Much of my life I heard of people going on mission “trips”….
They would often come back with a new understanding of God and His character. In my heart I desired stories like that, to be a part of something bigger than myself. My freshman year of college I had the chance to take a mission trip to help build houses. I had a mindset that ”I am going to bring these people something that they need and it is my responsiblity to do it.” Our team came in, worked hard, built relationships, built houses, and then left. I remember saying goodbye at the end of 7 days with a deep sense of heartache thinking, what’s next? Looking back I see how this mission trip was more about me than it was about those I went to serve. Honestly, it was like I had my own agenda, wanting to fill this need deep inside of me to help others.
When I had an opportunity to travel to Cambodia last summer with YouthHOPE, and unintentionally, I took a bit of that mindset with me. My team often used the term “holistic”. After spending 4 years in college studying health, I understood that term well. Medical research shows that if we want to create sustainable change, we can not approach change from just one avenue of a person’s well being. People have physical, social, spiritual, and emotional needs. A person is only as healthy as the sum of their parts. I recently ran across a great article about how missions are not “trips”or “experiences”, but rather about glorifying God by following His commands!
It is about making disciples who will go make more disciples, being learners and not just servers. If we are to embrace holistic ministry, we become learners in order to develop the long term needs of the community!
Holistic ministry is where expressions of care and compassion are balanced with the spiritual truths contained in the bible. James sums this up by saying “Be doers of the word and not hearers only”.
How can we as a church look at youth as one whole being, and reach out to the youth of the world to help meet those needs?
Look to help meet the specific needs of those whom you serve.
In Kenya, 1.2 million Kenyans under the age of 17 have been orphaned due to HIV/AIDS.
In Chile, skateboarding ranks # 2 in popularity among the youth and growing numbers of young people are leaving the church because it is not relavent to their lives.
In Southeast Asia job creation is vital. It is reported that there is up to 70% underemployment in the region.
Each context is different but holistic youth ministry means reaching the physical, social, and emotional needs of the youth by asking young people what is relevent to their lives now.
Empower the youth of the world to be part of the answer!
Sam Pitroda, Advisor to India’s Prime Minister on information, infrastructure, and innovation, sees the potential of the 600 million young people in his country. He believes that youth are to be agents to bring about holistic change.
“My message to young people is, you have to be change-agents. You have to rebel at times. If you also think like your parents, you are finished. We do not have enough change agents in this system. We need change agents everywhere.”
Holistic ministry is intentional, relational, transformational, sustainable. Each mission project should begin with the end in mind, and in view of the cross. Let our lives be not only holistic, but “wholistic.” Wholly devoted to our Father!
