Mack & Leeann's Guide to Short-Term Missions

by J. Mack Stiles, Leeann Stiles

Today the world is as close as an airplane flight. Thousands take advantage of this, going for short visits to other countries to be more involved in God's worldwide mission. How can you prepare for such a trip? What are the hazards to avoid and the opportunities to embrace? Here is field-tested advice you should not leave home without! Mack and Leeann Stiles are veteran leaders of more than a dozen two-month mission trips that have taken them around the globe. Their practical advice, hard-won lessons and hilarious stories will help you know what to expect as you get ready to see God in action in new ways. This book offers you the keys to Short mission trips can put feet on your knowledge of God and give you a God-sized picture of the world. In the process of going you will grow, and even though you may feel inadequate or scared, you will also give much to those you go to.

Genres: Faith, Christianity, Christian Non Fiction

186 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2000

About the author

J. Mack Stiles is CEO of Gulf Digital Solutions and general secretary for the Fellowship of Christian UAE Students (FOCUS) in the United Arab Emirates. He has worked for many years with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in the United States.

Reviews

[josie march · Rating 3 out of 5]

they know what they are talking about

[Haley Hoggle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed reading this book! Required reading for my practicum. There is so much wisdom and truth in this book! I highly recommend reading it to understand the biblical validity of short-term missions and how to glorify God well through it. From a church-centric perspective, the book explored the ins and outs of short-term missions preparation to during to after coming back. The Stiles used many narratives to illustrate their arguments which made it more applicable for me. I liked how Stiles talked about the importance of cultural sensitivity yet thoroughly emphasized that the Gospel CANNOT be compromised. The Stiles relied on the authority and sufficiency of Scripture as they navigated all the topics of the book. 4 stars because it was hard to get into at first, but then, it was a page turner, so it definitely redeemed itself.

[Zach Hollifield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

[Gabe Zepeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, accessible, and helpful guide for short term missions that leaders and teams can use with great benefit. The authors are experienced, down to earth, and full of wisdom. Written with humor, wit, good storytelling, and a biblical lens, readers will be inspired to consider their place in the kingdom of God for missions.

My only issue is with the publisher/editors of the book. There are several grammatical errors that can easily be fixed for a new printing. Otherwise, I give this book 4.5 stars.

[Emma Wingerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pretty much finished this book. It’s required reading for an internship that is postponed til August, so I’ll revisit it later. It had several helpful tips and insights related to cross-cultural communication and experiencing/responding to culture shock.
Some content matter offered a different perspective than what’s presented in When Helping Hurts, which I’m still mulling over.
A practical book, I think this would be helpful to read prior to a missions trip.

[C.J. Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a book that was longer than it needed to be (there are many stories), Stiles does a good job convincing the reader of the importance of short-term mission trips. If done right, they are beneficial - especially those seeking to affirm their long-term calling.

[Karen Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the third time I've read this book, and it is still one of the best on the whys, why-nots and hows of short term missions. The stories are born out of long experience and engagingly shared. Very highly recommended.

[Melissa Chong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really set the perspectives right and answered the qs: What can we realistically achieve on short-term missions anyway?

[Nicole Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

They approached the topic from a different (and I think balancing) viewpoint than I had expected. Funny stories mixed in with some very insightful points.

[Cole Shiflet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is slightly out of date, but filled with wonderful principles and interesting stories about short-term mission trips. I’m really grateful for Mack Stiles’ faithful ministry and it was interesting to read his thoughts on preparing, leading, and returning short-term mission teams.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are taking a short term missions trip overseas, this is a good book to prepare you for the trip. It examines attitudes you may not think you have and provides things for you to think about before you get into situations that may cause you stress.

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave helpful instruction on preparing yourself for a short-term mission trip. Thankful for the concern to aid people in being a blessing for host nation and missionaries working on the field. I would recommend the book for anyone planning on participating in a short-term missions.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

really good book :)
I throughly enjoyed it!