Start with the Gospel, not the statistics
Before kids can care about people who have not heard, they need to clearly understand and be able to explain the Gospel themselves. Foundational Bible teaching — God’s person, purpose, plan, people, and process — gives young people a framework for everything that follows.
Practical ways to teach missions to kids
- Teach God’s global vision for the Church, not just personal salvation.
- Show the Biblical process of establishing thriving churches in other places and give updates on progress.
- Bring missionaries to speak directly to your kids or youth group.
- Pray together, by name, for specific missionaries and people groups.
- Keep kids updated on answers to prayer — let them see God work.
- Read or watch missionary stories and biographies together.
- Help kids befriend missionary kids (Third Culture Kids) when they are home.
Hands-on events for youth groups
- Wayumi Quest — a one-day, same-day event built specifically for youth groups to experience cross-cultural missions hands-on.
- Wayumi Expedition — a six-day summer trip for senior high students that goes deeper: language learning, culture, Bible translation, and teamwork.
Both are run at Ethnos360’s Wayumi center in central Pennsylvania and are designed to be life-changing without requiring international travel.
For older students
College-age students can go further with the week-long Wayumi Course or a two-week Encounter trip overseas — both built for people who are starting to seriously consider missions as a life direction.
Go deeper
- The Wayumi guide (booklet) — show your youth group the village and the Expedition before you bring them.
- Equip: Children & Families — it is never too early.
- Rock Solid Kids — foundational teaching for children; start with the Teacher’s Guide.
- Torchlighters — animated missionary hero stories.
- The Lamb — the whole Gospel foundation for kids.