Helping Without Hurting in Short-Term Missions Leader's Guide: Leader's Guide

The original book fundamentally changed how our organization handled STM teams coming to our country and also impacted the decisions we made in our day to day ministry. However, these new resources that are tailored directly to STMs are taking the depth of the content / principles and allowing it to be applied and discussed by groups of people without having to first convince them they need to read a book. The biggest challenge I've faced in having these conversations with people over the years is that you can't convince them they need to read the book and even if you do, it's not a guarantee that they will really be able to grasp the heart of the message, particularly when it is not taught/processed in a group setting. But now there are videos, for both general Helping Without Hurting but also this book / video series specifically for STMs that goes along with this leader's guide. After failing to convince US team leaders that they need to read the material before coming on their one week trip I decided to simply show them the video's and lead them through the entire book during their 7 days....it was rough at times, but the video's are so well done that they make up for my lack of experience, and even though myself and the team butted heads pretty hard (especially after lesson's 2 and 3), after a few days we all really started to see the difference. Praise God at the end of the week they stood in tears before our staff at our school (the STM team had been with us at our boarding school for the week and typically has great rapport with the students but not the staff) and repented of their God-complexes and committed to focusing more on building healthy relationships and walking alongside of us according to our true needs, rather than coming in and trying to fix all our physical/material problems, which in some ways they had done over the last 10 years (although this team has made some really healthy relationships over the years it was never the "purpose" of the trip, particularly with larger construction projects of the past). It has taught our staff a lot and we are eager to continue pressing on with the Biblical framework layed out in this book. This material is a MUST for everyone. Not optional. Particularly if you are going on a cross-cultural ministry trip of any kind.

With so many Americans taking short term missions trips, it's high time there is a book that clearly says WHY these trips can be good for both the traveller and the persons visited and WHAT is needed to make that happen. If you only read one book before going, this is the one to read.This series of books holds at their core the central tenet that we are all broken people in need of something that the other can supply, so holding an attitude of superiority over the economically challenged is epically ugly. Further, groups going on short term missions trips can either really help or harm a local ministry, so the authors' suggestions about how to determine what is actually helpful is welcome in an age where 'mission trip' often bears more resemblance to tourism than ministry. If more groups started asking the questions this book presents about why they want to go on a short term mission, and if we learn to let the ones we 'help' tell us how to do that effectively, and if we learn to adopt a spirit of humility about what we can do for others, reading this book will have been worth it.I think that there is one more area in which the book can help: moulding attitudes of those who wonder why we didn't just send them our money. Our friends in the developing world need to see the value of personal relationships with us, just as we need the same. This book will provide a good basis for individuals and groups to approach this most difficult aspect of doing short term missions.

Good initial information about preparing and getting ready for a mission trip. It is a different mindset and this helps reign in your excitement during this preparation period...not to dishearten anyone going on a trip, but it allows you to see the reality. It helps you look at both sides and be sensitive towards those you are trying to help.

This was a great book to get us thinking and helped to change the direction of our Love INC of Pierce County mission. We got use to just giving away a lot of free things to people who were asking for it, but saw no transformation in the way they lived. We stopped doing that and started a program called Jobs for Life to walk alongside of people with support and encouragement as they took more initiative for their lives and outcomes within a very supportive environment. To God be the glory lives are changing all the time now and the students who participate are in such a better place!

My wife is a well educated outreach director at our church and always recommends this book before going on a missions trip. People often go on mission trips not realizing that sometimes our "help" can actually hurt a community. If you are concerned with actually making a lasting impact on a culture this is a good book for you!This is well paired with a great devotional to do with your team before trips that can be found on RightNow media.

Good practical book for those that want to participate or organize a short-term mission. Couple this book with When Helping Hurts and it gives you the tools to make a difference. There is a lot of repeated information but enough that it is worth the read. The book was shorter than I expected but still good content.

This is a great book for anyone involved in short-term missions work, helps you take a good look at your own motives and values. This book was invaluable for me as I prepared for my first trip to Haiti, and made a significant difference in how I related to local Haitians and also to the resident missionaries. I can honestly say the principles in this book enabled me to better reflect the love of Jesus.

Great information for missionaries. But, i have bought the wrong book twice thinking it was the original Helping Without Hurting.. now I'm broke.. LOL

An important book about how church's do community development and social action, a bit US specific but still some vital stuff here especially on short term mission trips and when our way of helping can be ultimately counter productive

Amazing and completely eye opening to the real world outside what you know.

Good book

Good eye opening book

very relevant and insightful