A mission trip for youth can be a real-life experience to teach students about spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts help students recognize the unique identities that God created for them. They help them direct their lives as they prepare for adulthood. They also help them set priorities in life to best serve God and others in their lives. However, a mission trip can be difficult to plan from your classroom.
Serving Others
I am so thankful for the mission trips that I have been able to experience. First, they provide you with gratitude for what God has given you. In addition, Christian mission trips allow you to serve others. While I have never taken students on a mission trip, I love when they have the opportunity to hear from mission speakers. More importantly, I love our monthly service days. They pack food at food pantries, organize for Christian thrift stores, and perform yard work at our church and in our community. Students can see firsthand the lessons that mission trips can provide.
Plan a Mission Trip
While you might not be able to plan a mission trip in your classroom, you can still create a project for your students. I would start by providing your students with a spiritual gifts survey. Then, you can point them to Bible passages that discuss them as God’s blessings to us. This can be tied to the importance of serving others, such as in the good Samaritan. When you are ready to plan the trip, the students can pick a location to serve. Next, they can write sample letters of support to people to gather pretend funds for the trip. They can identify the items that they would need to pack for the trip. After that, you want to prepare them spiritually by studying Bible verses and learning about being a good teammate. Finally, students can reflect and share their experiences with others.
If you are looking for a project that is all prepared for you, check it out in my store.
Looking for related articles? Check out:
Bringing Lutheran Theology to Life for Upper Elementary Students
Project-Based Learning Bible Lessons for the Christian Classroom
Ideas for Lutheran School Themes
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Top 8 Tips for Planning Mission Trips
