Here at Sunset, we strive for people not to only meet and mature in Jesus, but also be missional and multiply for Him. Short Term Missions(STM) Ministry is one of the avenues we have for that and one of the ways we obey God’s command to make disciples of all nations.(Matt. 28:16-20)
Sunset’s STM Ministry is a trip of typically 7-14 days where Sunset sends a team overseas for either of these purposes:
To strengthen the local church to make disciples among their own people
To strengthen local believers to plant churches in areas where there is none
To provide meaningful support and care to our long-term cross-cultural partners
To grow our congregations heart towards missions and provide an avenue for members to assess God’s role for them in missions
STM’s are not and end in itself but a means to an end. It is a stepping stone for us to sow seeds, be cultivated, help water the seeds that other people have sown, plant new seeds so that God can make them grow.(1 Cor. 3:5-9)
Wanting to include some testimonies from those who’ve gone previously:
Can you include the videos you did from the past teams who’ve gone to Cambodia and Africa and Thailand? Put something like:
JAPAN
Less than 2% of Japan's population is Christian.
It is the largest unevangelized nation that is completely open to missionaries; however, it is also a place where almost no growth has been seen in the last 50 years. Because Japan is a mostly homogenous society that is bound by tradition and adherence to conformity, it remains one of the most difficult and discouraging place to evangelize to.
Burdened by this truth, Brian Tom, one of our homegrown missionaries, chose to serve as a church planter in Fukuoka since 2011. During this trip, you will have an opportunity to care for his family and see his ministry. If you are considering long-term missions, this would be a great opportunity to learn from him and his experiences. You can also help his church build a connection with the community as well by hosting a VBS or an English Camp, or by going to a nearby university to befriend college students that Brian is reaching out to.
AFRICA
10.4% of Zambia's population are orphans.
That is 1.4 million children between the ages of 0-17, with no parents, no caregivers, no one taking care of them. Almost half of these children, lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. 41% of children are subject to child labor to help provide for their families. 46% of children suffer from malnutrition.T hese kids are the most vulnerable among the vulnerable that the government do not even know of their existence. Reading these facts, we cannot turn away as a church for in God's eyes religion that is pure and faultless is this - to visit orphans and widows in their affliction.(James 1:27)
Over the last couple of years, Sunset has partnered with Hands at Work, an organization that envisions the local Church in Africa effectively caring for the orphaned, the widowed and the dying, and unified in this mission with the Church outside Africa. Sunset has adopted a community in Zambia that supports 150 kids to receive life-giving services. You can read more about the community we adopted here.
During this trip, you will have an opportunity to encourage and meet all our 36 care workers and the 150 kids we support. You will also be able teach and train the local church leaders to help strengthen their ministry to these communities.
Hear from a team who has gone on this trip before.
ADD-past team videos
Cambodia
Almost 2 million people were killed during the Khmer Rouge
In the four years that the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia, it was responsible for one of the worst mass killings of the 20th Century. During that time, they tried to take Cambodia back to the Middle Ages, forcing millions of people from the cities to work on communal farms in the countryside. An unknown number of women became sex slaves, prostituted themselves for survival in exchange for food or medicine, were forced to marry, or were victims of sexual violence. The Khmer Rouge sought to eradicate all religion; 90% of Christians and most Buddhist monks perished.
Although still predominantly Buddhist, Christians have been allowed to openly worship since 1990. The small remnant of believer that survived after the Khmer Rouge has grown from a few hundred Christians to approximately 250,000 today. There are now around 750 churches.(Source: OMF) The Khmer Rouge ended 35 years ago but its consequences are still being felt today.
FiCF-Pleroma Missions is an organization that seeks to empower women who have experienced abuse and to protect those who are at a high risk for abuse. They provide education, housing and skills training to give these women not only a chance at a better future, but also to restore their dignity as image bearers of God. It is only in understanding the Gospel can these women be truly able to forgive and be restored.
During this trip, you will have an opportunity to visit all the different ministries that Pleroma has. You will be able to meet the girls and women they minister to and serve them by teaching them God’s Word. Also, you will have a chance to train and provide rest for their staff who sacrificially serves and ministers to these girls, day in and day out.
Hear from a team who has gone on this trip before.
INSERT PAST TEAM VIDEO
Nepal
Nepal is one of the world’s poorest countries. Isolation and a long-ruling monarchy have contributed to Nepal being one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world.
Short Term Missions Intro: