Courtesy Adventures in Missions
In 1989, Seth Barnes had a vision: to build a missions organization that emphasized personal relationships and ministry in addition to humanitarian aid and service projects. So he started Adventures in Missions out of his garage in Florida. Today, after 22 years, the organization has sent more than 90,000 people into the mission field.
The small organization began with building projects in Mexico and then quickly grew beyond North America. Adventures in Missions teams have worked in more than 50 countries, and the organization has particularly well-established outreaches in places such as Nicaragua, Thailand, Cambodia, Ireland, Kenya and Peru. In addition to international trips, the group offers a variety of opportunities to serve in the United States.
During mission trips, groups are taught a ministry philosophy that includes prayer, sharing their faith, building meaningful relationships and meeting physical needs. Those needs take many forms in many different places: Internationally, groups might work in orphanages or soup kitchens, help with construction projects or lend a hand in disaster recovery work. In the United States, participants work with international refugees in St. Louis, aid New York’s homeless and minister to Native Americans during three-day canoe and camping trips in Wisconsin.
Although many of their trips are tailored to youth groups, Adventures in Missions offers opportunities for students, adult groups and mixed groups. Individuals or small groups from a church can join in numerous prescheduled trips with other believers from around the country; larger church groups can customize their own mission trips.
