Mission trips can be a life-changing experience. There is so much to take in – new friendships, experiences, and considerable joy! On the other side of that awesomeness, the transition home or back to school can be tricky. I experienced this first-hand, after I got back from a mission trip to Asia after my sophomore…
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Student Leader Spotlight: Sarah Lairmore
Name: Sarah Lairmore Major: Medical Humanities Year: Senior Years of Service: 3 This week, we get to hear from Sarah, a member of the Urban Missions Advisory Council and a volunteer at the Kate Ross Kings Club. Each Thursday, this group gathers together to provide a safe environment for kids to have fun and learn…
Hope After Harvey
Beauty from ashes. That seems to be the theme of the Harvey Relief Baylor Missions trip in Houston over Fall Break. When 50 students and 3 faculty members arrived in the neighborhoods of Houston, they described a strange volcanic-like ash that had settled over the lawns—sediment left behind when 4 feet of water receded after…
Business as Missions in the UK: Global Partner Spotlight
Andrew (BU’14) and Mariava Phillips (BU’14) would call themselves, “unlikely missionaries.” When they attended Baylor as undergrads, they were both a part of the Religion department’s Ministry Guidance Program, knowing that they wanted to do ministry in some capacity. Andrew was studying Religion and Mariava Public Relations. They both had a heart to work in the…
Top 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Going on a Mission Trip
When thinking about signing up for a mission trip, especially your first one, it can be overwhelming—you have no idea what to expect and don’t even know where to begin asking questions! You know there are things you should be asking and considering in order to prepare yourself, but you aren’t sure what exactly they…
A Picture is Worth Whose 1,000 Words?
In January of 2013, I participated in my first ever mission trip. It was a week long, and took me to an orphanage on top of a mountain in Jamaica. We were surrounded by mountains and jungle, and looking out you could see the ocean in the distance, spotted with tiny specks of white boats….
What Guides Baylor Missions: Reflection & Integration
Through all of these guiding principles, our hope at Baylor Missions is that students come home ready to integrate these experiences into their daily lives—that it would not be a one-time, feel-good trip. At Baylor Missions, we believe it is our responsibility to ensure that all students have an outlet to reflect on their experience…
What Guides Baylor Missions: Reciprocity
It’s all too easy to develop a “savior complex” when doing short-term ministry, which is why another goal of Baylor Missions is reciprocity. Our goal with discipline-specific trips is to create an experience where mutual transformation occurs—we are not going only to serve and transform the lives of others, we are going to be transformed….
What Guides Baylor Missions: Long-Term Commitment
Through relationships with global partners, Baylor Missions establishes long-term commitment. We commit to sending teams to a specific location to address a specific community challenge for three to five years. We recognize that a one or two week trip has its limits, but by working with global partners who are already on the ground doing…
What Guides Baylor Missions: Global Partners
Along with discipline-specific trips, Baylor Missions has developed lasting relationships with global partners. Global partners are individuals or organizations that have established ministries around the world and work to meet the needs of their specific communities. By fostering relationships with global partners, Baylor Missions is able to discern and support specific needs of communities around…
What Guides Baylor Missions: Discipline-Specific Missions
Each and every person has unique passions, strengths, and gifts. Through discipline-specific missions, Baylor Missions strives to incorporate a more holistic approach to missions that allows students to use (and discover) their unique gifts to serve Christ around the world—whether that is through orphan care, medical work, teaching, accounting, engineering, photojournalism, social work, or whatever…
What Guides Baylor Missions?
So you’re going on/thinking about going on/have gone on a Baylor Missions trip. You may have some preconceived ideas about mission trips—there has certainly been some criticism of them in recent years, and for good reason. Robert Lupton says in Toxic Charity, “Contrary to popular belief, most missions trips and service projects do not: empower those…