Sticky Faith Service Guide
Moving Students from Mission Trips to Missional Living
- Children & Youth
- Evangelism & Missions
- Publisher: Zondervan Reflective (Zondervan)
- Published: 2016
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Publisher's Description
Anyone who serves teenagers today knows that more and more young people are eager to make a difference in the world. When students participate in short-term missions, service, and justice causes, parents and youth leaders hope these experiences will lead to real transformation. But research shows that our efforts don’t always stick. If we truly want short-term work to translate into long-term change, leaders and students must spend more time before, during, and after service projects preparing for and processing their experiences. The sessions in this leader’s guide will help you create experiences that stick—both for the students you take and the communities you serve. This guidebook offers a host of practical and field-tested exercises for each phase of your experience, whether it’s a half-day local service project or a two-week trip overseas. Participants will engage in hands-on experiences to gain new insights about themselves, their relationship with God, their teammates, and the world we’re called to love and serve. Each of these steps is a catalyst in helping students apply what they have learned in the field to their own lives back at home. Also included are ideas to help get parents and the whole church engaged in service together. A companion student journal is also available to boost the potential for personal application throughout the journey.
Endorsements (7)
“I find that missions are consistently the best and the worst programs we offer in youth ministry. The potential for transformation and kingdom impact is palpably real, but the hidden curriculums of self-actualization, pity and judgment, and tourism too often turn what could be beautiful and good into a narcissistic mush. How wonderful to have a research-based guide to avoiding the worst of what short-term missions can be, and leaning into the best.”
“Short-term trips have massive potential to make long-term impact, especially when combined with thoughtful planning and preparation. Sticky Faith Service Guide offers the most practical and thorough advice on equipping teams for effective service that I’ve ever seen. Team leaders and participants, you don’t want to miss out on the many ways that this outstanding book can help make your next trip a life-changing experience.”
“Sticky Faith Service Guide creates an engaging, accessible guide to maximize the transformative impact of youths’ journey on short-term mission trips. Based on years of experience coaching youth leaders, solid theology, cross-cultural sensitivity, and rich insights into spiritual formation — this resource will deliver for groups what it promises: short-term service trips being translated into long-term change. Mission trips can be integral to the spiritual growth and discipleship of young adults, shaping their vision and vocation for life. Not to invest the time required for this before, during, and after the trip risks squandering that opportunity. I warmly recommend this resource as a ready-made guide for leaders and youth to make the most for the kingdom of their short-term service.”
“As an urban youth ministry practitioner, I have used mission trips to fortify my students in middle and high school. The challenge of maintaining a long-term lesson from a short-term trip is multifaceted. Like superglue, we must apply intentional pressure in multiple forms if we expect the faith of our students to bond to their lives. This book and student journal provide multiple ways for youth leaders to facilitate this process before, during, and after the trip. Youth leaders will embrace this material as another gift of information from the Sticky Faith family.”
“This book is the definitive guide to leading service projects and mission trips in youth groups. With proven practical ideas built from the best research, Dr. Kara Powell and Brad Griffin provide youth workers with the understanding and tools necessary for helping spiritual growth “stick” in the lives of young people. This is my new recommended guide for youth workers who want to lead mission trips that make a difference in their students’ lives.”
“What an incredible resource for churches and families. When I think about things I need to help students see and understand their unique abilities to change cycles of injustice in the world, I think about tools I can use to affirm their discoveries. This book affirms and guides the influence of the families and ministries while giving leaders practical help to move beyond thinking “service projects” to practicing justice in compassionate and sustainable ways. Every youth ministry and family would benefit from this read. Love it!”
“Research findings on the long-term impact of short-term missions work is incredibly disheartening. Kara Powell and Brad Griffin have given the short-term missions world a thoughtful, practical, creative, and engaging toolbox of resources to help leaders and participants more effectively serve real world needs and address underlying causes, while being personally transformed in the process. This will be my number one go-to resource for equipping youth and adult workers tasked with the privilege and responsibility of leading short-term mission trips and local outreaches.”
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