About Going On a Short Term Mission Trip

"I've never traveled overseas."

• Great! What better way to experience overseas travel then with a group of Christians from your church. It can seem frightening to step on a plane and leave what is familiar for the unfamiliar. This is part of God's plan to grow your faith. What you may not know is that every team is led by a caring, trained, and experienced leader who will prepare you each step of the way. You'll be told what to pack, how to prepare, what shots you need, how to get a passport, and even what to expect cross-culturally. You will grow in your faith as you obediently take that next step.

"I don't have the time."

• Most of our international trips are 10 days to 2 weeks. As they fall over weekends, most of our team members only have to take 5 - 8 days of vacation time. Check our calendar and the opportunities list. There are opportunities built into existing national holidays, cutting down on your time off work. Plan ahead for next year and take a trip with a different kind of purpose.

"I don't have the money."

• Where God guides, He provides. As you pray about going, God will lead you in decisions on how to save, make money, and ask for support from friends and family. He will also surprise you with financial support from people or places you would never have imagined. If you need to connect with someone to discuss this issue, email reach@occ.org and one of the Reach Team members will contact you.

"I'm not sure what I can do or what I have to offer."

• What is your ministry SHAPE? Use it to reach the world. Can you smile, hand out Bibles, pray, and care about the lost? Your presence and prayers makes all the difference in corners of the world where there are no witnesses for Christ. Additionally, your pre-trip training will equip and prepare you for mission trip activities.

"I've never thought I was 'called' to do missions."

• Neither did Dick Riddle. Neither did Anna & Barry Teats or Sandy Green. They went out of obedience and discovered the amazing blessing of being available to God - ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

For an extensive list of opportunities, go to the Short Term Teams page.

About Getting Involved Locally

"How can I make a difference in our community?"

• Take a look at the local opportunities list. Each area of involvement gives a brief description of the organization, what kind of volunteers they need and who to contact. Grab a friend, give them a call and try something new.

"What does volunteering in the community have to do with sharing Christ?"

• Great question! If we look at the life of Christ, He modeled a wonderful balance of being present with people and proclaiming the Good News. Sometimes there are opportunities to use our words to share Christ, other times it takes our hands to reflect Christ.

"Why is Overlake making community care a priority?"

• We want to be a church without walls. Church isn't about a building, it is about people. If we are going to reach our community with Christ's love, then we have to be rubbing shoulders with our neighbors, working with schools, non-profits, local businesses and government.

For an extensive list of opportunities, go to the Local Reach Ministries website.