Missions Purpose, Strategy & Policy

Transcription

1 Missions Purpose, Strategy & Policy (Please revise to best define your missions program) I. DEFINITION, PURPOSE, & POLICY A. Definition of Missions Name of your church defines missions to be any evangelistic endeavor outside our local congregation to fulfill the Great Commission, (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15), by proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, making disciples and gathering them into local church congregations. B. Purpose Statement The purpose of name of your church missions effort is to win individuals to the Lord Jesus Christ, equip them in the faith, and establish local New Testament Baptist churches that have the same aim in every tribe, tongue, people and nation, (Acts 1:8; Acts 14:21-23; 2 Timothy 2:2; Revelation 5:9). C. Missions Policy 1. Purposes: a. To identify a strategic plan for our missions program. b. To avoid making important decisions on an emotional or haphazard basis. c. To ensure consistency and continuity over the course of time and within the change of composition of mission team members. d. To establish criteria that will help determine how missionaries are to be supported. e. To make possible the most effective use of our resources devoted to missions. f. To inform both members and missionaries about the our missions endeavors g. This policy is a statement of principles, not a rigid set of rules. Occasionally, exceptions will need to be made. 2. Revisions: The missions policy may be reviewed and revised as often as needed as determined by the pastor. II. MISSIONS TEAM A. Size and Selection The missions team may consist of as many members as determined by the pastor. The missions team program & members serve at the pleasure of the pastor. Missions Policy / page 1

2 B. Missions Director The pastor may select a Missions Director from within the congregation. This individual is responsible for the proper functioning of the missions team. The Missions Director serves at the pleasure of the pastor. C. Term Ideally, members will serve for many years to provide continuity to our missions team and program. However, to involve other church members who may desire to serve, a term of service of two years on a rotating basis, (two years on two years off), is recommended. D. Expectations of Missions Team Members are expected to: 1. Attend Missions Team meetings unless providentially hindered. 2. Assist on projects as necessary. 3. Take a pro-active role in the recommendation and decision-making process. 4. Continue to learn about global outreach by reading books, watching informative videos and inter-acting with NWBC missionaries through conversations and/or other media. 5. Pray consistently for God to guide the missions efforts of NWBC. 6. Devote energy to furthering the missions program of our church. E. Responsibilities of Missions Team 1. Pray Encourage intercession from the congregation for global outreach and our missionaries. 2. Strategize Develop a missions philosophy with short- and long-range goals. 3. Educate Assist in providing a comprehensive missions education program for our entire congregation and the missions team. This will include information about the world and our missionaries. 4. Mobilize Utilize all the resources of the church (people, finances, contacts, facilities, etc.) to further the gospel. This includes offering short-term and other global outreach missions opportunities. 5. Train Assist in the equipping of individuals from within our congregation to become missionaries. 6. Send Support missionaries and nationals spiritually, financially and emotionally. 7. Care Provide practical assistance to missionaries while they are on deputation, their mission field and furloughs. 8. Support Prepare a missions budget and oversee the allocation of the funds throughout the year. 9. Represent Serve as a liaison between the church, our missionaries, their home church and mission agencies. Missions Policy / page 2

3 10. Evaluate Review the missions program of the church and make recommended changes to the pastor. This includes evaluating the missions policy statement, as well as the ongoing support for missionaries, organizations and projects. III. STRATEGY A. Goals Aware of our dependence upon the Holy Spirit, the missions team will seek to establish shortand long-range goals for our various responsibilities. B. Priorities Recognizing that there will always be more needs than we can fill, the following is meant to assist us in our decision-making. We have a two-fold missions strategy: Mobilization - Includes our efforts to help our people become more missions active. This is primarily accomplished through cross-cultural short-term ministry. Global & Local Evangelization Includes our efforts to help complete the Great Commission. While there is overlap between the two, we have different goals for each category as follows: 1. Mobilization Priorities a. Ministries sponsored by our church. This includes church short-term missions teams or any other cross-cultural ministries we initiate. b. Ministries sponsored by individuals from our church and endorsed by our church. c. Other. 2. Global/Local Evangelization Priorities a. Missionary support: Priority will be given to members of our church. b. Strategic Partnerships: These ministries are more encompassing than merely giving funds. In these cases, our church commits to be an active partner in a particular ministry. This may involve sending short-term teams, hosting or attending conferences, sending our pastor to visit a mission field, etc. c. Strategic Ministry Support: This category includes those opportunities where we can make a difference for the kingdom of God, regardless of any relationship or benefit to our church. We assist because it is strategic. We might not have any involvement other than giving. We may never see the missionary or national we support. This support could be for people or projects. 3. Church Priorities a. Church planting and training of nationals. b. Unreached people groups. c. Urban ministries/works. Missions Policy / page 3

4 d. Sending of missionaries from other countries. e. Missions mobilization. C. Future Missions Budget Projections It is our desire for the missionary support segment of our missions budget to eventually approximate the following percentages: DOMESTIC 35% FOREIGN 65% 10% 20% 5% 20% 20% 10% 15% Monocultural Evangelism & Church Planting Ethnic Evangelism & Church Planting Support Ministries Evangelism & Church Planting Training Nationals Missions Mobilization Support Ministries Explanations: 1. Domestic Mono-cultural Evangelism/Church Planting Ministries: The target group is our own cultural population. Ministries could include such things as evangelism and discipleship on college campuses, church planting, executive outreaches, etc. 2. Domestic Ethnic Evangelism/Church Planting Ministries: The target group is people from a different language and/or cultural group. Ministries could include evangelism and discipleship of international students, church planting among Hispanics, etc. 3. Domestic Support Ministries: These individuals are the support personnel who assist the previous categories of workers. This category includes workers such as secretaries, accountants, administrators, and mission representatives of organizations that work only in our country. 4. Foreign Evangelism/Church Planting Ministries: The people ministered to are nationals who live outside our country. Ministries would include evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. 5. Foreign Teaching of Nationals: The people benefited are nationals who live outside our country. Activities include teaching the Bible and/or ministry skills. This category would include Bible institute teachers, theological education by extension instructors, Bible translators, etc. 6. Foreign Missions Mobilization: Missions mobilizers are people (inside and outside our country) who consult with churches, agencies and student groups to help them participate more aggressively and strategically in world evangelism. 7. Foreign Support Ministries: This person may be in our country or overseas. The ministry is one that allows categories "4", "5" and "6" to function. This category Missions Policy / page 4

5 includes secretaries, teachers of missionary children, missions representatives here in our country, pilots, etc anyone whose goal is to assist those who serve overseas. IV. SHORT-TERM MISSIONS A. Definition Any missions activity up to one-year in duration. The endeavor must be field-driven that is, the primary benefit going to those whom we are serving, not directly to our church. B. Purpose Our primary purpose is to strengthen national believers and/or evangelize non-believers. Our secondary purpose is to mobilize and educate our congregation to be more missions active. C. Short-Term Missions Criteria 1. The short-term mission must be in a subordinate partnership with a national church, a longterm missionary or approved mission agency. 2. There must be a clear long-term strategy in place. 3. There must be a qualified leader for the ministry. 4. There must be appropriate pre-field training. 5. There must be appropriate debriefing and follow-up plans for those who participate. D. Priorities 1. It is a key part of our strategic plan. 2. The ministry is sponsored or endorsed by our church. 3. The ministry will help a person evaluate a long-term missions ministry. E. Support Our church may provide support for the short-term ministry. We will use the order of priorities mentioned in "III. C" as a guide in determining how much to give. Special offerings collected outside of our missions budget may be utilized. V. FINANCIAL POLICIES A. Annual Budget The missions team will prepare an annual budget each year between the conclusion of our annual missions conference and the end of the calendar year. The missions budget is to be submitted to the pastor for review, adjustments and presentation to the church. 1. In addition to missionary support, the missions budget will also include other items needed to fulfill the goals of the overall missions program of the church. Examples include: Visiting missionary offerings, missions conferences, funds for pastoral visits to mission fields, books, short-term projects, etc.). Missions Policy / page 5

6 2. Primary funding for the missions ministry of our missions efforts will be undergirded by the financial commitments of the congregation. Other gifts for missions, such as may be given or designated from time to time, will be placed in the missions account. 3. No money designated for missions is to be used to support the internal needs of our church. This is done through the tithes and other offerings of the congregation. 4. The following budgetary guidelines will be utilized to insure a stable financial baseline: a. Monthly commitments are 65% of the annual missions budget. i. 65% Monthly missionary support. ii. 15% Special Projects. iii. 20% Reserve b. In anticipation of an unforeseen decline in missions giving, an amount of at least three months of the total monthly missionary support should be kept in reserve. (Example: Total Monthly Support = $2500 / Reserve = $7500) c. At the end of each calendar year, remaining excess funds, (not support reserves), remaining in the missions account will be distributed to missionaries or missions projects recommended by the pastor. B. Minimum/Maximum Support Monthly support will be a $ per month for a missionary serving domestically in the USA; and $ per month for a missionary serving on a foreign field. C. Monetary Support Support for a missionary will be sent on a monthly basis. D. Departure to Field Expenses In order to help with departure expenses, a one-time gift of up to three months support may be given. A greater amount may be given depending upon special needs and available funds. E. Ministry Evaluation All missionaries and ministries will be evaluated at least once every five years. F. Ministry Changes An advance notice of any significant changes in ministry, location or mission agency is required so that an evaluation may be undertaken. Note: At the core of the evaluation is the principle that we support the missionary, not necessarily his geographical location when the church began its support, or the location or new focus of ministry. However, the change must agree with the missions definition and purposes of our church. Missions Policy / page 6

7 G. Support Commitment Lengths When the missionary is a member of, and commissioned by our church, our commitment is for life, (with the exception of failure as in Para. V.H. ). Upon his death, an evaluation will be made regarding continued support to his widow. H. Support Termination Termination of a missionaries financial support is a serious decision, and is the exception not the norm, at our church. For termination to occur, the pastor and/or church must approve the decision. Reasons for termination include the missionary: ceasing missions work, failure to fulfill the responsibilities stipulated in this policy, to include, but not limited to, doctrinal impurity, immorality, and illegal activities. If a missionary s support is terminated, we will strive to do it in such a way as to limit the negative effects on the missionary and his family. I. Support Adjustments In the event that the church missions budget experiences a financial downturn whereby the budget cannot be met, the guiding philosophy should be one of decreasing the monthly support amounts equally for every missionary. This is accomplished by dividing the available missions funds by the number of supported missionaries. Every effort should be made to not discontinue the support of any missionary with the exception being under Paragraph V. G. As soon as missions funds return to budgeted levels and the church can reasonably expect them to remain there, the missionary monthly support will return to the original amounts. As soon as practicable, the lost support, as a result of the decrease, will be reimbursed to the missionary. J. Support Review The missions team will annually review the support needs of currently supported missionaries, and consider initiating support for additional missionaries. The review will be accomplished between the church s annual missions conference, and the end of the calendar year. The review and recommendations will be given to the pastor with the annual budget. VI. MISSIONARY SELECTION & RETAINMENT A. Qualifications 1. All missionary applicants must be in agreement with the Statement of Faith of (your church name). 2. Missionaries must be accepted for service with a mission agency approved by the pastor. Note: Bi-vocational and national missionaries may be exceptions to the mission agency requirement. 3. Missionaries must demonstrate a proven track record in ministry. Missions Policy / page 7

8 4. The home church of the missionary must be in agreement with their decision for missionary service. B. Application Procedures Applicants must: 1. Complete a written application. 2. Meet with the pastor, (if necessary). 3. Present his or her ministry to the church. C. Responsibilities to Supported Missionaries 1. Remember the missionary in prayer. 2. Communicate with each missionary every two months. (Consider forming writing teams for accomplishing this important responsibility). 3. Promote the work of each missionary within the church. 4. Send support funds in a timely fashion. 5. Assist in securing housing, furniture and a vehicle for the missionary s furlough. 6. Work toward a partnership relationship with the missionary and his/her home/sending church and/or mission agency. D. Responsibilities of the Supported Missionary 1. Communicate through a newsletter/prayer letter at least every two months. 2. Give the missions team advance notice of any significant changes in ministry and/or location. 3. Communicate during furloughs to determine if we desire a report in person. 4. Provide the team with written yearly goals and an appraisal of the last year s activities. 5. Send the missions team updated support figures for each year. 6. Work diligently in team building/maintenance with all supporters. 7. Work toward a close partnership relationship with the church. Missions Policy / page 8