Philosophy

In the book The Gospel According to Generation X: The Culture of Adolescent Belief, Carley Dodd reported that "summer mission trips" was the #1 significant event in helping teens grow spiritually and remain faithful to God and in the church. The Let’s Start Talking ministry has been dreaming about encouraging teen missions in the same way we have developed mission opportunities for college-aged and older persons over the last twenty-two years. Our dreams started to become a reality through the launch of LST YoungFriends in 2003.

What LST offers

LST offers churches a "youth mission package" that is based on the LST strategy and experience. In this program, young people accompanied by parents/adults receive appropriately adapted LST training in cross cultural communications, evangelism, and team dynamics. As part of the package, LST will make both the travel and host site arrangements. The youth mission group will then go to a mission site and conduct a 7-14 day evangelistic effort, including an LST FriendsCamp. Not only are the local Christians and non-Christians encouraged, but each of these young people will personally share their faith with unbelievers, a mission experience that will certainly make an impact on their faith in Jesus and their commitment to His people.

YoungFriends is an international evangelistic opportunity offered to church youth groups and private Christian high schools. This new program seeks to involve younger Christians in the Let’s Start Talking Ministry. The YoungFriends program presents a unique opportunity for students to travel to a foreign country for 7-14 days at a time and work with a local church congregation. The mission and purpose of YoungFriends is "Sharing Jesus, Sharing ourselves."

Twenty-five years of experience in successful mission work
Extensive training in three key areas: Cross-cultural training, group dynamics, and evangelistic training
A customized mission trip
A unique mission plan and materials
Evaluation
Recruiting Information
Travel arrangements, plus a travel checklist
A fundraising strategy
An LST representative

The Mission Plans

The LST YoungFriends program utilizes the LST FriendsCamp model for teen mission projects. The LST YoungFriends team arrives and conducts camp for young people who have been participating in the local LST program This camp takes place together with the local church young people and members and is held at a pre-arranged local retreat area or campground outside of the city. The YoungFriends team prepares all the fun activities and small group Bible discussions which encourage closer relationship to God and to the local church members.

What does a YoungFriends schedule look like? Each mission plan will vary depending on the length of the project and the mission site. Here is a sample that can be modified to fit your team's needs.

Day 1 - Travel
Day 2 – Orientation/Information Meeting/Party for locals
Day 3-5 - Small group reading sessions
Day 6 - Fun Day
Day 7 – Prepare for camp; camp begins
Day 8 - Camp
Day 9 - Camp ends/return home

Group Size

In efforts to maximize the success of our projects we require that the group size does not exceed 20 people (including adults). If a group exceeds 20 people than we can divide that group into smaller groups in order to serve our mission sites to the best of our ability.

Organization

The YoungFriends program, as a part of the Let’s Start Talking Ministry, will offer church youth groups and private Christian high schools a customized mission trip that fits their particular needs. The Let’s Start Talking Ministry provides:

Twenty-five years of experience in successful international mission work
Extensive training in the following key areas: Cross-cultural training, Group dynamics, and evangelistic training
Customized mission trips according to the unique needs of each school or youth group, including all materials
Recruiting methods and training
Travel arrangements and a detailed itinerary
A customized fundraising strategy
24 hour support from an LST representative
Post-trip evaluation

The YoungFriends program will meet a very specific need among congregations and private Christian high schools nationwide. Youth ministers and high school spiritual development leaders now have the option of partnering with the Let’s Start Talking Ministry to lead groups of young students on international mission projects. Mission projects of this magnitude are often logistically too difficult for groups to plan and organize on their own. Because of the LST YoungFriends program, students are now able to participate in a ministry experience that changes people’s lives forever.

For more information about LST YoungFriends, contact LST.