So You Want to Dig a Well in Africa? : What You and Your Church Need to Know About Mercy-Oriented Missions

Typical missions projects involve dozens of people in identical T-shirts getting on an airplane to go somewhere and help a needy community. But do those projects actually help people in the long run? Does this work create long-term systemic change in individuals and the community? And does the work lead to intentionally sharing Christ? In other words, is our mission work based on good missions strategy that brings about sustainable change and kingdom impact for communities, or is our approach focused only on creating a positive experience for everyone involved?

So You Want to Dig a Well in Africa? highlights ten common myths people and organizations believe about missions. Exploring the ways in which American churches take on missions, author Jeff Palmer

• highlights pitfalls of equating mission trips with ministry projects;

• offers valuable techniques to avoid unintentional but harmful practices that stem from a poor community development model;

• presents tools for designing, implementing, and evaluating strong, mercy-oriented mission strategies; and

• discusses key elements for evaluating mission programs: participation, sustainability, and transformation.

Offering a resource for those seeking to work for the good of people but also for the glory of God, this guide highlights faulty models used for mercy-oriented missions and give a framework for creating sustainable change in people and communities.