Date of Award
3-2015
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Department
Seminary
First Advisor
Krish Kandiah
Second Advisor
Michael Hearn
Third Advisor
William Westfall
Abstract
The amount of participants sent yearly on short-term missions (STMs) and the cost to send teams is astounding. Unfortunately, the change of participants that occurs on these trips is often overstated, especially if one is to believe existing data that counters the STM mantra that “my trip changed my life.”
Section 1 examines the current status of STMs, seeking to place them in their global context. It then answers the question of why many STM trips don’t lead to participant change.
Section 2 examines the solutions to the current problem, including books, dissertations, conferences, and other media. I then state three differences between my dissertation and those proposed solutions.
Section 3 outlines my thesis. It argues that the field of experiential education provides insight into how STM trips might be facilitated to increase the likelihood that these trips will produce change. Once that pedagogical structure has been laid, Section 3 articulates themes that must be incorporated into the STM process.
Sections 4 through 6 deal with various technical aspects of the artifact.
The Appendix contains the dissertation artifact.
Recommended Citation
Ellis, Christopher, "Short-Term Missions -- Long-Term Change" (2015). Doctor of Ministry. 111.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/111