What about mission trips?

True confession: I love missions. And I'm a big fan of mission trips.

The best summer of my life happened between my junior and senior years in college, when I landed a job as a summer missi0nary and spent 10 weeks writing stories about mission work all over Colorado. That led to my first "real" job, reporting on the national work of the Baptist Home Mission Board. As an adult, I've gone on mission trips to China, Guatemala and Russia and participated in all kinds of local mission projects. As a parent, I helped send my daughters on summer projects from coast to coast.

But occasionally, I've wondered: Is this the best way to get missions done?

Was buying an airline ticket the best stewardship of that money? Did the projects we finished remain after we left? Did the people who told us they met Jesus while we lived among them really establish a relationship with our Savior?

Those and other questions echoed across the miles as I traveled back home. Sometimes, I felt deep peace and a resounding "yes" to those and other questions. Other times, I wasn't so sure.

At least I wasn't alone in my wondering. Christianity Today asked a similar question of three thoughtful missions leaders: "Should churches abandon travel-intensive short-term missions in favor of local projects?" You can read their answers here.

Of course, the short answer is "depends." And the best answer mirrors all reasonable discussions of missions: Christ-honoring, respectful, effective, lasting mission endeavors are complicated and nuanced and demand our best motives and clearest thinking.

The three leaders featured in CT provide terrific throught-provoking comments. If you are in any way involved in your church's missions efforts, read the article, pass it on, and discuss it as you plan other projects.

We have been commanded to love the Lord with all our minds as well as our hearts. And, among other things, that means thinking deeply and carefully about missions.