Summer is the peak time for Short Term Missions Trips, it seems. I recall my home church packing a van full of teenagers and heading for Mexico. These trips, whether to Mexico, the Caribbean or beyond, are part of American church culture. And as Americans, we think these trips really matter and are a big help to the foreign fields.
Darren Carlson, president of Training Leaders International, begs to differ. In a hard-hitting series of articles posted at The Gospel Coalition blog, he challenges many commonly-held assumptions about short term missions. They often do lasting damage to the very places they were hoping to help. If not done well, they can be a burden to missionaries and national pastors alike.
Rather than just critiquing and poking the American short term missions bubble, Carlson goes on to point out a path toward improved short term cross-cultural ministry. He encourages churches to think local first, and to partner with foreign pastors and missionaries closely on any international ventures. Manual labor is often counter-productive, when locals could be employed to help build that church or fix the school.
I can’t say more than what Darren has spelled out in this series. I just want to encourage you to take time and consider reading these articles — especially if you are a pastor or in charge of such missions trips for your church. Don’t just repeat the past, think carefully about how to make such trips truly have lasting impact.
The following is a collection of new picture books from Eerdmans Books’ Young Readers imprint. Each of these books are beautifully produced and full of color — bound to attract little eyes. Here is a mini-review of each book, with an excerpt from the publisher’s book description.
Images of God for Young Children by Marie-Helene Delval, illustrated by Barbara Nascimbeni
How do you explain an abstract idea to children? This book tries to explain who God is by means of visual, concrete images or analogies that young children can grasp. 40 different themes, such as “God is light, God is savior, God is a promise” are explored by means of a full page, thought-provoking illustration, as well as a few sentences which try to explain this description of God in simple terms. The illustrations are superb, and the book promises to offer an opportunity for parents to teach in their own words, who God is to their children as they work through this book.
From the book’s description:
The Bible describes God in many different ways: God is light; God is joy; God is wisdom. God is the beauty that fills the earth and the rock we stand on, the promises we live by and the fire that purifies us. This volume offers a collection of these images, presented in simple language that young readers can easily understand.
This book’s bright artwork and lyrical text, written by the bestselling author of Psalms for Young Children, explores how, even though we cannot see or touch God, we can still discover him in our world.
Now It Is Summer by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma
This title describes the seasons and the longing for autumn fun, even though it is summer now. The book is beautifully illustrated and focuses on a family of mice. The poetic story has a cadence that young readers will enjoy, and the idea of a family of mice enjoying the seasons is sure to capture their imagination.
From the book’s description:
As a young mouse eagerly looks forward to everything that autumn will bring “” friends at school, fallen leaves to play in, pumpkins to carve “” his mother gently encourages him to join in all the summery joys that surround him right now “” dancing fireflies, sunny beaches, peaches fresh from the orchard. In this delightful tale, a follow-up to her book Now It Is Winter, Eileen Spinelli reminds readers of all ages that they can be content in the moment and find happiness wherever they are. Children are sure to love Mary Newell DePalma’s soft and whimsical paintings of mice celebrating summer.
Vincent van Gogh and the Colors of the Wind by Chiara Lossani, illustrated by Octavia Monaco
Vincent Van Gogh’s life may not seem to have many redemptive qualities about it, from a Christian perspective. But his art is powerful and expressive. Van Gogh’s passionate life was sadly cut short by sin, and serves as a testament to our fallen world. The wonder of God’s creation captivated and deeply moved Van Gogh. Van Gogh’s story can serve to teach our children greater lessons about life, God and sin. While the author of this book doesn’t apply the life lessons that are to be learned, this book for older children could be a helpful avenue for parents to bring up a discussion of deeper life issues and concerns. I should note, Van Gogh killed himself, may have had mental problems, and the book describes these parts of Van Gogh’s story as well as one of his sinful romps. I wouldn’t recommend this book for young readers, or for indiscriminate use by older readers.
From the book’s description:
“Painters teach us to see,” Vincent van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo. But when Vincent’s contemporaries looked at him, many of them saw only a madman “” “dressed like a scarecrow wandering in the fields with canvases under one arm and paintbrushes under the other.”
But Vincent followed his passion and listened to the lessons nature taught him about light, shadows, shapes, and colors. And now that “madman” is one of the most famous painters in the world.
Inspired by letters that Vincent wrote to Theo, his closest friend and constant encourager, the text of Vincent van Gogh and the Colors of the Wind is vibrantly illustrated in a style that recalls the paintings of the artist himself. The book also includes fourteen reproductions of van Gogh’s actual paintings. This lyrical story provides a thoughtful and fresh look at the life of one of the world’s most famous artists.
Loon Summer by Barbara Santucci, illustrated by Andrea Shine
The Bible doesn’t encourage divorce, but it testifies to the painful reality of it. In our world today, divorce is a major problem. This problem painfully impacts children, and even Christian children. How are children to cope with the reality of a new divorce? While I would hope that divorce would be rare in conservative Christian circles, I know it isn’t. I never really thought about what to do with and how to help children affected by the problems of their parents before. I’ve been blessed to not have to think too carefully about this up until recently. This book from Eerdmans is an attempt to help express the emotions and difficulties of a young girl who realizes family vacations aren’t and won’t be the same without having both her mom and dad with her. The dad and his daughter spend time together at the lake in their cabin. By the end of the book, the girl is more at peace with this new reality, she loves her dad, and her mom both. It’s sad reading, but I think for older children recently impacted by divorce or even with the death of a parent, this book may help them cope and be a blessing.
From the book’s description:
My first morning on the lake I hear the loons.
“Oh-OOOO-oooo.”
Their sad songs remind me that Mom isn’t
coming to the cottage this summer.
Rainie knows that this summer will be different. As she and her dad do the things they’ve always done at the cottage, Rainie is painfully aware of her mom’s absence. Throughout the summer Rainie watches a pair of loons on the lake””watches as they lay eggs, hatch babies, and are together as a loon family.
“My teacher says loons stay together for life. Why can’t you and Mom?” she asks her dad.
Loon Summer is an authentic, hopeful story of a child adjusting to the difficult reality of changes in her own family. As summer progresses, Rainie grows in her trust and understanding of the unconditional love each of her parents will always have for her.
Summer is the peak time for Short Term Missions Trips, it seems. I recall my home church packing a van full of teenagers and heading for Mexico. These trips, whether to Mexico, the Caribbean or beyond, are part of American church culture. And as Americans, we think these trips really matter and are a big help to the foreign fields.
