Ethical Short-Term Missions & Volunteering

God's truth is absolute. It's firm, constant and unshakeable; it's based on God's nature and always points to His righteousness and justice. It sets the standards for all areas of our lives. Relative truth – which is the world's version of truth – tells us that truth is ours to determine. It's based on what we feel is right in any given situation or moment in time. It isn't fixed and it bends to endorse our human desires. Relative truth is a slippery slope that can lead to selfishness, deception, injustice and harm.

In Jesus, we see God's absolute truth and standards embodied. However, the Bible tells us that along with truth, Christ ushered in grace. This is an important coupling, as while truth sets the standards, grace makes a way for us in light of our humanity. Grace is the forgiveness that covers our shortcomings. It removes all condemnation so we can try again when we've fallen short or failed. Grace through Jesus is what ultimately makes a way for us to be saved.

There are some tough truths when it comes to short-term missions (STM) and you'll find some of these in the pages of this website.

The truth and grace nexus is as important to general living as it is to salvation; especially because truth is not always easy to hear. When truth is spoken, it must be seasoned with grace. It must draw attention to the standards without wielding condemnation as a weapon. and it must ultimately bring hope.