Calling all the artists, carpenters, teachers, engineers, accountants, techies, nurses, or administrators! Calling singles, couples, and families. Calling everybody who loves Jesus: Bring your tools to the table and embrace whatever God has for you on a short-term mission trip with SIM UK.
“All of us have gifts, talents, resources and experience given to us by God, which we can use to glorify him and to serve others,” says SIM UK Director Alex Hawke, “and he asks us to be faithful with what we’ve got and to bring it to the table and let him put them to use!”
Each of you should use whatever gift
you have received to serve others,
as faithful stewards of God’s grace
in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:10
But what do you do when you feel called to serve in cross-cultural mission but don’t know where to begin?
We’d encourage you to explore a short-term mission trip with SIM UK and let us help you find ways that God can use you. We have hundreds of placements across the world, where you can use your training and experience to meet real gospel needs, alongside experienced cross-cultural workers, and gain a new perspective on mission and what it means to serve.
Serving In Mission is passionate
about reaching people
anywhere and everywhere
with Jesus’ message of hope
and we have opportunities to
make Christ known
in every possible walk of life.
Currently, we’re helping 60 people enquiring about mission, and so far, 25 have been accepted to serve overseas in 2025 – some of whom plan to serve short term.
For many, a short-term placement also offers the opportunity to deepen their relationship with God as they join in what he’s doing and get a better understand of his calling for their future.
Trainee teacher Daniel says his life was radically changed after helping at a children’s camp in a North African country where it’s difficult to be a Christian.
“I found my trip challenging, yet inspiring, especially when I had a meal with two local believers and heard about their obedience to God’s call and their work in the region, amidst governmental oppression and heightened tensions,” he recalls.
“During my stay, these song lyrics rang in my head: ‘What my eyes have seen my heart can’t ignore’ and I’m no longer okay to take a back seat. Short-term missions open your eyes massively to the need around the nations and how God’s moving in ways beyond our imagination.
“My trip gave me an increasing passion to play a part in God’s worldwide mission and whetted my appetite to use my teaching skills to serve him. I’m now really excited about the future and how God will use me in the long-term, wherever that will be!”
For many people in their 20s and 30s – a season of searching and testing the passions God’s given them – it’s an ideal time to consider serving in mission before entering the workplace.
Medical student Lizzie served short-term with SIM at a mission hospital in South Asia that’s committed to showing God’s love by offering free care for those unable to pay.
“I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity I had at the end of my medical school degree to experience healthcare in an alternative setting and was very excited about the opportunity to be a part of the hospital community for seven weeks,” she says.
“The hospital is committed to showing God’s love by serving the poorest in the region and I found it very inspiring that the team relies heavily on prayer that the funds will be there for the patients and that the medical staff also contribute their pay towards this fund.
“It was very impactful for me as I experienced first-hand a close sense of God’s presence and had many prayers answered during my seven weeks there.”
Like many short-termers,
Lizzie returned more committed
to local and overseas missions.
“Before my trip I didn’t think exploring cross-cultural mission was something I’d want to do long-term, but now I’d definitely be open to doing long-term overseas mission,” she adds.
“I discovered that as Christians, we plant seeds and it’s God who does the main work. Mission can be very relational — showing God’s love, praying for people, and being honest when questions arise.
“I also think our mission field is wherever God has called us now, so I don’t need to wait until I reach a certain stage in my career to be a mission worker.”
SIM UK can also help if you want to combine a short-term placement with your vocation and make the most of tentmaking opportunities.
When teacher Joanne successfully applied for a two-year post to teach missionary children in Liberia, she turned to us to help her prepare for the challenges ahead: “I didn’t have any previous mission experience and SIM has decades of helping people engage in many different ministries around the world,” she explains.
“SIM helped me to prepare for this journey and to learn more about what I was getting into!
“I wouldn’t have been prepared for the new cultures, the big changes and all the practical stuff without SIM’s help.”
Joanne arrived in the summer and although her main job is teaching, the Lord is providing opportunities for her to share her faith with people she meets in the community.
“I talk with the guards every day and share the gospel with them. I’m looking forward to the day when I know the culture better and feel more able to share the wonderful news about Jesus Christ with people I meet,” she adds.
If you have a skill, experience, or an area you’re passionate about, SIM has a large network across 80 countries to help you find a place to serve.
And short-term mission isn’t just for young people. For six weeks, retired nurse Barbara, worked with an NGO team in Greece to provide support, friendship, and activities for refugees.
Many refugees on their way west, were getting “stuck” in Greece and Barbara had become passionate about their plight in response to the harrowing events that were constantly unfolding on the TV news.
“The moment I set foot in the camp, I knew I was in the right place as even though many were passing through, God was working in their lives. I saw terrible things, but the joy came from conversations with the refugees as I tried to listen, show kindness, and share the gospel whenever I could.
“I feel God used my age and experience as I couldn’t have done it when I was younger,” she admits.
Following a conversation with your church leaders, it’s time to start talking with SIM UK about how together, we can help make that happen as short-term mission isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.
Our Forged programme draws on SIM’s vast experience and network of the countries where we operate, to find suitable placements, depending on your availability.
Once you’ve filled in an enquiry form, our team of people are experts in finding the ‘right fit’ for you, whatever your age, skill set, or gift mix.
This results in embarking on a short-term mission – that can last from a few months, up to two years – where you’ll get the chance to have a kingdom impact and get a taste of what a life serving in cross-cultural mission could look like.
“Maybe God is nudging you towards a new way of using your vocation where you are, or maybe in another part of the world,” says Alex. “Our mobilisers would love to connect with you to discover how best to use your gifts and skills in cross-cultural mission.
“Our approach is prayerful and relational, seeking Christ for where he’s leading. It might feel daunting, but please get in touch. We’ll do the journey in partnership with your church so that you’re supported and surrounded in each step you take.”
Do you feel called to go?
Go to www.sim.co.uk/forged to learn more about a short-term mission trip with SIM UK.
Talk to us
Email [email protected] to arrange a ‘no-pressure’ conversation to explore how God might want you to learn, grow, and serve, through a short-term mission.