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MILESTONES MINISTRY MODULES FOR HOME AND CONGREGATION Vibrant Faith Ministries is grateful to the following congregational leaders who shared their ministries and contributed to the Milestones Ministry Modules: Neil Christians Pat Eidsness Katherine Eisele Dianne Helfinstine Mandy Houghton Julie Luttinen Miller Angie Smith Susan F. Sprowls Kim Stoddard Bobbie Tomasek Mary Tranberg Vibrant Faith Publishing Edited by David Anderson Milestones Designs by Dawn Deines-Christensen, Prairie Patterns Page layout by Carolyn Berge and Patty Matthews Cover design by Jennifer Leonardson and Patty Matthews Copyright 2011 Vibrant Faith Ministries Handouts and inserts necessary for the implementation of the program may be reproduced for use as part of individual Milestones Ministry Module. Reproduction for resale or use in paid presentations is strictly prohibited. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright, 1989, by the Divison of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Contact information: info@vibrantfaith.org Toll-free resource order: 877-239-2492 www.vibrantfaith.org
MILESTONES MINISTRY milestones ministry modules INTRODUCTION Passing on the Christian faith from generation to generation is part of the life of every Christian home. This fundamental task requires much more than passing on biblical and doctrinal information. Passing on the Christian faith to others involves the work of the Holy Spirit to give birth to a trust and confidence in the power of God to create and renew all things. Milestones Ministry brings an awareness of the presence of God not only to children but families and individuals of all generations through a vital partnership between home and congregation. Milestones Ministry bring an awareness of God s presence that supports the life, love, and faith of families and other personal relationships Developed by Vibrant Faith Ministries (VFM), Milestones Ministry provides a clear and usable model so that individuals and households can participate in a way of life that marks special moments as God moments, and honors them as part of the journey of faith. This model provides the means to implement Vibrant Faith Ministries vision for passing on faith, a vision that places all children in the center of our concerns and sees God s redeeming work at play through home, congregation, community, culture, and creation. Milestones Ministry is embraced by a growing number of homes and congregations. Whether you are brand new to the intentional celebration of milestones or looking to expand and go deeper, these modules will equip you to do God s work of nurturing and passing on faith. Milestones Ministry Modules incorporates contributions from writers and practitioners who live and breath milestones in their daily lives. The ideas and suggestions you receive in these modules are not just abstract concepts, but concrete examples from the everyday experiences of faithful Christian leaders. Milestones Ministry Modules integrate four elements to be used in the home whether that home is a five-bedroom house in the suburbs, a farmhouse, a dorm an apartment, a Hogan, a casa group home, a room in an elder care facility, or a motor home. Here are the four elements. III
Naming the sacred and ordinary events that are recognized in the daily life of individuals and households our beginnings, endings, transitions, achievements, failures, and rites of passage creates rituals and traditions that shape our identities and give us a sense of belonging to the family of God. In each module you will find a fresh approach to a milestone you may have celebrated before or a new milestone that is the result of the imaginations of our milestone leaders. Equipping brings the generations together, builds community, invites conversation, encourages storytelling, and provides information. Opportunities are provided here to model faith practices for the home. Every Milestones Ministry Module offers detailed information for organizing and carrying out a successful cross+generational event. Blessing the individual, and marking significant occasions in a worship service or in the home, declares God s presence in meaningful ways. God is present in all of daily life, making the ordinary sacred, something which each Milestones Ministry Module recognizes. Gifting is a tangible, visible item that serves as a reminder or symbol of the occasion being marked, as well as a resource for the ongoing nurture of faith in daily life. Each module offers suggestions for appropriate resources or a gift to accompany the milestone. Gifting has the potential to engage the talents and skills of many people in contributing to the milestone event and connecting people to one another in new, meaningful relationships as well. These four elements Naming, Equipping, Blessing and Gifting - can be incorporated into a milestone whether it is a birth, a baptism, a new puppy, a graduation, a wedding, joining an AA group, a retirement, a funeral, or any occasion related to one s age or stage in life. Each Milestones Ministry Module has a take-home section called HomeGrown Faith. Leaders are encouraged to incorporate HomeGrown Faith into a cross+generational enrichment event. The various Milestones Ministry Modules offered by Vibrant Faith Ministries create vision, interest and excitement and give concrete examples of how Milestones Ministry affects children, youth and adults. Milestones Ministry is a form of Christian education that subtly and gently involves parents, caregivers, and other caring adults in the Christian education of children and youth and engages caring adults in their own adult faith formation. It has become abundantly clear that if the church is to be faithful and effective in the call to make disciples, parents and other caring adults need to be seen as essential partners in the dynamic, exciting, and life-giving journey of passing on the Christian faith from generation to generation, and especially in our own homes. In summary, these are the benefits of using VFM s Milestones Ministry Modules. Children and youth are supported in their lives of faith through identified milestones in their lives. Parents and caretakers of children are encouraged through cross+generational enrichment events to grow in their own faith and are equipped to be teachers of the faith, even in their own homes. Elders are encouraged to share their stories and leave a legacy of faith for the next generation. IV
Faith is practiced through the Four Keys of caring conversations, devotions, service, and rituals and traditions. Concepts are reinforced through the modeling and practicing of the Four Keys in the home. Meaningful feedback is encouraged through the sharing of stories as a result of specific milestones. Faith nurture is not reduced to handouts and isolated lessons to be used in the home and quickly forgotten. As nurturing communities homes and congregations - work together to help and support one another, over time the benefits of Milestones Ministry and the life of faith are maximized. Supportive and prayerful accountability develops for one another. Milestone moments become an integral part of the faith journey, and sojourners along the way are encouraged to support, pray for, and discuss how the journey is going for a particular individual or family. Milestones Ministry names all of life as under the care, blessing, and direction of our gracious God in Christ Jesus. Every moment in life is an opportunity to claim God s redeeming and renewing work in the world and in our lives. To recognize people in all situations, to bless them, to be a physical sign and gift to them, to weave our stories with God s story this is the vocation of a Christian. Milestones Ministry is nothing less than a way of life. V
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MILESTONES MINISTRY milestones ministry HOW TO USE THIS MODULE HOW TO USE THE MODULES This Milestones Ministry Module offers three components..: WORSHIP This component offers a litany and blessing and often a gifting to be included in a worship service. Sometimes the worship opportunity precedes the cross-generational experience; sometimes, it is intended to follow it. Often, there is a Home Blessing, a simplified form of the worship litany. This may either supplement the worship celebration of the milestone or be used in households, when the congregation does not choose to mark the milestone in worship. stone in the home, as well as in the congregation. Four Keys for Nurturing Faith are all included, so that households can engage in caring conversations, devotions, service, and rituals and traditions. Each Milestones Ministry Module includes: Rationale for the milestone, including desired outcomes. Sections provided for the leader on the tasks to be done ahead of time, including sample letters of invitation, sample newsletter announcements, bulletin inserts, and handouts. Lists of needed supplies and things to order. Appendix, with additional materials and suggested resources. CROSS+GENERATIONAL EVENT This component includes at least two generations, often more. The event always educates about the milestone and offer engaging, experiential, cross+generational learning opportunities. They may be a single session or two or more. HOMEGROWN FAITH: FOUR KEY RESOURCE FOR THE HOME This component includes a handout, intended to be given to households at the milestone worship and/or cross+generational event, marking this mile- VII The introduction to each Milestones Ministry Module includes the theological and biblical underpinnings of Milestones Ministry. It also includes the research findings and benefits of marking milestones in home and congregation. It names the four elements of marking a milestone: naming, equipping, blessing, and gifting, which will help families and congregations to celebrate many other milestones.
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MILESTONES MINISTRY Mission Trip Milestone This Milestone Ministry event will emphasize the blessings of community: the congregational community that will be left behind for a period of time; the community that will travel together for the mission trip; and the community that will be met during the mission trip. As part of this Milestone Ministry event, each person traveling on the mission trip is given a journal with a picture of that person with his/her prayer and action partner. The people serving as prayer and action partners are the people in addition to family and other friends who will be kept posted on the activities of the travelers and who will respond with daily prayers for the sojourners. The sojourners, in turn, will log their experiences during the trip to help them focus on the faith-forming opportunities they are having and to guide their prayers and reflections during the mission trip. Desired Outcomes 1. The mission trip will be traveled by a few, but experienced as a faith journey by many, including the sponsoring congregation. 2. Prayer by the home community will support those on the mission trip. 3. Travelers will take their own journeys of faith as they encounter new places, people, and experiences. 4. Travelers will serve others, as an important Christian practice. 5. Travelers will also be served by those they serve as they gain insights into how others live and experience God in their own lives. 6. Travelers will gain new insight about themselves as well as about the Christian faith and God who claims us through Christ.
mission trip milestone ^ FOR THE LEADER Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding, for her income is better than silver, and her revenue better than gold. Proverbs 3:13-14 NRSV Helping others in need is truly a joy to one s life and central to the Christian life. A mission trip to another place, whether it is across town or across the ocean, has a valuable element of service. However, if serving others is the only goal of a mission trip, much of the value of the journey is lost. All people, including servants, are people with deep needs. One of the great benefits of mission trips is to be placed in a fresh, new setting often very different from one s typical experience. Such a new environment creates opportunities to rely upon one s faith, learn about one s faith in new contexts, and gain from the lives and faith of other people in different cultural contexts. This is all part of gaining wisdom and understanding a theme often repeated in the Bible. Therefore, to embrace fully the gifts of a mission trip is to open one s life to a new kind of dependence on God, to receive new insight into and wisdom about the God of the Bible, and to renew one s own life of faith even as mission trip servants seek to be of help to others. The very act of service offers a rich opportunity to be served by the work of the Holy Spirit through fellow travelers as well as through the people who are met along the way. This Milestone Ministry event will help mission trip travelers receive the blessings of those with whom they travel and those they will serve. A Word of Clarification for Leadership Team The Use of Social Media Social media capabilities are making the world smaller. Even in poor countries, Internet cafés make Facebook, blogging, YouTube, and emails possible. This Milestone Ministry module includes the use of social media options for the mission trip experience. However, even in the United States, cell phone and Internet service are not accessible in all locations. Therefore, the social media contact recommended in this module will not work for all mission trips. In addition, mission trip schedules can be quite full, and daily reviews that include contact with the home congregation are not always possible. As with all curriculum ideas, not all options work in all settings. This module has been written to optimize social media possibilities. Local mission trip leadership teams will want to adjust and 2
for the leader^ adapt these module recommendations based on what is possible and what is reasonable in each particular mission trip setting. Develop the appropriate social media that will be used to keep the congregation and community connected to the mission trip group. This may be a Facebook page that is connected to the congregation, a blog created for the trip, or videos taken on a smartphone and uploaded to YouTube. The intent is not to provide daily contact between every mission trip participant and a host of friends and family this would impede the travelers from truly engaging in the community they are serving and the benefits of such engagement. Communications from the mission trip site will be in the hands of a small group of leaders. Milestone Ministry Module as a Template to be Contextualized to Congregational Histories and Traditions A second clarification is that this module is a template meant to be adapted to various congregational histories, and it is not meant to restrict but to enrich possibilities. Leaders can incorporate pre-existing congregational traditions into this module. Add and edit the module to benefit from what a single congregation or group of congregations already do to celebrate and appreciate mission trips. Beyond Mission Trips to Christian Fellowship Exchanges Likewise, congregations can adjust this module for trips other than the traditional mission trip (e.g., serving communities by helping at an orphanage or hospital, building homes or other structures, or offering some other service that fulfills an immediate need.) Some church trips serve as learning exchanges in which mutual edification takes place between faith communities from diverse cultures. Sometimes a trip is taken for reasons of support, study, and fellowship that have their own value and rewards; such trips can also benefit from this module. The shift will be from service to eye-opening understanding and inspirational fellowship that edify in new ways. In such cases, consider using Luke 24:13-35, the story of Jesus with two disciples on the road to Emmaus. In this text, the hearts of disciples burn within them as the Scriptures are revealed to them in new ways, and their eyes are opened in the breaking of the bread. Such enlightenment and Christian fellowship make traveling to connect with other Christians in a companion relationship worthwhile. Therefore, in this travel scenario, the focus of the Cross+generational Event, the follow-up Cross+generational Session, the blessing used in the public worship service, and the HomeGrown Faith blessing and interaction in people s homes can easily be adapted to reflect these alternative themes rather than an emphasis on service. For example, what would it mean for those traveling to reflect on how their hearts burned as they spent time in faith conversations with those of another culture or location? What would it mean for people to be invited into a stranger s home for hospitality, conversation, and meals? How might people s eyes be opened to recognize Jesus in their neighbor while they worship together? Again, use this module to enrich the specific nature of the trip being taken. 3
for the leader^ Materials Needed Bibles Digital camera Printer with photo-quality paper Three-ring folders (approximately 9¼ x 11½ ) with inside pockets (to construct mission trip journals) Fine- and felt-tipped pens Three-holed paper (for journaling daily activities, thoughts, and prayers) Things to Do Identify mission trip participants. Identify a Bible passage that serves as a thematic text for the larger mission trip experience. Develop the social media tool(s) that will be used to keep the congregation and community connected to the mission trip group. Remember, the intent is not to provide daily contact between every mission trip participant and a host of friends and family; that would interfere with the need of the travelers to focus on the people being met during the trip. Instead, communications from the mission trip site will be in the hands of a small group of leaders whose job is to summarize daily experiences based on mission trip journals (constructed during the Mission Trip Milestone Cross+generational Event). The intent of the Facebook page or blog is to provide daily updates to the community back home so that those who are not part of the trip can benefit from the travelers experiences, support and pray for travelers, and gain a better understanding of what the mission trip participants are experiencing. This will help both the travelers and those who did not travel to better connect with and support each other once the trip is over. The mission trip leadership team or mission trip participant selects a personal mission trip prayer and action partner. Prayer and action partners will: participate in the Cross+generational Event and the Follow-up Cross+generational Session participate in the Mission Trip Milestone Blessing worship service follow the daily itinerary and read the collective mission trip journal composed during the trip and sent to congregation, family, and friends via Facebook or another social media tool pray daily for the group, the participant (s)he is serving as a prayer and action partner, and the family of that participant sit down with the participant after the trip has ended to review the mission trip experience, using the participant s journal as a source of conversation. 4
for the leader^ Send letters of invitation to the mission trip participants, their families, and their mission trip prayer and action partners. For a sample letter see page 17. Place a notice in the bulletin one month prior to the Mission Trip Milestone Blessing during the worship service. For a sample announcement see page 18. Make sure the Mission Trip Milestones Ministry events are planned well in advance. They will occur in the following order: Cross+generational Event (using HomeGrown Faith sheets) Worship Service Blessing (with possible fellowship time after the worship service) Home Blessing Follow up Cross+generational Session (using HomeGrown Faith sheets) 5
mission trip milestone * WORSHIP SERVICE Materials Needed Bulletin inserts (see pages 19-20) Mission Trip Journals for each mission trip participant (see pages 26-27) Things to Do Make sure letters have been sent to invite Mission Trip participants, families, and prayer and action partners Make sure all mission trip participants, their families, and prayer and action partners are informed in advance of this service, and that the participants and prayer and action partners are ready to join together at the front of the sanctuary for the blessing and the presentation of mission journals. Make phone-call invitations to mission trip participants in addition to letters home and bulletin announcements. Promote the Mission Trip Milestone worship service several weeks to one month before to the worship service. See a sample bulletin announcement on page 18. Print copies of the HomeGrown Faith sheet and place them in the bulletin for all to use as part of the mission trip experience. Print copies of the Mission Trip Milestone Blessing Service and add them to the mission trip journals received by the participants. 6
mission trip milestone # HOME BLESSING As family and friends (including the prayer and action partners) participating in this home blessing, you can personalize this special moment as much as you wish. You may take turns reading the role of the leader (to aid in this, the leader role has been numbered from 1 through 6). Take time to tell personal travel and service stories, offer words of support, and wonder together what the mission trip might be like for the traveler as well as those who will not be making the journey. Discuss how those remaining behind will prayerfully support and follow the accounts of the trip provided on [your chosen social medial tool]. Whatever you do, make this home blessing a meaningful, enjoyable, and informal celebration. See Home Blessing on pages 21-22. 7
mission trip milestone % CROSS+GENERATIONAL EVENT The Cross+generational Mission Trip Milestone Event can be designed to fit into a meal for all participants or to include a refreshment time at the beginning, middle, or end of the event. Materials Needed Bibles Digital camera Printer with photo-quality paper Three-ring folders (approximately 9¼ x 11½ ) with inside pockets (to construct mission trip journals) Fine- and felt-tipped pens Three-holed paper (for journaling daily activities, thoughts, and prayers) Things to Do The Cross+generational event needs to be scheduled to occur before the worship service that includes the Mission Trip Milestone Blessing. Make sure invitation letters have been sent to mission trip participants, prayer and action partners, and the families of both groups. Promote the Cross+generational event in the bulletin one month before the event. Make phone calls inviting families of mission trip participants and prayer and action partners to personalize the invitation. Invite other congregational members and leaders (especially young adults and older adults, to make the experience truly Cross+generational) to enrich the event. The prayer and action partners participate in the Cross+generational event and worship service and read the collective mission trip journal composed during the trip and sent to congregation, family, and friends via your chosen social media tool, and pray daily for the group, his/her prayer partner, and the family of the prayer partner. After the trip, the prayer and action partner will sit down with the participant to review the mission trip experience, using the participant s journal as a source of conversation (exact contents of the journal need not be used). Optional activity: Consider making mission trip journals at the Cross+generational event for each of the prayer and action partner as well as one for each of the mission trip travelers. If this is done, make sure the prayer and action partners receive their journals during the Mission Trip Milestone Blessing worship service, too. 8
cross+generational event% Activities at the Cross+generational Event: Begin with a welcome that includes the following: A reminder of the details of the mission trip (dates, itinerary, service projects, etc.) A reminder of why this mission trip is occurring The use of a thematic Bible passage for the mission trip An opening prayer appropriate to the Cross+generational event and the specific mission trip being planned Time for Icebreakers The goal of these icebreakers is to help people get to know a little bit of information about the people who are present. Icebreaker exercises might include the following: Use the floor space to create an imaginary map of the country and ask people to move to the part of the floor map that represents where they were born. Have people discuss with those around them where they were born. If there is time, people can state to the whole group where they were born. Have people move to a new location on this imaginary floor map of the U.S.: Where is a favorite place they have ever been in the U.S.? Have people discuss their answers in small groups or with the entire group. Identify an imaginary line that begins with January 1 and ends with December 31. Have people move to that spot on the line that matches their birth date. From that position, have people join with those next to them to form small groups of three or four and have them answer the following question: What was one of the most interesting travel stories you have ever experienced? Get some of the small group stories to be told to the larger group Transition to the next experience. Making the Mission Trip Journal during the Cross+generational Mission Trip Milestone Event Take picture of each participant with her/his prayer and action partner with a digital camera (Some of these pictures can be taken as people arrive before the event formally begins. Other pictures, including those of family and friends, can also be taken as time permits.). Print digital pictures from a printer using photo-quality paper. Place picture on inside back pocket of folders. Hand out three-holed paper to family, friends, and prayer and action partners to write down personal thoughts for the mission trip participants, prayers, and favorite Bible passages that can be read during the trip by the participant. Some of the recommended passages may have particular meaning for the upcoming mission trip. Use the following page design for the 8½ x 11 pages handed out for the journal: 9
cross+generational event% mission trip journal notes from family and friends Name of person filling out this journal page Recommended Bible passages to read on the mission trip: Prayer(s) for the mission trip participant: Words of encouragement to read during the trip: Other thoughts to add: You may want to compile a list of Bible passages to help people make the selections that the participants will read while on the trip (see sample Bible passages listed under Optional List of Bible Passages Appropriate for a Mission Trip on page 25). Some of the recommended passages may have particular meaning for the upcoming mission trip. See page 26 for copy-ready journal notes from family and friends. Distribute three-holed daily journal pages (enough for one page for each day of the trip) that include the following information on each page: 10
cross+generational event% mission trip journal date Scriptures read at the beginning of the day Personal prayer at the beginning of the day Memorable experiences today Memorable conversations today Memorable thoughts today Memorable experience of God s grace today Scriptures read at the end of the day Personal prayer at the end of the day See page 27 for copy-ready journal notes from mission trip participants. 11
cross+generational event% Instruct the participants how the journal will be used during the mission trip Participants are encouraged to read Bible passages given to them by family, friends, and their prayer and action partners at the beginning and end of each day. The mission trip coordinator is encouraged to also select and provide passages for the group that seem appropriate for the trip taken. The selected passages can be used by the entire group for morning and evening prayer services. Participants are encouraged to write a brief prayer at the beginning of the day that reflects the activities of the day and the Bible passage read alone or by the group in the morning. Participants are encouraged to write a brief prayer at the end of the day that reflects the experiences of the day and the Bible passage read alone or by the group in the evening. At the end of each day, participants will be invited to contribute to a group journal sent back to the congregation, families, prayer and action partners, and other friends. One or more responses for each topic will be sent back to the home congregation via Facebook or any other chosen social media tool. Extra paper can be provided to make sure participants have enough space to write their journal entries. At the Follow-up Cross+generational Session, mission trip participants are to bring their journals. The journal will help them remember their experiences, but they will not be asked to tell any part of their journal that they prefer to keep personal. While family, friends, and prayer and action partners fill in journal pages that include personal thoughts for the mission trip participants, prayers, and favorite Bible passages that can be read during the trip by the participant, the mission trip participants will meet as a group to receive information pertinent to the trip itself. Once the journal entries have been made, a journal is compiled for each traveler that contains the picture taken at the event and all the journal pages compiled by family, friends, and the prayer and action partner. The groups are encouraged to personalize the appearance of the outside and inside of the journal folder. Make sure that the outside cover makes it evident whose journal it is. Journals will be distributed to the mission trip participants during the Mission Trip Milestone Blessing worship service. Optional: journals may also be made for prayer and action partners. This journal would include pages for the daily journal entries similar to those made for the travelers. Although the daily experiences will be very different for the prayer and action partner, this still provides a context for sharing one s life and faith with the mission trip participant after the trip is over. 12
cross+generational event% Closing Hand out the HomeGrown Faith sheets (page 23-24). Identify the Four Keys as the foundational faith practices that guide the life of Christians. In household groups (perhaps family units plus friends and the prayer and action partner), have the group sample one of the caring conversation examples from the HomeGrown Faith sheet and decide on a ritual and tradition that the people will commit to during the trip. The evening concludes with the thematic Bible passage used for the mission trip, a closing prayer, and hymn. Follow-up Cross+generational Session This session will follow within a few weeks of the completion of the mission trip. Invite the entire congregation and surrounding community to join in this festive occasion. There are two primary goals of this session: To help people hear the story of the mission trip and give thanks for the experience. To bring travelers together with those who did not get to experience the mission trip as a faith-forming experience for individuals, families, and the larger community. Introduction Begin with a welcome, a mission trip thematic Bible passage, and an opening prayer. Consider singing one or more hymns that is associated with the mission trip. Review of the trip Begin with fun and/or meaningful stories that happened during the trip. Show PowerPoint slides of the trip, with musical accompaniment. Show video recorded during the trip Review the Desired Outcomes for the trip Desired Outcomes The mission trip will be traveled by a few, but experienced as a faith journey by many, including the sponsoring congregation [connect this desired outcome to the reason for the Follow-up Cross+generational Session]. Prayer by the home community will support the mission trip travelers. Have a few people tell what it was like to follow the accounts of the trip and how they stayed connected through prayer by following the daily trip itinerary, reading the daily accounts provided by the preferred social media tool, and having conversations with others during the time of the mission trip. Make sure to include accounts from some of the prayer and action partners. Travelers will take their own journey of faith as they encounter new places, people, and experiences. 13
cross+generational event% Have some of the mission trip participants share entries in their journals and/or simply tell of what it meant to them and how it has influenced their Christian life and thought. Identify some of the rituals and traditions that bonded the community members. Perhaps some new traditions emerged through the experiences of the trip itself. Tell about those as well. Travelers will serve others as an important Christian practice. Have some of the participants talk about and reflect upon the service activity. Use pictures and videos in the storytelling. Travelers will also be served by those they serve as the travelers gain insights as to how others live and experience God in their own lives. Have some of the participants talk about how they were blessed by those they met along the way. How did they learn from other people s understanding of and life with God? Gain new insight about one s self as well as about the Christian faith and God who claims us through Christ. Have some of the trip participants, including prayer and action partners, give witness to the impact of the mission trip on their life in Christ. Have the council president or other leader from the congregation describe the impact of the trip on the larger congregation and local community. Perhaps someone from outside the congregation who followed the trip (mayor, city council member, school teacher, principal, business leader in the community, et al.) could also talk about the trip s impact on the local community. Response Discuss the following in small groups of two or three: What was a highlight of what you heard this evening? What is a benefit of mission trips that you particularly value? How will this mission trip impact you as you continue your journey of faith in Christ? Conclusion Emphasize that this is not the end of the mission trip. It is now part of individual, family, and community faith stories. Encourage people to refer to it again and again. Hand out the HomeGrown Faith sheets given to the mission trip participants and their families. Let all people take them home and continue to practice the Christian faith through the Four Keys of caring conversation, devotions, service, and rituals and traditions. Close with a concluding prayer, the Lord s Prayer, and a hymn. 14
mission trip milestone event - HOMEGROWN FAITH (FOUR KEY TAKE-HOME PIECE) To encourage families and friends to practice faith at home, print the HomeGrown Faith sheet and use it at the Mission Trip Milestone Cross+generational Event and at the Follow-up Cross+generational Session. Place it in the bulletin used at the Mission Trip Milestone Blessing worship service. See HomeGrown Faith on pages 23-24. 15
mission trip milestone C APPENDIX Contents Sample Letter to Mission Trip Participants.........................................17 Sample Notice for Bulletin or Newsletter...........................................18 Worship Service Bulletin Insert................................................19-20 Home Blessing Service.......................................................21-22 HomeGrown Faith..........................................................23-24 Optional List of Bible Passages...................................................25 Mission Trip Sample Journal Notes from Family & Friends...........................26 Mission Trip Sample Journal Page................................................27 16
Mission Trip Milestone Sample Letter to Mission Trip Participants Dear Mission Trip Participants, Family, and Prayer and Action Partners: A Mission Trip Milestone Ministry Event is planned for our upcoming mission trip. It will include a Cross+generational Event on [date] at [time] in [name of space in the congregation]. Your participation will help set the tone of excitement and maximize the experience of the trip. On Sunday, [add date], mission trip participants will receive their travel journals during the worship service at [congregation s name]. This Mission Trip Milestone Blessing Service will be offered at [list worship service time]. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or the church office. Mission trips are an exciting time in people s lives to serve others as well as to grow in the grace of God by encountering new experiences and new people as part of the journey of the Christian faith. To enhance the experience of the mission trip, the Mission Trip Milestone Event has been planned for the participants, their families, and others in the congregation and community including those who have committed to support the mission trip by being a prayer and action partner. During the worship service, participants and prayer and action partners will be invited to the area in front of the altar for the distribution of the Mission Trip Journal constructed during the Mission Trip Milestones Ministry Cross+generational Event. Following the worship service, we will meet in the fellowship hall for a light lunch and some fun conversation about past mission trips and expectations for this mission trip. Your entire family is invited and encouraged to attend. We will call you next week to find out how many family members will be present for the Cross+generational Event and the worship service and fellowship time that follows the service. Signed, [Name of event coordinator and contact information] 17
Mission Trip Milestone Sample Bulletin Notice On Sunday, [add date and time], our mission trip participants will receive their Mission Trip Journals. This trip is not just an experience for the participants, but for the whole congregation. All mission trip travelers are asked to be at the service along with their family, friends, and mission trip prayer and action partners. Together, we will send them off with prayer, thanksgiving, and hope for a meaningful trip for them and for those they encounter along the way. Please plan to attend. 18
Mission Trip Milestone Blessing Service Invite all mission trip participants and all prayer and action partners to come to the front of the worship space at the beginning of the Mission Trip Milestone Blessing. Leader 1: A reading from Matthew 20:25-28. Jesus called [his disciples] to him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Leader 2: A reading from Proverbs 3:13-14. Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. As servants of God s love, as children of God called to love others in truth and action, you are here before us today to accept a mission of compassion to go to [name of location] and [identify the service and activities to be undertaken]. You go with our blessings, our continued prayers, and the word of God as your staff to lean on and your compass to give you direction. Leader 1: As servants of God s love and children of God, you leave the security of home and familiar surroundings to accept the call to follow your Lord Jesus Christ into new experiences and different surroundings. Be open to listen to and learn from your fellow travelers as well as those you meet along the way, including those you seek to serve. Leader 2: Be prepared to make mistakes, to learn new insights, to trust in God in Christ Jesus in new ways. As it says in Proverbs 3:13, Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding, for her income is better than silver, and her revenue better than gold. You will be blessed, and you will be changed by the journey, for the Christian faith involves repentance, forgiveness, and new birth each day of your life. Let it be so as you travel, work, serve, forgive, be forgiven, trust, and pray along your journey to and from [name of location]. 19
Mission Trip Milestone Blessing Service Leader 1: Dear members, family, and friends of [name of congregation], we, too, are called as servants of God s love and children of God. We, too, are to journey through life to work, serve, forgive, be forgiven, trust and pray. While these people have committed themselves to this mission trip, we ask you to commit yourselves to this trip as well by praying for them and the people they will meet and by being open to their insights as they correspond with us via [your chosen social media tool]. I ask you, Do you promise to prayerfully support those who travel on our behalf to [name destination]? If so, answer, Yes, with the help of God. Members, family, and friends: Yes, with the help of God. Leader 2: Dear mission trip participants and prayer and action partners, do you commit to your role as servants of God s love and children of God and to prayerfully and faithfully reach out to others during this mission trip? If so, answer, Yes, with the help of God. Mission trip participants and prayer and action partners: Yes, with the help of God. Leader 1: Dear mission trip participants [and prayer and action partners if they also get a journal], receive your mission trip journals filled with Scripture, personal notes, space for reflections, and prayers to guide you during the mission trip. [Distribute journals to participants] Leader 2: Let us pray. Dear God, you who guide our going out and our coming in from this day forth and forevermore, guide us all as servants of your love and children of God in Christ. Bless those who will be traveling on this mission trip, and bless those whom they meet along the way and those of us who care for them and pray for them from afar while they are gone. All of this we ask in the name of Christ Jesus, the one who came to dwell among us and to give us an eternal hope through his life, death, and resurrection. Amen. People return to their seats as the worship service continues. 20
mission trip milestone Home Blessing Leader 1: A reading from Matthew 20:25-28. Jesus called [his disciples] to him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Leader 2: A reading from 1 John 3:18. Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. As servants of God s love, as children of God called to love others in truth and action, you are here before us today to accept a mission of compassion to go to [name of location] and [identify the service and activities to be undertaken]. You go with our blessings, our prayers, and the word of God as your staff to lean on and your compass to give you direction. Leader 3: As servants of God s love and children of God, you leave the security of home and familiar surroundings to accept the call to follow your Lord Jesus Christ into new experiences and different surroundings. Be open to listen to and learn from your fellow travelers as well as those you meet along the way, including those you seek to serve. Leader 4: Be prepared to make mistakes, to learn new insights, to trust in God in Christ Jesus in new ways. As it says in Proverbs 3:13-14, Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding, for her income is better than silver, and her revenue better than gold. You will be blessed and you will be changed by the journey for the Christian faith involves repentance, forgiveness, and new birth each day of your life. Let it be so as you travel, work, serve, forgive, be forgiven, trust and pray along your journey to and from [name of location]. 21
mission trip milestone Home Blessing Leader 5: Let s take some time for caring conversation about this trip and what it might be like for [name the participant(s) who are present and going on the mission trip]. What kind of fond memories do you anticipate for [name the mission trip participant(s) going on the trip]? What might some of the challenges be? What will it be like to remain back home wondering about the mission trip experiences? How might this time away from each other be a time to bond together in Christ? Are there any other thoughts that people would like to offer at this time? Leader 6: Let s gather around [name of mission trip participant(s)]. Lay a hand on his/her/their shoulders and offer the following blessing and any other prayers you wish to make aloud or silently. Together let us pray [if there is more than one mission trip traveler present, this prayer may be offered individually for each one]: Dear God, you watch over your people when they go out and when they come in, when they are home and when they are away from home. Come, Holy Spirit, watch over [name of participant] as (s)he travels to [name of destination]. May (s)he return to us in good health, strengthened in faith, filled with compassion for others, and ready to serve as you call us all out into the world with grace, mercy, and peace. [Other prayers may be offered aloud or in silence.] Conclude the home blessing with refreshments or a meal. 22
Mission Trip Milestone HomeGrown Faith Caring Conversations Describe a time you traveled far from home to a place you had never been before. What was the experience like? What was memorable? What was uncomfortable or fearful? Describe a time you and perhaps others helped people in need. How did it feel to be of help? What did you learn from interacting with others, perhaps the people being served? What do you hope happens as a result of this mission trip for the people being served? For those offering the service? For the congregation sponsoring the trip? The global church serves others and creation itself through a number of ways beyond mission trips. What are some of the other ways the church serves people and creation? What areas of service would you like to participate in? Supporting a mission trip is not simply doing a good deed for others. How does a mission trip change the people who go on the trip? Have you ever tried to help someone, but they did not appreciate it? Sometimes we can misunderstand the needs of others, and others can misunderstand our efforts, too. Talk about a time your care for someone else was not appreciated by that other person. Devotions In Luke 19, Jesus is on a journey and enters Jericho. He sees Zacchaeus in a tree and calls him down. The townspeople are not impressed. They see Zacchaeus as a sinner, while Jesus sees him as a son of Abraham. The townspeople s assumptions about Zacchaeus limited how they wanted Jesus to interact with him. How can we overcome our assumptions and prejudices of others? How might we reach out to others with the love of Jesus? Who are some of the people you find difficult to reach out to with the love of God? Make a list of those people and pray for their well-being and for their life in Christ. Close with the Lord s Prayer. Read Genesis 11:31-12:5b. The people of God in the Old Testament and the New Testament are often people on the move. Traveling from place to place offers an image of a journey of faith with God. How might the mission trip be a journey that blesses and challenges the faith of those who travel? How might it be a journey that blesses and challenges those who remain behind? Offer prayers for the mission trip travelers and their family and friends. Also pray for how the trip might be a journey of faith for you as well, even if you do not join the trip. Read Psalm 121 three times slowly. Pause after each reading to wonder how this psalm is a prayer for travelers. What image of comfort and support do you find helpful? Close with the Lord s Prayer. 23
Mission Trip Milestone HomeGrown Faith Service One need not join a mission trip to be a servant of God s love to others. Identify three things you can do this next week to serve others in your own home and community. There are times the church can better serve others as a larger community than alone. What church organization(s) would you like to support with your time and/or money? Consider Christian organizations that serve the homeless, the hungry, and those experiencing natural disasters or violence from wars. What is a service project that serves the needs of others or creation that you would like to help create? Take steps to engage others in your idea (for example, include family, friends, or your local congregation). Rituals and Traditions Keep a stone with you while the mission trip is happening. When you see or touch the stone, remember those who are being served by the trip as well as those who are going to serve. Offer a brief prayer of thanksgiving for both groups of people. Commit to begin and/or end each day of the mission trip with a prayer of protection for the travelers. Commit to read the daily journals on the congregation s Facebook, blog, or other social media used to stay connected with the mission trip travelers. Use a ritual or tradition that has emerged from the mission trip planning that you can use during the trip. 24