8 Reasons You Should Go on an International Mission Trip

If you have spent any significant time around Cru, you have probably heard someone share about Cru’s commitment to international missions. For over six decades, Cru has been sending teams of staff and students all over the world to share the life-changing Good News of Jesus with people in virtually every country on Earth. As a result, millions of people have placed their trust in Jesus and have become a part of God’s family.

Cru International Missions

from Creative One Media

Maybe you or a student you know have been wondering, “Would God call me to be a part of an international mission someday?” That’s a great question!!! Even as you read this, God is raising up teams of students to join Him in mission fields all over the globe. There are several reasons you should consider joining a team. A mission trip can help you…

Take the Gospel to the World

In one of Jesus’ final acts during His time on Earth, He gathered His disciples on a mountainside and told them,

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

We often refer to this passage of Scripture as the Great Commission. Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all ethnos, or people groups. If we are to truly follow Christ, then we need to take Matthew 28 seriously. We need to join Him in His mission of making disciples, all over the world!

Find a Deeper Relationship With God

The Christian life is a life of connection to and dependence upon Christ. Sadly, in our day-to-day experience, we often fall into the trap of living disconnected, self-directed lives. International missions provide a unique opportunity to walk in dependence upon the Lord and find a renewed awareness of our need for Him.

Develop a Stronger Faith

Faith is like a muscle. In order to grow, it needs to be exercised and must experience resistance! If you’ve ever worked out, you know that in order to get stronger, you need to push your muscles beyond what is comfortable or easy. The heavier the weight, the more the resistance, the more your muscles will eventually grow. In many ways, faith works in the same way. If we only do what comes naturally, or what seems easy, our faith may remain underdeveloped.

On the other hand, when we take steps of faith that are uncomfortable, when we attempt things that can only be accomplished if God shows up, our faith has the opportunity to grow! International missions provide great opportunities to work out our faith as we trust the Lord in big ways (raising financial support, international travel, speaking to someone from another culture, sharing our faith, etc.).

Experience Another Culture

Each of us experience our Christian life in the context of our own culture. It’s impossible to avoid. And sometimes it can be difficult to separate our faith from our unique cultural expression of it. When we participate in international missions, we have the opportunity to interact with Christians around the world who love Jesus, are committed to His Word, but operate from a very different cultural perspective.

In this new environment, we are able to see and experience the beauty and character of God in unique and significant ways. This can help us to better see and understand God’s character as well as better discern how we can express our Christian faith in our own culture.

Experience Rich Christian Community

When God saves us, He not only calls us to Himself, but also into a family of believers. If you’ve ever been a part of a team, band, or any other group of people working towards a common goal, you know how satisfying that can be. Relationships are strengthened in the midst of working, playing, and building memories together. International missions provide terrific opportunities to interact with other believers: serving together, encouraging one another, praying for one another, and celebrating the unique strengths and gifts of each person on the team.

Faith is like a muscle. In order to grow, it needs to be exercised and must experience resistance!

Be Trained and Equipped for a Lifetime
of Ministry

Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of mission trips is that they provide an environment of highly intentional training and equipping for the students who participate. Students who take part in missions learn valuable ministry skills like how to share their story in a way that can lead others to Christ, how to clearly and concisely share the Good News of Jesus, and how to help new believers begin to grow in their faith.

These skills and strategies can be useful for a lifetime of faithfully following Jesus into evangelism and discipleship, but sadly, many Christians never take the time to learn or equip themselves for these tasks. An international mission provides great opportunities to develop these skills and then apply them for years to come!

See God Work in a Unique Way

We know that God is at work in all places at all times, but for some reason, we often see God do extraordinary things when we join Him in international missions. Quite often, students who go have the opportunity to see someone, even many someones, place their faith in the Lord. Not only does this help accomplish God’s plan to bring people from all over the world into His family, but it often increases our faith to trust Him to do the same on our local campuses when we return home.

Gabe, a high school sophomore from Colorado, had never shared his faith before going on a mission to Quito, Ecuador. After seeing several students trust Jesus on his mission, Gabe returned to Colorado with a newfound zeal for evangelism. Within the first two months back on his campus, Gabe had led four of his classmates to know Jesus!

Enjoy an Adventurous Life With Jesus

If God created the universe and holds all wisdom and power, it only makes sense that a life connected to Him should be a life of adventure! Jesus himself promises a “rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10) So, why do so few Christians experience this kind of life? We believe it is because so many of us fail to accept Jesus’ invitation to walk by faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and join Him in His work in the world. If you’re looking for a little excitement in your walk with the Lord, consider joining Him on an international mission!

These are not the only reasons you should go on a mission trip this year, but we hope they offer a compelling vision of how God could use an international mission opportunity in your life and strengthen your relationship with Him. As you prayerfully consider joining God on a mission, you can explore current opportunities within Cru’s high school ministry here.

Next Step

Check out Christina's Story and consider how God might use an international mission in your or another student's life.

Christina's Story

Starting Spiritual Conversations

Bringing up spiritual topics can be hard, but it’s one of the most important steps in reaching your friends. If no one starts the conversation, most students will never talk about their faith.

Solarium: A deck of picture cards to help you start conversations about life and God.

Sharing Your Testimony

Your story matters. Sharing what God has done in your life can open hearts and help others realize that faith is personal and real.

How to Share Your Story (article): A step-by-step guide to help you talk about how Jesus has changed your life.

Sharing Your Faith

The gospel is powerful and your friends need to hear it. Learning how to clearly explain the message of Jesus is a huge step in making your faith your own and helping others follow Him.

How to Share the Gospel (article): a step-by-step guide to help you share the gospel with a friend.
Connecting with God Booklet: A short, simple booklet you can read through with a friend to explain how they can know Christ.
The Four Wristband: A wearable tool with four simple symbols to help you talk about God’s love and how to receive Christ.
GodTools App: A free app with interactive ways to share your faith in different languages and styles.

“You don’t have to be perfect to start reaching your school.”

Following Up a New Believer

When someone accepts Christ, they need help knowing what to do next. Helping a new believer grow in their faith is one of the most rewarding things you can do.

Thrive Studies App: Includes the START series—four Bible studies for new believers.

Leading a Small Group

Small groups are a powerful way to build community and help students grow. If you can lead a good conversation, you can lead a small group.

Thrive Studies App: Includes dozens of studies on real-life topics and built-in leader training.

Campus Ministry Training

Reaching students on your campus is one of the most strategic ways to share your faith. Learning a few simple principles can help you start conversations, gather students, and take steps toward building a movement at your school.

Campus Training Videos – Short, practical videos to help you learn how to reach students on your high school campus. These eight trainings cover key topics like meeting students, starting conversations, sharing your faith, and taking simple steps to build a movement.

Other helpful tools

Everystudent.com: articles to help students learn about faith
Gotothecampus.com: ministry training and tools to help you grow your ministry

Next Step

Pick one tool and take a step this week to start a conversation or gather a few friends.

Ask a Coach – Tips from an Expert

Starting a ministry on your campus is an exciting step, but it can also raise a lot of questions. What should you do first? How do you find students who are interested? What if your group is small or things do not go the way you expected?

This is where a coach can help. A campus ministry coach is someone who has experience helping students and leaders start and grow ministries on high school campuses. They listen to what you are facing, help you think through wise next steps, and connect you with helpful tools and resources along the way.

Throughout the Reach Your School Playbook, you will see short insights from coaches who have spent years helping students reach their campuses. This page gathers more of those tips in one place so you can learn from their experience and keep moving forward.

Below are practical coaching tips from leaders who have walked this road before. As you read, look for what applies to your situation right now and take your next step. You can get your own coach by emailing us at coachingcenter@cru.org. We’d love to help.

Starting a ministry on your campus can feel overwhelming, but you do not have to figure it out alone.

Coaching Tips

Ask a few non-Christian friends how they would respond to your ideas, then process those same questions with Christian friends to sharpen your thinking.

Evangelism is the engine of your ministry, and helping students influence others is how you build future leaders.

You don’t have to figure this out alone, there are people with experience who would love to help you gather students and get the word out.

You have rights on campus, learn them, then live them out with confidence.

Many people are looking for something bigger than themselves, so give them a vision worth joining.

You may be walking past someone God is preparing, start a conversation and see what He does.

Pray Scripture, if God says it, you can pray it, and keep prayers short so more people can participate.

Invite a coach to join your team early, it will help you move faster and avoid common mistakes.

Use the tools available to you, there are helpful resources for sponsors, leaders, and teams if you ask.

When meeting with school leaders, bring others with you so it’s clear you’re building something together.

Be curious, kind, helpful, and bold, those four traits open doors.

Work with your school, not against it, staff can often help you more than you expect.

Teams help you reach more people, save time, and build momentum.

If your school allows non-curricular clubs, they must allow a Christian club too.

Use tools and visuals that help people remember and apply what they learn.

Create environments people actually want to be part of, whether on campus or off.

Use social media, simple graphics, and personal invites, everyone plays a role in getting the word out.

Have a clear process for identifying and developing student leaders.

Work within school expectations for roles, but organize your team in a way that actually helps you function.

Start outreach where you already have relationships, teams, clubs, and shared interests.

Use response cards or forms to follow up, gather feedback, and invite people into next steps.

If God is nudging you to take a step, go for it, but bring others with you.

Parents can be powerful allies, don’t be afraid to involve them.

Always have a next step ready so you can invite people while they’re still engaged.

Next Step

Do you have any questions for our coaches? If so, ask your question here, or request a coach for your ministry by emailing us at coachingcenter@cru.org!