I have seen hundreds of students lives transformed by Christ through short-term missions trips. It has become one of my main pillars of discipleship within my own life and in my student ministry.   I can not separate missions from our student ministry. If I do, it eliminates one of my biggest discipleship tools I have ever had. I have seen missions transform my student ministry year after year as it has helped me and my students live out our faith in a fresh and real way. One of the greatest discipleship tools we have used on a missions trip has been “Listening...

Over the years, I’ve crossed paths with many youth leaders/pastors who just can’t agree on what a “fully-devoted follower of Jesus” looks like. Early in my career a pastor asked me what I wanted my students to look like.   I simply said, “Like Jesus.” That proved to be an insufficient answer for the pastor. Believe it or not, I still stand by that answer. However, the answer deserves a more thorough explanation.   Let me suggest a shift in how we come to the conclusion of the question. First, our society is massively focused on results....