Resource Library
Mission Wise: Scripture, Science, and Serving the World’s Most Vulnerable
Mission Wise: Scripture, Science, and Serving the World’s Most Vulnerable
You want to engage with the work God is doing in the world. We want to help you do so with excellence when it comes to caring for vulnerable children and families. Mission Wise curates today’s best practices and principles to give you clarity and confidence to take the next step forward in your mission … Read more
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Wise Short-Term Missions: Principles and Practices to Benefit Vulnerable Children & Families
Wise Short-Term Missions: Principles and Practices to Benefit Vulnerable Children & Families
We participate in short-term missions because we want to positively impact the world around us. However, we can do more harm than good without a proper understanding of what is most effective. This is especially true when we seek to serve vulnerable children and families. This course is specifically designed for leaders in charge of … Read more
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Short-term Missions: 8 Principles to Do Good and Not Harm
Short-term Missions: 8 Principles to Do Good and Not Harm
Learn wise principles for organizers & participants of short-term mission trips to serve vulnerable families well.
Go: A Wiser Approach to Short-Term Mission Trips
Go: A Wiser Approach to Short-Term Mission Trips
Service-focused travel during short-term missions trips can have the potential for great harm if not wisely led or prepared. These risks can be especially high when visitors seek to serve children, particularly those lacking the protection and connectedness of family. The potential for good that short-term trips have calls for continued refining, correction, and improvement. … Read more
Misguided Altruism: Risks of Orphanage Volunteering Infographic
Misguided Altruism: Risks of Orphanage Volunteering Infographic
What is the impact of short-term international volunteering on vulnerable children living in orphanages or other residential care settings? This infographic shares findings, implications, and recommendations regarding the impact of repeated disrupted attachments between vulnerable children and short-term volunteers.
Fostering Trust in Collaboration
Fostering Trust in Collaboration
A sample agreement of commitments for healthy collaboration between ministry partners
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Best of Intentions: reviewing short-term mission trips serving children and youth
Best of Intentions: reviewing short-term mission trips serving children and youth
There is some concern that short-term volunteers pose risks of harm to vulnerable children. This infographic shares the findings of a study seeking to learn more about pre-trip engagement, in-country activities, and how these impacted preparation and trip experience.
Viajes de Servicio a Corto Plazo Infographic
Viajes de Servicio a Corto Plazo Infographic
Existe cierta preocupación de que los voluntarios a corto plazo representan un riesgo de daño a los niños vulnerables. El objetivo de este estudio fue aprender más sobre el compromiso previa al viaje, las actividades en el país y cómo afectaron la preparación y la experiencia del viaje.
Hosting Wise Short-term Missions
Hosting Wise Short-term Missions
In a previously published resource, Wise Short-Term Missions: Principles and Practices to Benefit Vulnerable Children and Families, CAFO highlights both the risks and the benefits of short-term missions. Too often, short-term missions may not be led with a long-term mindset or do not include quality consideration of the best interests of the children, or needs … Read more
Short-Term Volunteering: The Good, The Bad, and the Better Way
Short-Term Volunteering: The Good, The Bad, and the Better Way
Are you a short-term mission trip leader or international mission trip host looking for training materials that will equip participants to serve children and families well in the context of short-term missions? Are you preparing to serve in short-term missions as an individual or part of a group? Short-Term Volunteering: The Good, the Bad, and … Read more
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Viajes Misioneros de Corto Tiempo: Un Enfoque Mas Sabio
Viajes Misioneros de Corto Tiempo: Un Enfoque Mas Sabio
Más de dos millones de Cristianos realizan viajes misioneros internacionales de corto tiempo cada año, muchos de ellos con la intención de beneficiar a la niñez vulnerable. En esta guia, hay 8 principios de las buenas prácticas que proveerán una estructura de preparación, liderazgo y planificación de un viaje misionero de corto tiempo. Junto a … Read more
Is Our Church Helping or Hurting?
Is Our Church Helping or Hurting?
A collaborative webinar of the Pure Religion Project Initiative and CAFO Research Center, this presentation explores 15 principles to consider and pitfalls to avoid in your global engagement strategy to serve vulnerable children and families.
Short-term Missions: A Wiser Approach (Companion Primer)
Short-term Missions: A Wiser Approach (Companion Primer)
The potential for good that short-term trips hold calls for continued refining, correction, and improvement. To do this well, trip organizers and participants must have a clear sense of how to plan, prepare for, and carry out their service in ways that ensure the safety and lasting well-being of children, families, and their communities. In … Read more
Participant Reflections on Short-Term International Volunteering
Participant Reflections on Short-Term International Volunteering
Short-term service trips can be transformative but must be done with great care. This infographic shares findings and feedback from short-term service trip participants on the benefits, concerns, and possible changes they would suggest as a result of their experiences.
Wise Short-Term Missions: Principles and Practices to Benefit Vulnerable Children & Families
Wise Short-Term Missions: Principles and Practices to Benefit Vulnerable Children & Families
Short-term mission trips carried out with due caution and wisdom can benefit children in the long term —especially by supporting the families and communities capable of caring for them over time. This book provides guidelines and principles for international service trips intending to avoid harm and maximize benefits for orphaned and vulnerable children.
Sabiduría en las Misiones a Corto Plazo: Principios y Prácticas para el beneficio de los Niños y Familias Vulnerables
Sabiduría en las Misiones a Corto Plazo: Principios y Prácticas para el beneficio de los Niños y Familias Vulnerables
Los viajes misioneros de corto plazo han sido por mucho tiempo una estrategia de la Iglesia mundial para comprender la responsabilidad en cuanto al cuidado de niños y familias vulnerables. Aunque los viajes para servir en orfanatos pueden hacerse con las mejores intenciones y proporcionan a los participantes una experiencia gratificante, han surgido nuevas investigaciones … Read more
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