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“Are short-term student mission trips worth the cost and the planning fatigue…What possible long-term impact can your students truly have on another community in just 5 days’ time?” As a youth leader, ever wondered…

We talk a lot both before our trips and during our trips about developing a mission mindset. We share qualities that we feel will be effective in helping you enter a community responsibly. As…

Applications are open for our summer 2022 internships and we have 10 reasons you should serve with us! We could come up with 100 reasons but we were told we had to stick to…

Support raising for a summer interning with Next Step, or even for a week-long mission trip, can be intimidating if you’re not sure how to go about it. Let’s face it; asking for money…

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through…

“And he said to them, “Go unto all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” – Mark 16:15 A common phrase people have often said to me before leaving for the…

Are you feeling alone? Spent? Used up? Dry? Weary? Completely and utterly exhausted? Over it?  Life is tough right now; there’s no mistaking that. But there is hope in the affliction because you aren’t…

You will get tired.  This may seem like an off putting first tip for future summer staff, but it’s incredibly useful to know and accept this as you begin a summer with Next Step.…

The heat is immense. The couple of overworked air conditioners in our church in the Bahamas are spitting out a warm breeze and we’re all still sweating from the day’s hard work. I’m smelly,…

We don’t have the perfect words to say. As our nation continues to hurt, as more people are talking about racial injustices, we believe that we are called to listen, learn, reflect, and bring…

As we begin to prepare for summer 2020 over here at Next Step, we wanted to take a minute to share that we will not be serving with our friends in the greater Houston…

As we begin planning for next summer, we want to inform you that 2019 will serve as our final summer in New York. We are so thankful for the countless homeowners, community members, and…

We are all guilty – at one time or another – of the label, “#instagrammingyourmissiontrip”…carefully planning out a “self-directed Samaritan” photo that perfectly and beautifully captures our own sense of incredible sacrifice and profound…

When leading a mission trip, I love finding out who is on their very first mission trip? And more often than not I discover there are as many first time adults as there are…

Missions is everywhere. Jesus made that clear by His final words on earth to His disciples, “…be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The call…

Support raising is one of the most intimidating things you will ever do! Asking others for money to help fund your trip is humbling, difficult – yet at the same time rewarding – experiencing…

Over the past 10 years, Next Step has partnered with over 20 communities and has served with over 500 families and organizations through construction projects and service work. It has been thrilling to see…

What’s been happening at the Scooter Scott Program? The Scooter Scott Program is an amazing ministry doing so much in our community for years now! Next Step has personally partnered with them for almost…

Mission trips are exciting, yet we know that same excitement so quickly can fade away when confronted by fundraising efforts. Fundraising, for many, can be uncomfortable, placing you far out of your comfort zone.…

Does the thought of a long 8 hour road trip already make your head spin and leave you feeling exhausted? Maybe thinking about transportation for a mission trip puts you in a panic before…

WHY Why are we passionate about creating a vocational training center in the middle of the small town of Sumpango, Guatemala? Because we recognize that the youth of today are the future. That the…

Times like this, when a hurricane has destroyed all that they had inherited and scams from contractors occur often, are were we get to step in share the love that they thought they had lost.

This town has existed long before Next Step arrived, and will exist long after we leave. So how can we be part of the process? By using our platform be advance unity in Clendenin.

The great news is that there are opportunities all around you, right at home, to live out our call to serve our neighbors on a DAILY basis. Sound like something your group is up to? Check out these tips for engaging in meaningful service projects back home.

Choosing a location for your summer mission trip can be a challenging task. If you and your group are still deciding on where to serve with us this summer, San Augustine might just be…

Every year we see it. Students go on a life-changing mission trip and come back home excited and ready to live out their faith. However, upon arriving home MTE quickly sets in. MTE, also…

Mrs. Ward added, ‘The most memorable part of this experience was the hugs, dancing around my dining room with the kids, laughing, crying, and just the feeling of love like I’ve never felt it before, without any judgement.’

Another summer has passed, and students are heading back-to-school. This time of year, brings great anticipations and dreams for what a new school year will bring, but it is also that time of year…

Have you ever wondered if the work you did on your week-long mission trip made an impact? If the community was actually helped or if harm was done? At Next Step, we are committed…

Mission Trips are often the entry point for students and for youth leaders to critically examine and ask the question, “how can I serve like this in my own community”. And if you are…

You are ready to start planning for a summer mission trip, but how in the world do you decide where to go? There are so many factors that will influence your mission trip selection,…

Mission trips offers youth leaders one of the greatest discipleship training windows in their youth calendars, giving over 150 hours to invest into the lives of every student who comes on the trip –…

Life after a mission trip is often difficult for students. After spending over 150 hours in an intensely-packed, life-changing experience with their peers, students return home to a family – to parents – who…

We are all guilty – at one time or another – of the label, “#instagrammingyourmissiontrip”…carefully planning out a “self-directed Samaritan” photo that perfectly and beautifully captures our own sense of incredible sacrifice and profound…

The internet is littered with mission trip planning guides, but that one item buried at the bottom or routinely left out entirely is PRAYER! Mission trips will be one of the greatest game-changers for…

When leading a mission trip, I love finding out who is on their very first mission trip? And more often than not I discover there are as many first time adults as there are…

Since moving out to L.A. I have been fighting this I mentality. I am moving to L.A. to serve Skid Row. I am working for both Next step and Union Rescue Mission. It is up to me to make sure that the off season trip goes smoothly. As soon as the Next Step interns landed in L.A. this mentality was tested.

It may still be freezing temperatures here in Wisconsin, but inside the Next Step office it is certainly starting to feel like spring. We are in full preparation mode for summer 2018, and could not be…

I’m going to stop putting things off, starting tomorrow! – Sam Levenson How often have you found yourself saying, “I’ll get to that tomorrow” or “Tomorrow, it will be different”? Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow has…

To Our Friends, On February 1st, Mel and I will be leaving our positions at Next Step and moving to Phoenix, Arizona to start a new adventure in our lives. After serving in full-time…

He told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you…

Every year we produce an original video series that plays during the evening worship on our summer mission trips. While every series is different, we always aim to share inspirational and challenging stories about…

For most of my life, I’ve had the tendency to get sucked into the achievement culture that is so prevalent in today’s world; honestly, it’s hard not to do.

Summing up just one summer with Next Step is hard. Summing up three summers is even harder. I try to think of where to begin and am reminded of a hundred different funny stories,…

This week I was reminded of the beauty and simplicity of simply saying yes to God. To obeying what He asks us to do. To taking a step in the direction where doors and…

Community development sometimes feels like a big, vague idea. It’s something we really want to see happen here at Next Step but how do we tangibly do that? For the most part, it’s taking…

God did not just save us from something. He saved us for something. The good news of Jesus does not stop the moment we get saved. Our salvation is only the beginning of God’s…

Read more about bringing your mission trip home and serving alongside your own community.

One of the more common questions we get at Next Step is, “When should I register for my summer mission trip?”  Well, the first answer of course, is whatever is best for you.  Next…

Isaiah 61: 1-3 NLT 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the…

What is the gospel to you? Would you say you believe in it? Chances are pretty good that, if you’re reading this, you would say you do.

Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in…

As we began a journey towards responsible missions, to be a place where short-term missions collides with long-term community development, we felt that the place to start was with ourselves. With our thoughts. With…

Just let it happen. …and by that, I mean, let God. Let God move. Let God author. Let God provide. Let God choose the time. Let God take the lead. Let God change your…

I wish there were more times of the year like this.  Times where you can stop and put the perspective front and center of why you do what you do.

It’s hard to experience a place like Catholic Charities and not be changed. Seeing the community it creates and how the homeless love one another opens up the gospel right before my eyes.

Allowing time to observe usually opens our eyes to see something we may not typically notice. And that is what happened during this morning at the coffee shop. I noticed a timeline on the wall.

In 2015 Next Step Ministries had the privilege of filming Francis Chan for a worship series in San Francisco, which in turn gave us an opportunity to film at some of the most breathtaking…

Compassion. Who or what stirs it up in you?

Thank you All Saints Camp.

God has done amazing things this summer through Next Step. Communities are growing closer together and our partnerships in the communities have been nothing short of amazing.

This summer was the very first for what we call, community worship night. As our staff reflected more and more on how the community can be a part of our worship services in the…

One of the more popular questions I get asked is “how do you choose your new sites”?

The answer is a complicated journey of questions, prayer, growth and one thing we’ll never do again.

One night, a group of thieves broke into a jewelry store. But rather than stealing anything, they simply switched all the price tags.

I love comic book origin stories. Watching an awkward teenage Peter Parker transform into the Amazing Spider Man or seeing a broken Bruce Wayne turn fear and hate into something virtuous as Batman. Knowing…

Our Father, who art in Heaven You are such a good God, a God who reigns on high and is working in so many powerful ways. We worship you. We stand in awe of…

It’s 8am on Wednesday morning and the donuts are on the conference table at the Next Step office.

So often within the full-time staff at Next Step we talk about worship being a lifestyle. The guys in our construction department will be the first to say they are actually in the worship…

  In a world of missions it is easy to get in a routine. And for us at Next Step our routine often hinges around a packed summer of nearly 150 mission trips, 150…

John F. Kennedy once said “the great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.”

Over one year in the community and we have already seen the work of each Partnership Coordinator create a foundation for development. Partnership Coordinators are those full-time staff members at Next Step who live…

Every year we produce a new film series for Next Step that shows to students during our summer mission trips. Each video series is unique and different. We strive to find the balance between…

I remember my first mission trip, do you?

Isn’t it crazy how when we were young time never seemed to move fast enough? Now, however, every day seems more like a mere moment in time, a mere memory.

“And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, ‘The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is…

I remember watching the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake play out on every news channel. It was devastating. Over 100,000 dead and many more injured. A whole city displaced. I wanted to help. I…

If you’re like us, it feels like summer was just wrapping up yesterday and your mission team bus was pulling out of the community as you waved goodbye.  But here at Next Step, we…

For many years when our kids were younger we would spend a week vacation renting out a small but quaint cabin on a lake. It was a place where the kids could swim, bike,…

The alarm goes off at 6:00 AM. It’s time to begin preparing breakfast for 75 volunteers that will soon head out to various families’ homes to engage in new relationships and build with their…

Have you ever returned home from a mission trip only to wonder what happens next? Mission trips are a unique and incredible opportunity to live in community, worship, and ask questions of faith. At…

Have you ever had someone tell you to “put your money where your mouth is”? Well that’s exactly what we are trying to do here at Next Step. There are many ways of looking…

Creativity influences just about everything we do at Next Step, but it’s especially evident in our summer worship series. Every year around August after the craziness of the summer has ended, Todd, Neil and…

The vision has been cast. Prayers have been answered! You have been hearing it all over the Next Step front – there is a new movement! We are making every effort to cultivate community-based work,…

A shift in missions. Community-based missions. Short-term mission trips collide with long-term community development. Words such as sustainability, partnership, collaboration, empowerment, and development emerge in the unfolding story of the new direction our ministry…

For the first time in our seven-year history, Next Step has raised the cost of our week-long mission trips. We still offer domestic trips starting at $299, but most domestic participant costs rose from…

You may have noticed, our website looks a bit different. While thousands of students are serving around the world this summer, Next Step’s media team has been hard at work designing and developing a…

All praise and glory to God, thousands of students are coming to faith, serving God, and loving extravagantly on mission trips! Looking back on the first four weeks of the summer, many students, adults,…

Do you ever wonder if your short-term mission trip really made a difference?  Would it shock you to hear, that as a short-term missions organization, we have thought the same thing? The truth is…