Rethinking Voluntourism and Short Term Mission Trips

Mission trips and volunteer tourism (“voluntourism”) tend to make the mistake of providing life changing experiences for those who go on the trips rather than providing the best needs for communities. For instance, short term missionaries who build schools overseas are taking jobs from local workers, most likely doing inferior work, and taking away money that could go toward investing long term in education and operation of the school.

Source: NY Times

What to Do After the Easter Service

If you make it easy for guests at your Easter service to find a welcome area, to fill out cards, and to share their information, the follow up should be personal and simple. Don’t bombard them with generic emails or spring surprise visits on them. Make a personal contact and offer a simple next step that fits your church and community.

Source: Paul Alexander

Learning Still Takes Place in Person for Most Adults

While online learning isn’t an option for those without access to high speed internet, learning online remains the choice of most adults. A survey of 3,000 adults found that 74% are personal learners and only a third of them use online classes. Classes at schools and libraries remain popular, while online learning is only being used by a segment of adults who have a bachelor’s degree.

Source: NPR