CityLife World Impact offers a very interesting and comprehensive training program for CityLife members going on a mission trip to visit one of our missions partners. However, I found that even if you are not planning to go on a mission trip right now, the orientation course can still be invaluable. I’m looking to go on a mission trip next year and I found this training really good preparation.
This is an extremely well-organised course delivered in two three-hour sessions over successive Saturday mornings. The presenters from World Impact are first class. They don’t just give you information about mission. They impart the spirit of it.
The course begins by looking at the whole Godly purpose of mission and the many Biblical injunctions urging us as Christians to spread the message of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.
And of course, World Impact believes in holistic ministry where practical humanitarian help (to the disadvantaged) accompanies the message of salvation through Jesus Christ; wells are dug, villages are developed, people are given new resources and hope in life.
The course covers everything from sensitivity to cross-cultural differences through to the down-to-earth practicalities of what to pack. It even includes a section on ethical ways to raise funds for your mission trip.
The course teaches you how to function well in a team and actually helps you become more self-aware. It explores your strengths and weaknesses. This is all very useful not only in the context of a mission trip but just in terms of any team activity from workplace to marriage. And the course teaches that there is a place for every kind of person on a mission trip.
When I took this training, I was planning to go on a similar trip with another organisation. I found that the orientation provided by CityLife World Impact was a great preparation and checklist for that journey. The course provides you with a manual which you can keep for ongoing reference.
Verdict: This course is well worth doing. If you are planning to go on a mission trip with CityLife it is essential that you do it. But even if you are only thinking about it at the moment, I’m sure you will enjoy this course and appreciate what you get from it in terms of general life skills and understanding what World Impact is all about.
To find out when the next missions trip orientation is happening, visit the CityLife Missions Trips page or contact CityLife World Impact using the form below.
– Harris