Bible Verses for Your Next Youth Mission Trip

The Bible is full of instruction and inspiration for us.  When it comes to serving, mission trips, and discipleship Jesus gave us the ultimate example of living for the Father.  There are so many Bible verses that instruct us, challenge us, comfort and inspire us, and we’ve chosen a few to highlight that might be helpful for the next time you lead a youth mission trip!

You know this one had to make the list.  The Great Commission is Jesus’ instructions to His disciples to keep spreading the Gospel even though Jesus wouldn’t be there in the flesh.  It has the promise that God will never leave us, and the challenge to keep walking out our faith.  For students who might not be as familiar with Scripture, this is a great place to start explaining why we go, serve, and make sacrifices for others and to point to the God who first did that for us.

A huge part of our students' middle and high school years is the discovery and formation of identities.  There are so many different ways a student can understand themselves in relation to the people around them, both in positive and negative ways.  This verse encourages believers to use the gifts, skills, or knowledge God has given them to serve others.  It even says that by using our gifts we are showcasing God’s grace for His children.  This verse is a great platform to encourage your students by pointing out their gifts and challenging your teens to use them for good.

 This verse gives us a challenge and points us to the cross.  If even Jesus Himself, God incarnate, the Prince of Heaven would come down and humble Himself for us- surely we can serve others with this same attitude.  For students who struggle with works-based faith, this verse assures us that the greatest work has already been accomplished by Jesus in His death and resurrection, and this can spur us on to serve others even more wholeheartedly.

This is TEAMeffort’s theme verse for the summer, and it provides so much opportunity to talk about a student’s growing or changing faith while on the mission field.  It encourages us to keep going, rely on others, and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.  This verse would be a great resource to pull out during a hot afternoon, when the students’ energy has died down and they’re ready to move on to their free day activities.  It is a great reminder that our faith life is the same way, we must endure through some tough days and we are never alone in them.

This is a great verse for students who may be more familiar with missions, or who have matured in their ability to serve.  It reminds us that although the circumstances of the world may seem overwhelming (sickness, poverty, natural disasters, etc.) when it is all said and done, Jesus will be known as King over all the world.  Youth mission trips offer many opportunities for students to see life from a new perspective, this verse offers us hope and a day to look forward to.

TEAMeffort’s motto is Pray as You Go, inspired from these verses in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.  These short and simple verses offer students something to cling to when they are tired on the mission site, frustrated with a friend or leader, or are not sure what next steps in their walk with Jesus look like.  Over the past 26 years, we have found these verses to inspire us in our faith, to keep moving and relying on God for our strength, and to find joy in the every day.
 
Of course there so many more Bible verses that offer us wisdom before, during, and after a mission trip.  What Bible verses encouraged you to go on missions?  Is there a Scripture you clung to when things got tough?  We would love to have more verses to pray through as we prepare for summer!

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