Missions Trips

Visual, performing and technical arts engage viewers and gives them a way to relate to the subject being presented. Jesus used the arts when he presented the message that the kingdom of God was near. The cross today is used as visual art to remind us of what our Savior did for us by dying, shedding his blood and redeeming us from eternal condemnation.  Today the arts are used in many ways to present the Gospel and often we are not even aware of it. If you attend church, the arts are used every Sunday in some form. There is singing, presentation of scriptural truths by a church leader, and often there is something visual on a large screen.

Many years ago I attended mass with a Catholic friend at a small church in the Catskills, NY.  The priest was a visiting missionary who was working in Brazil amongst street children. The day was warm, the church was full, and everyone was getting a bit dozy. The priest was in his robes and presenting his ministry and peoples’ attention span was getting shorter. All of a sudden, the priest did something that caused the audience to rub their eyes. Did we really see what we think we just saw? Did the priest really just do a back flip? No, surely not. He spoke for a few more minutes and then jumped up and spun around. Now he had everyone’s attention. We listened now to his presentation attentively. Then he did a somersault, spoke some more, then another back flip (which confirmed that we did see what we thought we had seen). This priest had no tools to make a fancy presentation, he invoked the arts to engage the audience. When he was finished, the offering plates were passed, and by the time a plate reached me in the 3rd row, it was already overflowing with donations. People were pulling whatever they had out of their wallets and purses. When the mass concluded, the congregation couldn’t wait to meet the priest. It was a church service and a missions presentation that I will never forget.

If arts ministry in missions interests you, you can contact OM Arts International, a ministry of Operation Mobilization.    email: info@arts.om.org

As an arm of OM Arts, “Heart Sounds International exists to help ignite culturally relevant and Biblically appropriate worship, especially in places where Christ-followers are persecuted, restricted or unknown.”

Heart Sounds seeks to help people around the world create worship music with their own cultural and linguistic distinctions. Volunteer professional recording engineers traveling with their equipment have helped produce worship music in over 33 countries including Yemen, Kosovo, Mongolia, Algeria and Tajikistan. Sometimes they will install a studio in the country and train nationals in audio production. Many songs have aired on Christian radio reaching millions of people. A lot of prayer and planning goes into each project, and OM missionaries in the home office and on the field make all the accommodating arrangements. Many recordings are done in secret, and each time the volunteers enter a closed country with their equipment, they pray earnestly for smooth passage. All work is doing in partnership with local house or established churches.

Research has shown that churches that are emerging in closed countries grow more rapidly when they have contextualized worship music.

For more information about how you can get involved, contact

Heart Sounds International

or OM Arts International or you can phone: 1-800-899-0432

Recently in the Czech Republic, artists who were involved in a short term missions trip with Artslink, a ministry of OM Arts International, were chalk drawing on a main pedestrian street. A gang of intimidating young men, led by Roman, came along. He broke away from the group and asked, “Are you artists?” They nodded. He began to share his newfound passion for art, discovered in prison, and wanted to meet the artists again to show us his work. Through this connection and new friendship, they shared Christ with him

.

A growing church in the Kabyle region of Algeria was to begin meeting in their new building on Saturday, December 26th . This is their usual meeting day, but they were planning to have a special celebration of the birth of Jesus. When the believers started to arrive at their new premises, they found around 50 Muslim protesters barring the doors. The church leaders contacted the authorities who responded by sending four police cars. The police did not intervene, they just monitored the situation. The protesters continued their threats saying that if the Christians continued to meet in this building, they would slaughter the pastor and his family.

This church has seen incredible growth in the last few years, with many miraculous signs and wonders taking place while they meet. Many Muslim families and young people have found hope in Jesus through this ministry. The church leadership are not afraid or discouraged. They returned to their premises the next day and discovered 20 protesters still gathered there. They were able to share the gospel with them and give out New Testaments.

This incident was reported in one of the national newspapers, El Watan. (Dec 27, 2009) According to the paper, the protesters where local residents who were upset at finding that a church building with many visitors from outside the area would be opening up next to their houses. The article highlighted some of the misconceptions that Muslims have of the church growth in Algeria, stating that they where afraid that their youth would be lured into the church with promises of money or other material incentives. The newspaper tried to play down the involvement of the Muslim fundamentalist groups, but it is highly likely that these groups will capitalize on local unrest and use this as an opportunity to try to hinder the Lord’s work in Algeria.

We know that God can and will use this opposition for His glory but we covet your prayers for the protection of the pastor and his family.They are not afraid, but are in great need of wisdom in how to respond and and in talking to the authorities and to their opponents. Pray that the local authorities would intervene in a positive way and even find Jesus themselves!

The use of visual, performing and technical arts can be an extraordinary way to share the Gospel. Jesus did it through story telling and miracles. Jesus was an artist and God is the greatest artist there is. So, why not use the arts to share the Gospel. People love to be entertained and Christian artists can tell people about Jesus either through their art, or by attracting a crowd and then sharing the Gospel verbally with people. There are a few mission organizations that are involve in “arts in missions” ministries. Click on OM Arts for more information on one such mission. For those in the US, you can click here to see specific international short and long term opportunities of arts in missions.

More than 15,000 of the poorest children in India, from the severely oppressed Dalit people, known as “untouchables,” have hope for the future. Education would normally be out of reach for them, but they are students in Operation Mobilization’s nearly 100 Dalit schools. The English-based education offers them future job opportunities that would otherwise be impossible. In addition, the students take what they learn in school about God and His love and share it with their families at home.

But many of these children are from families who don’t have enough money to provide lunch for the school day. A good education is available at no cost, but the children are hungry and undernourished. Approximately 50% of India’s children suffer from malnutrition, and most of those are among the Dalits.

OM is addressing this need with a new program which will provide a healthy meal to the children who cannot bring lunch to school. And a generous supporter is matching gifts given for this so that the amount is doubled–and the impact is doubled.

Your gift of $25 will be matched and become $50! And that $50 will feed a child for an entire school year–200 days! Gifts of any amount will be doubled. $50 becomes $100 and feeds two children!
Click here to make your donation

1. Plan your mission trip early.

2. Work with local churches and/or missionaries.

3. Receive orientation from someone experienced before going.

4. Develop realistic expectations.

5. Have a detailed budget and build in a cushion (20%).

6. Be Flexible, Adaptable and Teachable (FAT).

7. Have a strategy to spread the Gospel and for follow-up of people interested.

8. Debrief from your mission trip when you get home.

Hassan*, an Iraqi, received a New Testament while in prison in his country. As a conservative Muslim, he would never have accepted it before, but in prison he read it straight through.

Then one night, Hassan dreamed about Jesus. In the dream, Jesus told Hassan, “I will set you free from this prison and help you to follow me.” In recent years, there have been many reports of Muslims having dreams about Jesus and then wanting to know more about Him.

Hassan was indeed freed from prison and had a strong desire to know more about the Gospel. Eventually, after studying God’s Word, he committed his life to Jesus. And then his wife and children and even his nephew all made the same decision!

God’s Word changes lives. You can help us impact more Iraqis by helping us get Bibles into their hands. Right now a donation of just $2 will purchase a Bible for an Iraqi. You can also help purchase other Christian materials such as evangelistic DVDs and booklets.

Please consider joining us as we seek to help the “Hassans” of the Middle East come to know the One who can truly set them free.

You can donate securely on-line here.

*name changed for security

Operation Mobilization has short and long term mission trips to over 100 countries including:

Afghanistan, Albania, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Yemen, and countries in the Arabian Peninsula.

Click for:

short term mission trips

group mission trips

family mission trips

customized short term mission trips

Operation Mobilization also has mission ships!

short term mission trips on ships

Interested in going long term (10 mo - 3 years)?

Click for opportunities in long term missions