Due May 24

PART ONE
As I've read through your blogs and talked about this trip I've noticed some trends:
1. When asked why people are going on this trip, many have said "To serve."
2. When asked what they hope to get out of going on this trip, many have said "To get closer to God."
3. Many of you object to the assumption that "We cannot truly serve those we do not know & love."

Allow me to challenge those statements:

1. We are not going to Mancora to serve: we are going to Mancora because we are servants.
How are these ideas different? What are the implications of being servants rather than serving? And how does that connect with the idea of "We cannot truly serve those we do not know and love"?

2. "To get closer to God" should not be a goal of mission trips; that is the goal of being a Christ-follower. Missions is something we do because we want to be obedient. Look at the "QUESTIONS" portion of the CBC Short-term missions philosophy. What one or two of these questions do you hope this trip gives you more insight into? Why? What specifically do you hear God speaking to you about as you pray for, read scripture, and prepare for this trip?

In a post, discuss your thoughts about both of these paradigm shifts (including responses to the questions asked after each of them), then specifically restate your goals and hopes for what you get out of this trip.

PART TWO
On Sunday you listened to Pastor Andrew's dad, Gary, speak about Aligning with God's 21st century moves. Pretend that your mentor did not hear this message (for some of you it won't be pretending!). List and summarize his five points, then decide whch points are most relevant for us as we prepare for our trip. Explain your reasoning.

PART THREE
In the appendix of your "Round Trip" materials is an article (p.91-95) titled "A Community of the Broken." Read the article and mark any quotes or ideas that stand out to you. Then, in a post, discuss the following:
1) Reread the first two paragraphs under the heading "Our Broken Body" on pp.91-92. Heuertz describes the church as fragmented, divided, and ineffective at meeting the needs of the world. What will it take for our trip to be a step in the right direction - both for us at Crossroads and for the church as a body?
2) Why is it important that our short-term missions trip be more than "sanctified tourism"? What will it take to keep ours from becoming a kind of tourism?
3) What other ideas or quotes from this article struck you?