6 Types of Christian Medical Missions - Serve Your Call

While doctors are serving as missionaries around the world, they aren’t the only medical professionals in the field. Over the last several years, healthcare professionals like nurses have found a place and purpose in fulfilling the Great Commission, either on short-term assignments or as career missionaries. As a result, nurse mission trips have grown in both popularity and in opportunity. If you’re a practicing nurse, training to be a nurse, or just thinking about being a nurse, a mission trip for nurses could provide a wealth of professional experience, spiritual growth, and personal fulfillment.  In other words, a nurse mission trip might be exactly what you need. If you want to get involved with other nurses looking to serve on a mission, explore the Global Health Missions Conference.   Getting Prepared for Your Nurse Mission Trip Healthcare needs around the world are growing exponentially. That means the need for nurses and other medical professionals is growing as well, especially in underdeveloped and underserved areas. The potential of nurse mission trips to provide extra sets of hands can be a huge blessing to overwhelmed medical missionaries and local doctors on the field. And you’ll get the extra benefit of meeting new people and experiencing new cultures. But before you pack your bags, it’s important to examine yourself. Character traits like spiritual maturity, flexibility, teamwork, and humility are vital to being an effective missionary nurse—even on short-term experiences. In addition, you need to do some research to make sure you’re working with an agency that can make the mission trip work well for you, the professionals on site, and the patients you’ll treat. Many organizations rely on a set of seven standards of excellence for mission trips. This code of best practices can help you evaluate agencies, but it can also help you look into your own motivations. After all, the important thing is not so much that you go, but that you go for the right reasons and represent Christ well while you’re gone.   Check Out These 5 Mission Opportunities for Nurses If you’re wondering where to start with a nursing mission trip, you have plenty of options. In the list below, we’ve identified five organizations that can help you prepare for and participate in mission trips for nurses. Whatever part of the world pulls at your heart and whatever demographic you’ve been called to reach, you’ll likely find a fit on this list.    1. University nursing programs If you’re a nursing student (or a high schooler working through the college search process), there’s a good chance your school provides international opportunities for nurses. That’s especially true if you’re attending a Christian college or university. Many faith-based nursing schools combine medical education with an intentional missions focus, and nurse mission trips are part of the formula. For example, schools like Anderson University, Azusa Pacific University, Baylor’s Herrington School of Nursing, and California Baptist University each encourage (and, in some cases, require) a mission trip or semester overseas for their nursing students.   2. Nursing Beyond Borders The mission of Nursing Beyond Borders is to provide healthcare and education for children in some of the most desperate situations in the world. Their nursing mission trips include both team and individual experiences and allow nurses to work with professionals on site in a network clinics, orphanages, schools, and shelters. Their focus is on both healthcare and preventative education that empower kids and communities.   3. Coalition of Christian Nurse Practitioners As an affiliate of Christian Medical and Dental Associates (CMDA), the Coalition of Christian Nurse Practitioners offers a variety of services and benefits for the nursing community. They make nurse mission trips available through CMDA’s Global Health Outreach program. So, as a member, you could make a difference for God in a variety of locations around the globe.   4. International Volunteer HQ For more than 15 years, International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) has been connecting individuals with mission trip opportunities, including mission trips for nurses and other medical professionals. Some trips are geared toward high school or gap year students. Others cater to nursing students and professionals. So, regardless of your experience or skill level, you can find a nurse mission trip that meets your needs through IVHQ.   5. Nurses Christian Fellowship As a ministry of InterVarsity, Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF) is a professional organization and support network for Christ followers in the field of nursing. The group’s goal is to encourage nurses as they care for the whole person—body and soul. While NCF does not sponsor overseas travel, it does encourage mission trips for nurses. To that end, the group’s resources include some great articles and preparation materials for those going on nursing mission trips.     Be Jesus’s Hands and Feet In many nursing programs, graduating students take part in a tradition called “blessing of the hands.” The symbolism, especially for Christian nurses, serves as a reminder that they are called to minister to the needs of everyone in every situation. As believers, we call that being the hands and feet of Jesus. In a theological sense, every Christian’s hands are blessed to share the gospel with those in need. But nurses have a unique opportunity to fulfill that commission as they minister to people at some of the lowest moments of life. Nurse mission trips are one way you can extend your personal ministry while also enhancing your personal relationship with Jesus. By taking part in a nursing mission trip, you can be Jesus’s hands and feet to people who desperately need to experience His presence. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime that makes a difference for eternity.     More About Medical Missions Medical Missions serves to connect your professional skills and biblical calling to the largest database of healthcare mission organizations, professionals, and thought leadership. Join us at the Global Missions Health Conference to find your Medical Missions calling. Or, browse our full list of partner organizations to find the right mission for you.  

If you’re thinking about a career in medical missions, taking a medical missions trip as part of your professional and spiritual journey makes a lot of sense. You can never underestimate the benefits of a medical mission trip. It’s a great step toward fulfilling God’s call on your life. As you think about the benefits of a medical missions trip, it would help to get a solid handle on what that actually entails. Different people might have different ideas about what medical missions is all about, so doing a little reading and research to establish your own expectations can be valuable.   Understanding Medical Missions In general, medical missions connect healthcare professionals with people who need their unique skills. And the door is wide open to a variety of medical professionals. While we often think about medical doctors and nurses, medical missions work also includes the skills of physical therapists, dentists, optometrists, mental health experts, educators,  physician’s assistants and many more. The opportunities are so broad because the needs are so great. That’s one reason medical mission trips are so important. You get to be a part of something bigger than yourself while fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus found in Matthew 28:18-20. Below are ten benefits of medical mission trips. Each one will give you a great reason to explore missions and discover ways to touch the lives of individuals as you minister to their deepest needs.   10 Benefits of Medical Mission Trips Medical missionaries reach people at their weakest points. They provide care in ways other missionaries simply can’t, and that makes their lives and their ministries incredibly fulfilling. But while medical missions meet deep physical and spiritual needs, they also provide benefits for the ones doing the work. And, as you take part in a medical mission trip, you can experience those benefits in the following ways:   You’ll gain experience in the field. Whether you’re a pre-med undergraduate or a seasoned medical professional, medical mission trips, offer a taste of what medical missions are all about. Nothing can replace the experience you will get working in clinics or in local hospitals. You will get an honest view of both the blessings of the work and the sacrifices it requires. When it comes to firsthand experience, nothing else compares.   You’ll be ministering to others. In a sense, you’ll get the benefit of ministering to two different groups of people. First, you’ll help the medical professionals on site. The needs are so great that an extra pair of hands willing to do even the smallest tasks can make a huge difference. Of course, you’ll also get to help the local people who need physical and spiritual healing. In terms of being Jesus’s hands and feet in a tangible way, you can’t diminish the impact medical missions have.   You’ll gain a better understanding of the state of global health care. You can read about needs and healthcare gaps around the world. You can even talk to medical missionaries who are working to bridge those gaps. But nothing helps you understand the current state of global health care better than seeing it for yourself. Even more important, medical mission trips allow you to be part of the solution instead of just being a student who studies the problem.   You’ll experience other cultures. Admittedly, the idea of world travel and seeing exotic places can fuel false motives for some. But if God has pointed your heart toward medical missions, getting the chance to leave your comfort zone and see the world through the eyes of Jesus is invaluable. Instead of fostering first-world arrogance, these experiences produce humility and flexibility. It teaches you to grow where you are planted, which will be a necessary character quality as you move forward with God’s plans.   You’ll sharpen the focus of your calling. While you believe God has called you to medical missions, you may not be sure exactly what you should do or where you should do it. One of the benefits of medical mission trips is the exposure you gain to various opportunities and how they might fit into God’s call for your life. And, as you gain a clearer vision of His plans, you will get a better handle on what you need to do to prepare for your next steps. But that all starts with being part of a medical mission trip.   You’ll build relationships and networks. One of the cool things about God is that He often moves people into our lives with an eye toward the future. The relationships you are building now can make a huge difference in where you end up in the years to come. A core benefit of medical mission trips is that you build relationships with a strong network of supporters and encouragers. You also may get the chance to connect with mentors who have the perfect mix of experience and insight and can make your path toward missions smoother.   You’ll improve your skills and training. It’s been said that practice makes perfect. And while a medical missions setting may not always easy, it does provide a perfect place to hone the skills you need to be at your best in the future. Students get the chance to learn new things, and professionals gain the knowledge they can transfer to their domestic practices. In both cases, medical mission team members get better at what they do for God’s glory.   You’ll prepare for what’s next. Of course, you don’t want to approach a medical missions trip simply as something to add to your resume. However, you also shouldn’t discount the impact these experiences can have on things like applications to medical schools or future career positions. This kind of real-life experience is a practical benefit of these kinds of trips that go hand-in-hand with the ministry you get to do.   You’ll get experience with sending organizations. Like other missionaries, many medical missionaries are associated with a sending agency. Working through the process of applying for and participating in a medical missions trip can be your first exposure to the task of researching agencies and finding the right fit for you. Even if you don’t stick with the same agency later in your career, this experience will help you identify what to look for—and what to avoid—when you are ready to embrace your own medical missions adventure.    You’ll see your life transformed. Without a doubt, you can make a tremendous difference in the kingdom of God through a medical mission trip. Even short-term opportunities give you the chance to touch people in ways you could never have if you had stayed home. But one of the greatest benefits of a medical mission trip is the way God can use it to change your life. It’s hard to invest in the lives of others without dying to yourself and becoming a little more like Jesus. And that’s a benefit that resonates into eternity.     Take the Next Step, Become a Medical Missionary Of course, there’s a catch to all of this: you really can’t experience the benefits of medical mission trips unless you go on one for yourself. If you’ve never gone on a trip, now is the perfect time to start planning to take this step of faith. Even if you’ve gone on trips in the past, God may be calling you to travel again. Remember, you don’t have to wait to change the world for God’s kingdom. You can do it right now. So, take some time to pray about what God wants you to do and look for opportunities He might provide. The benefits can change your life—and the lives of so many others. Medical Missions serves to connect your professional skills and biblical calling to the largest database of healthcare mission organizations, professionals, and thought leadership. Join us at the Global Missions Health Conference to find your Medical Missions calling. Or, browse our full list of partner organizations to find the right mission for you.