Jeff Gulleson | Pastor's toolBox

Jeff Gulleson worked with an NGO in Indonesia for 30 years in training and leadership. After returning to the United States, he established Good Neighbor Insurance.

A 74-Year-Old Discusses His Short Term Mission to Slovakia

August 08th, 200902:16 PM ET

By Jeff Gulleson

Many "experts" have weighed in on the benefits of Short Term missions, but how often do we actually hear from those returning from missions trips? Bill is a senior citizen whose first mission trip took place only a year before he retired. Since then, he has served a number of short terms, anywhere from two weeks to three months, and hopes not to sl...
Four Things Short Term Missions Offers Seniors

August 04th, 200909:44 AM ET

By Jeff Gulleson

When planning Short Term Missions, most people's hopes are for teens and young people to get fired up about living their life for God. After all, that's when a person lays a foundation for the rest of their life. But what about those who already have a foundation and maybe have some wisdom to go with it? Seniors are no...
Six Aids to Effective Summer Missions Planning

July 30th, 200908:36 AM ET

By Jeff Gulleson

Planning an effective Summer Mission can be a daunting task, especially if that isn't the extent of your job description. Some find it so daunting that they prefer to scrap the idea of Short Term Missions altogether. Why not leave missions to the those committed to Long Term Missions? Aren't they more effective? Unfortunate...
Six Harmful Effects of Poorly Planned Summer Missions

July 28th, 200902:07 PM ET

By Jeff Gulleson

As nice as it would be to believe that the American church does everything perfectly, too often we waste time and valuable resources on poorly planned programs that either do not succeed in their intended purpose or that undermine the effectiveness of other programs. While this is true of every program, but it's especially ...
Five Ways Short Term Missions Can Help Teens Find Purpose

July 23rd, 200912:08 PM ET

By Jeff Gulleson

The teen years are full of questions, or at least they should be. It's a time for learning what life is really about and finding purpose and direction to last for years to come. But many teens find the affluence of American life too small a challenge. I mean, is obtaining the latest gadget or following American Idol really ...
Three Reasons to Forget Missions And Just Take A Trip

July 20th, 200904:11 AM ET

By Jeff Gulleson

Americans are obsessed with efficiency and technology. Every job seems to require multi-tasking. A study by Hewlett Packard estimated that 62% of Americans checked their work e-mail from home or vacation. In this always-on and always plugged-in world, it is no wonder that we bring the frenzied need to do several things at o...
Six Tips for Debriefing a Summer Missions Team

July 14th, 200908:37 PM ET

By Jeff Gulleson

Summer missions trips have become standard in many church calendars, but could the missions program at your church be improved? Returning Summer Mission's teams can be a pastor's best resource for answering that question. As the saying goes, "Hindsight is 20/20." Good debriefing can help pastors turn hindsight into foresigh...
In An Economic Crisis, Why International Short Term Missions?

July 10th, 200907:33 PM ET

By Jeff Gulleson

With so much economic and political uncertainty in the world, many question arise about the effectiveness of sending international mission teams for only a few weeks or months. Couldn't the time and money be better spent elsewhere, maybe right here in the United States? While that is a valid question, it is important that we examine the assumptions...
Summer Missions: A Pastor’s Final Checklist

July 07th, 200903:56 PM ET

By Jeff Gulleson

Summer is a time of vacations and barbecues, and for an increasing number of churches, it is time for short-term missions. Summer mission projects are booming at such a rate that statistics are impossible to capture. Various agencies estimate that between one and four million Americans go on short-term missions trips every ...