Tuttle, Kathryn A. The Effects of Short-Term Missions Experience on College Students' Spiritual Growth and Maturity.
Summary:
Study of 131 students at 4 CCCU (Coalition for
a) Methodology:
The Belief and Commitment Scale (BCS) and the Faith Maturity Scale (FMS) were administered to 64 test participants both before and after they went on short-term mission trips, and also to 67 control participants. 20 students who had been on at least one STM were also interviewed.
b) Results:
· Those who reported good to excellent training (38 respondents) also reported significantly higher mean change scores on the following BCS questions than those who reported non-existent, poor, or average training (22 respondents):
o "I help others with religious questions and struggles."
o "I accept people whose religious beliefs are different than mine."
o "My life is committed to Jesus Christ."
o "I go out of my way to show love to people I meet." --pp.246-47
· There were also significant differences between the same groups in their responses to the following FMS questions:
o "My faith helps me know right from wrong" (good training/debriefing increased, bad group actually decreased).
o "I go out of my way to show love to the people I meet." (both groups decreased, but bad debriefing group decreased more.)
o "I think that Christians must be about the business of creating international understanding and harmony." (good debriefing group increased, bad decreased).
o "I am thrilled when I see a person's life change because of Jesus Christ." (Good debriefing increased, bad decreased). -pp.247-49
· 63% rated training as good or excellent, while 37% said it was nonexistent, poor, or average. -p.263
· 67% rated debriefing as good or excellent, 33% said it was nonexistent, poor, or average. -p.263