January 01, 2000 by Bruce Teichroew

The origins and vision of Adventures in Mission

It began with a computer set up in the garage and a vision to see his database be used as a tool to link short-term opportunities and applicants. That was 10 years ago, and from those modest origins Seth Barnes laid the groundwork for what later became know as AIM (Adventures in Missions). Since then, AIM has sent out over 25,000 young people and partnered with over 1,000 churches in short-term projects.

After the creation of that initial database, youth pastors began calling in to receive help in matching opportunities with the particular gifts and interests of their team. A logical next step was to directly serve churches in leading trips.

As partners with a church, AIM now comes alongside to help the youth pastor achieve his objective of discipling young people. On an AIM project students learn to minister, to touch the needy with an offer of hope and to pray expecting God to answer.

Trips are organized in three different levels, for those with little or no missions experience to those looking for high-intensity, radically challenging ministry outreach. Level One trips are approximately one-half relational/evangelistic activity and one-half service or construction activity. Level Two trips are about two thirds relational/evangelistic activity and one-third service or construction activity. Level Three trips are not for the fainthearted, focus exclusively on relational/evangelistic activity and may involve rustic living conditions. Opportunities for outreach are tremendously varied and include door-to-door witnessing, vacation Bible school, sports evangelism, nursing home/orphanage/prison/detention center visitation, mime, drama, music, puppetry, prayer walking, home and church construction or repair, feeding programs and medical services.

AIM provides intensive pre-field preparation, including "Missions 101", a training curriculum for youth pastors, and unique regional Equipping Weekends to help leaders prepare for summer trips. On-site training seminars in local churches take place year round, post-trip, to help students maintain and apply what they learned in the summer.

Partnering with USCWM

Adventures in Missions looks forward to working with the U.S. Center for World Mission in providing missions training for strategic outreach in the 10/40 Window. Three times a year, beginning in September of 2000, the three-month Institute for Strategic Outreach will commence with two weeks of intensive training at the U.S. Center in Pasadena, California. With a mobile campus in California, the Philippines, and India this exciting new program will provide on-site training from effective cross-cultural missionaries and an opportunity for targeted evangelistic outreach. The program is open to all interested college-age, career-changers, and early-retirees and is structured to meet seminary and university field education requirements.

In 2000, AIM anticipates serving approximately 6500 people from at least 300 churches. For more information call 1-800-881-2461 or visit AIM's web site, http://www.adventures.org