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Short Term Missions Information CHRISTIAN AND MISSIONARY ALLIANCE CHURCH Morgantown, West Virginia
So, you are interested in taking part in a mission trip? Great! “Missionary” is our church’s middle name – would you like for it also to be part of your faith action? The root of the word “mission” is “to send”. This original meaning is preserved in our word “missile.” G. Thompson Brown has written; “The church in mission is God’s missile or projectile which is hurled into the world!” The primary reason for short-term missions is the same as the primary reason for all mission endeavors of the church -- obedience. The biblical command is clear and unambiguous: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) The practical reason for sending short-term mission teams is that there is much work to be done. The work of a full-time missionary covers a pretty wide range of activities. As short-termers, we go to assist full-time missionaries with their work. So, our assistance can be as varied as the work of the missionary: ! constructing new buildings, renovating older ones. ! giving medical care. ! helping missionaries with their daily tasks of organizing and maintaining the mission activities. ! teaching: English, nutrition, basic medical care, agricultural skills, business, computers, etc. ! assisting with child care. ! preaching and teaching the Bible. ! witnessing. “Preach the gospel – even use words if necessary.” But the benefits of a mission experience work both ways. Men and women from our church who have gone to help missionaries with their work have testified that the experience is life-changing in many ways: ! growing a servant spirit and learning how better to serve. ! learning to trust God daily for the details as well as the big plans. ! watching God work in the lives of believers and unbelievers. ! finding a much deeper love for all persons and a burden for their salvation. ! discovering how Christ is worshiped in other cultures. ! becoming stronger prayer warriors. ! increasing financial support for missions. ! sharing our faith in a bolder way. You ask, “How short, or long, is a short-term mission trip”? Good question. For a full-time missionary, who has committed her or his life to promoting the gospel in a foreign culture, anything less that a life-long commitment would be “short-term”. But for us who have not made that commitment, a short-term mission is usually measured in weeks – often two to four weeks. But persons have made commitments to serve in a mission support capacity for 1 - 2 years. In those cases, the person normally does not go as a member of a team but rather devotes their personal service, often in a teaching capacity, for the longer period of time in order to see an undertaking through to its completion. “Money, what about money?” The quick answer is that each member of a team, is responsible for raising his or her own support. The church may provide partial financial support through a scholarship, but most of the money for the trip must be raised by the individual team members in much the same way that career missionaries raise their support. Support can be many combinations of personal funds and gifts from friends and others. Fund-raising will be coordinated for each short-term missions team. Funds must be available, in their entirety, before the team departs to the mission. “So who is in charge of getting the team organized and on the road?” The church Governing Board, after deciding to support a team, will appoint a person to be responsible for coordinating all aspects of the team in its preparations, fund-raising, travel arrangements, and host contacts. This team leader will accompany the team to its mission and serve as the coordinator between the team and the host missionary. Each team member, in addition to their responsibilities for personal preparations (passports, baggage, etc.), will be delegated certain responsibilities in assisting the team leader with team preparations. "Who decides on how many people go on the team?" Make-up of the team will depend on the purpose of the team’s trip. The church Governing Board, in consultation with the team leader and the Missions Committee, will select the members of the team. Factors to be considered in the selections will be: skills necessary to accomplish the team’s work plan, health considerations of applicants, total financial support available for scholarships, and availability of the applicants for the duration of the trip. The Governing Board will also consider the applicant’s Christian walk, attendance and participation in the church’s activities, previous support, and interest in present and future missions. “I’m still interested! What next?” Wonderful! ! First, put your potential involvement in a short-term missions trip on your daily prayer list. Ask the Lord to lead you in a search of your heart about this. Seek His wisdom in understanding your own true motives for your interest. Listen to Him. ! Then, we ask you to fill out our Personal Response Form. This is not an application, but it is a way for you to introduce your interest in Short-Term Missions to the Pastors and the Governing Board. We want to know about your specific areas of interest and also about your relationship with Jesus Christ. ! Stay tuned! As opportunities develop, announcements will be made about upcoming trips. If you are interested in one of those, we will want a detailed application at that time. Thank you for your interest. Please pray that short-term missions activities will be used to glorify our God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. |
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