A short mission trip is all about putting “love your neighbor as yourself” into action. It sounds like a good idea, but it’s not for everyone.

“A mission trip is a great opportunity to reach beyond yourself and your community,” said Jason Brewer of Community Life Church, which holds services at McQuistion Elementary School, 210 Mechling Drive. Brewer has been on mission trips and led two adult trips to Honduras.

“It would be valuable for every believer to go at some point on mission,” Brewer said. “It does open your eyes to the true size of the kingdom of God.”

The Community Life team went to Honduras with Think Missions of Mars. The team worked with Hondurans to build churches.

Brewer said volunteers may have to adapt to local methods as they help bring about the people’s vision of their community.

“A person needs to be flexible and realize that not everything will go your way, that you’re in another country, that there are often expectations of the culture of the people you’re serving,” Brewer said.

Since 1994, Gloria Dillner, pastoral assistant at Glade Run United Presbyterian Church, 1091 Pittsburgh Road, Valencia, has been a leader and a team member for youth and intergenerational mission trips.

She said missions support what a local community is already doing. She prefers working with organizations already there.

“When I leave, I know there is still an ongoing presence, like a church or pastor or missionary — someone who is there working with that community full time,” Dillner said.

Helping children in orphanages, building and repairing structures and teaching Bible school are among the assistance provided by Glade Run groups.

“One of the most important qualities of a short-term mission participant is having the attitude to humbly serve and participate as requested,” said the Rev. Jen Haddox of Butler. She is the director of global engagement for ECO, a covenant order of evangelical Presbyterians. She has gone on mission trips, and she coordinated student missions at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

“One of the most harmful things is to have a spirit of ‘We can fix all the problems in one week’ and ‘We hope everyone will listen to our ideas and do what we think they should do,’” Haddox said. “We can do a lot of harm by imposing our own wealth resources and ideas on communities that might have more appropriate solutions.”

Haddox said major concerns with physical, mental or emotional health can prevent a person from going on a trip.

Brewer said in an emergency, the medical section of volunteers’ applications can make it easier to find the right care. Their volunteers also supply references.

“(The applicant’s) life should show evidence of faith in God and walking in that,” Brewer said. “They understand (they) are representing our church and the organization we are going with.”

He said completing the application helps some people decide if they are right for the trip.

Alcohol, tobacco, drugs and firearms are among the things often prohibited on mission trips. There may be background checks too.

“When we went to Puerto Rico, because we were specifically working with children for all 10 days, we got all the child-abuse clearances and criminal clearances,” Dillner said.

“It is very appropriate particularly when working with youth — whether they are on the team itself or in country,” Haddox said. Protecting children can easily be a topic during training.

In group meetings before travel, Glade Run participants come to know their skills, strengths and weaknesses; learn about the area and the people they will visit; become aware of the group dynamics; and move through interpersonal differences.

“Short-term mission can be a good place for positive transformation in a person’s life,” Haddox said.

She said meetings after the trip foster that change by giving time for reflection, prayer and learning from the experience.

“(It’s an) important part of the processing what is going on inside of you. Journaling can also be a helpful way of processing,” Haddox said.

She said churches with very successful trips often visit the same places again so short-term opportunities develop into long-term relationships.

She said, “Even if it’s not the exact same people, if they’re associating with the same church there is a sense of community that can grow.”

“Our church is so much bigger than our local church and any denomination,” Brewer said.

“You go with an open heart, open mind and willing hands to participate in God’s work in the world,” Dillner said.