by Sam Wells, looks at different approaches to service.  This piece highlights the beauty in the equality of the Kingdom of God.
  3. The Good Missionary, by Samuel Ikua Gachagua and Claire Diaz-Ortiz, helps us look at the way we serve, why we serve, and what the outcomes are when we let God guide our service.

Spring break trips are in just a couple of months!  Use the time you have before hand to prepare your heart to go alongside God in God’s great story.

If you have any questions about these resources or Belmont on Mission in general, please reach out! Be sure to follow us on social media: Instagram – @BelmontOnMission; Twitter – @BelmontOn

Questions Answered: Come on Mission with Belmont!

How do you know if you should do something or not? What questions do you ask yourself? What factors go into your decision making? Who do you consult? Ultimately, what pushes you towards your decision?  When deciding whether or not to take part in a mission trip with Belmont on Mission, there are so many questions that you ask yourself before submitting an application. Here are some answers to a few of them:

Do you have to be Christian to go on a mission trip?

No! While we do want to be clear and upfront that these kinds of trips are offered as a way to partner with God in the world, all students should feel welcomed to sign up. The trip will include opportunities for reflection on faith, theology, and mission throughout the trip, though no one is forced to lead in any religious activity with which they aren’t comfortable.

How do we know that we are actually doing anything when we serve?

All of our mission trips partner with longstanding host partners who have been in the communities in which we serve for a long time.  By partnering with these host organizations, and through serving with the mindset of being invited into these communities along with the host partners, we are able to ensure that we are indeed serving in a responsible manner with long lasting impact.  

Who will be in charge?

Belmont on Mission trips have student leaders and faculty leaders, all of whom have gone through really focussed training to provide a great foundation to lead the trips.  The teams will have leader-facilitated meeting times to enable all members of the team to take on leadership experiences during the trip. The leaders will have all the information needed to carry out a really great missional experience along with the host partners on the field.

Is it safe to travel to _________ ?

All of our locations are monitored for safe travel.  In addition to this, because of our host partners’ presence in the locations in which we serve, the area is well known. More information about each trip’s location can be found at global.belmont.edu

How do I pay for something like this?

Trip participants are highly encouraged to take part in support raising for the trip.  Once you are accepted to the trip, you can “opt in” to the Belmont on Mission fundraising program.  The program involves a training on how to ask for support for your trip, as well as resources which will help you meet your goal.  All donations can go through your own personal fundraising page within your team page on MobileCause, and are tax deductible!

Am I committed to going once I apply?

Once you apply for a trip and are accepted, you will be asked to “commit” to your trip.  Oly once you click “commit” will you be committed to going.

What do I get from going on a mission trip?

In addition to a really amazing and life-orienting experience, there are a few incentives to going on a mission trip.  Once you have completed the trip, you can submit your service through get connected, which will count towards all of your Community Service and Reflection convocation credits.  In addition to this,your service through Belmont on Mission can count as service hours for clubs and organizations that you are a part of on campus.

 

If you have any other questions about getting involved with Belmont on Mission, please do not hesitate to reach out! The deadline to apply for a spring break trip is tomorrow (11/15/19)!  Check ou global.belmont.edu for more information about specific trips, and follow us on social media @BelmontOnMission to stay up to date with all that we have going on!

Why go “on mission” with Belmont?

Have you ever been on a mission trip with your church or youth group? Or maybe you have gone to serve with an organization in your town for a day, or maybe you have spent time working with a nonprofit around Nashville for a couple of hours for class.  Most people have had some kind of experience serving, and it is our goal in Belmont on Mission to take that experience, harness one’s heart behind it, and use that to create better service experiences for those who serve and those being served.

When it comes to short term missions, there is a lot of controversy surrounding how and why people serve.  When many missions experiences surround some kind of project that needs to be completed like building a community center or an event that is being put on like a vacation bible school. While this work is not inherently bad, it does not necessarily honor the idea of what a mission should be.

In analyzing what drives a mission trip, we must think about God’s call for people.  Belmont on Mission believes that it is our role on earth simply to love God, and to love people.  In doing this, we are ultimately serving God by loving and serving God’s children. As a steward of this earth and as a participant in God’s mission, we are able to discover our place in God’s story.  When we discover our place in God’s story, we are going to discover or own stories.

Over the past few weeks, if someone has talked to you about going on a trip with Belmont on Mission, it is because they want to help you own your story.  We believe that when we are able to own our own stories, that enables us to share with others what God has done in our lives. This type of empathy-based-relationship is the end goal in a Belmont on Mission trip.  We do not care about a project being completed or an event being executed; if we can identify with the people we are serving, we can serve them better. In the end, that’s what it’s all about: loving God by loving people, and loving people by serving alongside them and entering into a relationship with them!

This week we are encouraging people to commit to serving on mission with Belmont as an outward commitment to a life of God-centered service.  If you have any questions about serving with Belmont on Mission or missions in general, please do not hesitate to reach out! Also, follow us on social media @belmontonmission

Student Take: Abby Connolly Practicing a Discipline on Mission

 

Abby Connolly is a sophomore Experiential Design major.  Over the summer, Abby participated in the Athentikos trip to Guatemala! Today, she is sharing with us a little bit about her experience serving on a discipline specific trip.

 

“Coming to Belmont, I was amazed with how this community serves others. I knew I wanted to contribute in sharing my gifts to benefit others. Last year, during my fall semester, I met with Dr. Meaghan Brady Nelson so we could talk about the possibility of me going to Guatemala with Belmont on a Mission in partnership with Athentikos. If you have never met Dr. Meaghan Brady Nelson, she is one of the most wonderful and spunky professors I have gotten to know since my time here at Belmont. She is so passionate about art and has such a servant’s heart. She gave me a run down of what the trip would be like explaining that we would we doing art therapy with at risk youth. Immediately after leaving her office I called my mom and told her that I needed to seize this amazing opportunity that Belmont was offering. 

 

 

Fast forward six months later I began this life changing journey to Guatemala. I got to work with an older group of boys ages 14-16 who came from a very tough part of Guatemala. Having the chance to help them heal using art was an experience that I will never forget. One thing that I learned from the journey was that language is no barrier for love. It was so interesting to see the transformation of these boys through just one week at camp. They came in putting up walls, but by the end they opened up so that I could really get to know them and meet them in their suffering. As one of my boys Miguel said, “The memories will last a lifetime.” Belmont on a mission allowed God to not only transform my life but also the lives of the kids I served. The program also enabled me to meet so many new people from Belmont that I would not have gotten to know otherwise. If you are considering doing service whether it is here in our backyard of Nashville, or on another continent I would highly encourage you to do so and Belmont on a mission is an incredible place to start.”

If you have any questions about this trip, or any other Belmont on Mission trips, please reach out!

Prayer Requests for Spring Break Missions

Starting Friday of this weekend we will be sending out all of our spring break Belmont on Mission teams to serve for the next week! Months and months of preparation has led to this point, and it has come time to trust God with our students, leaders, and host organizations. Over the next week, please join us in praying for the groups as they serve. There are so many ways you can be praying, so here is a short list of ways you can be praying that God will be moving and working.

  • Students

    • For low anxiety as they head into a new environment with new people. For the students’ ability to be fully present with their team and the people they will be serving.
    • The journey ahead is long – Belmont on Mission’s vision is for short term mission trips to be more than just a week long, “mountain top” experience. Students will be stepping into a lifelong journey of discerning how they can use their gifts, talents, and abilities to best serve the Kingdom of God. With that, students may discover a way that they can connect their call to serve the Kingdom of God with their vocation! We are praying and seeking growth in heart, mind, and soul.
      • Psalm 143:10
  • Leaders

    • For leaders’ abilities to continuously be able to lead with wisdom and grace in every situation. Also for patience as they navigate group dynamics and foster intentional and empathetic community as they serve. We ask that their ability to create unity among the group will be encouraging to all.
      • 1 Peter 4:7-11
  • Location

    • We pray for the community in which these students and leaders are about to step into. We thank God for the amazing host organizations that groups are working with, and we ask for continued safety and security for everyone.  Please be praying that Belmont on Mission’s presence is not only positive, but effective in the communities that will be welcoming us.
      • Proverbs 19:21

If you have any questions about Belmont on Mission, please reach out!

Mission Trip Resources

In less than a week we will be sending out groups to serve all around the world for spring break! As we near the beginning of spring break, we wanted to remind you all of some of our resources to make sure that your mission trip experience is the best that it can be!  All Belmont on Mission resources can be found on our website.

Leaders, there are numerous resources under the “Team Leaders”  tab which would be hugely beneficial as a supplement to the resources you already have.  From spiritual formation to budgeting tools to risk management— anything you may need is available!

In addition to logistical resources, there are a number of videos, podcasts, blogs, and organizations linked at the bottom of the age.  These are all publishings that highlight the ideas of responsible engagement with poverty, missions, and justice.  We highly encourage you to look towards these resources for inspiration and guidance as you navigate leading a meaningful and purposeful mission trip.

Students, all of these same resources are available to you, should you feel like you need them; however, there is a tab on the website just for you!  Click “Students” to see all the resources and opportunities specially designed for our student body!

If you have any questions or concerns as we head into spring break, please do not hesitate to reach out!