One of the things that worked really well on our missions trip to Belize last month was assigning a responsibility to every teenager on the team. We made these assignments based on gifts and talents of each student. I highly recommend doing something like this for your future mission trips. Most of these responsibilities had at least one guy and one girl working together. This really helped streamline our communication, made sure items were in the right spot at the right time, and made everyone feel like they were part of the team. Our teens did an awesome job at taking ownership for each area they were assigned to. I’m really proud of them!

Communicator: Keep the team current on what is needed at the meetings, keep the church updated on the progress of the team, and maintain home contact during the trip. (That was my job.)

Work Coordinators: Make sure all the stuff gets done in order for us to live. Organize efforts for bag lunches, clean-up, and make sure we have everything we need before going to a ministry site and again when leaving.

Encouragers: Make sure we “do everything without grumbling or complaining” and be available to team members when needed. Let them know they are appreciated and valued. Guard the morale of the team.

Team Assistants: Assist adult leaders by leading tasks and communicating for them as asked.

Ministry Coordinators: Make sure presentation and programs are planned and executed in an orderly and excellent fashion.

Photographers: Record images that capture the spirit of the team, the people, the culture and the sights of Belize to help us remember and to share the experiences with those back home.

Prayer Coordinators: Make sure the team is “praying without ceasing.” Take the initiative to bring the team together for prayer. Keep a prayer journal for the team, including requests, praises and answers to prayer.

Public Relations: Make sure we leave a good impression wherever we go. Prepare “thank you” notes for people we visit.

Sound Coordinator: Oversee sound equipment, including transportation from location to location, as well as projectors, setup, tear-down, etc.

Drama Assistant: Organize dramas and practices. Oversee equipment transportation, organizing props, setup, putting them away afterwards, etc.

Puppet Assistant: Organize puppet shows and practices, including puppet and stage transportation, setup, tear down.

Song Leader Assistant: Assist the music leaders. Help lead music, teach hand motions, generate excitement for the songs.

Crafts Assistant: Organize VBS crafts, including materials transportation. Make sure everyone has the proper materials, teach others on the team how to lead the crafts, check inventory, etc.

Posted on July 29, 2008