Beyond Sponsorship: 3 Components Of Real Partnerships

Many churches today want to move beyond simply paying and praying for missions.  They want to get actively involved and move the average church goer to be engaged.  One effective way of doing that is developing a partnership with a national worker or national church. 

While that sounds like a great idea, in theory, it also can present many challenges.  Often what the West has termed as “partnership,” over the years actually looks more like financial and personnel support—or sponsorship. Without careful planning and forethought, sponsorship can lead to paternalism and dependence.

I like to define partnership as 1) a complementary relationship 2) driven by a common purpose and 3) sustained by a willingness to learn and grow together in obedience to God.

There is a so much there to unpack, but notice it is a complementary relationship.  That means both the local church and the national church contribute, and both parties benefit. Rarely do we think about what a host church might have to offer the sending church—other than a laboratory experience for growth, that is. Yet, if the sending church is sending money, people, and materials and there is no reciprocation then that is not partnership it is sponsorship!

There is a common purpose, a defined parameter we are working around.  It is often good to develop a partnership for a specified time period, or based around a specific project.  Parameters like that make it easy to judge progress, celebrate as God works, and answers prayer.  It also provides natural checkpoints to evaluate the value of continuing the partnership, or places we can part ways based on how God is leading.

Finally, both parties need to be willing to step out of their comfort zones and be learner-servants.  Each seeking to learn and understand the other’s culture and context – but most importantly, to serve in humility with one another, and obedience to God.

Easier said than done right? What kind of questions do I ask? How does a partnership conversation go? Watch next week for an article about how to develop a partnership with a national church or national pastor. 

Article by Brian Stark

Brian Stark is the Director of International Partnerships for DELTA Ministries International. His focus is to come alongside the leadership of existing mission efforts in other countries for a limited time to assist in developing a church-based model of mobilization and short-term missions by that country for that country. The goal is to equip and engage nationals to execute effective church-based mission efforts through short-term missions and without direct long-term assistance. Brian has been a part of developing partnerships between sending churches in the US, Australia, and New Zealand and hosting churches in more than 20 countries.

How To Barter With Dignity

One of my least favorite parts of a short-term mission trip is the bartering for souvenirs to bring home for people. I vividly remember being on a short-term mission trip to Zimbabwe in 2001. We went shopping in a market one day and one of my teammates (Matt Harber if you are reading this, I’m talking about you) was getting the best deals so I went and watched him buy a small painting. The merchant asked for 500 and Matt said 10! I realized right then that I didn’t have the heart for bartering. I don’t have the heart to say 10! Maybe you are like me and feel almost ridiculous haggling over a few dollars with someone who clearly needs it more than you do. Yet there’s always a part of me that wonders if I could have gotten a better deal.

Over the years, I have seen and experienced a lot of different strategies. Let me tell you my least favorite first. I call it the fake walk away. It’s the strategy of giving a price and then walking away when it isn’t accepted. But you don’t really walk away, you linger just enough to make the seller come begging to you. It has never felt right to me whether I am doing it or watching it.

Before I give you my strategy for getting good deals and making shopping pleasant, let me share a key realization. The merchant won’t sell the item if he or she isn’t making money. So, if you purchase something you can feel good about the fact that the person is making money. Here are my keys to a good shopping experience.

1. Look around first. Most merchants are probably selling the same stuff, but take a look. Take note of where you can purchase certain items.
2. Eavesdrop. Listen in on conversations to see what prices the merchants are offering and agreeing to.
3. Decide what its worth to you before you ask. When you see something you like, decide how much you are willing to spend on the item. When you ask about the cost, you will probably hear an outrageous number. Counter offer with your number.
4. Refuse to negotiate. The merchant will likely come part way down to your price. Just say “no thanks. I’m willing to spend ________.” You might give the merchant a couple of more chances. Eventually you can say “I understand if you can’t sell it for that price, its ok. I’m only willing to spend _______ so I will have to look for something else.” Then you can walk away without intention of coming back. If the merchant accepts the offer, then you know he or she made money and you don’t have to wonder about a cheaper price because you paid what you wanted.
5. If your offer isn’t accepted, move on. Remember, there are probably five other merchants with the exact same product. So, you can move on and try another merchant without hesitation. Try a new item or adjust your price based on a realistic amount.

There is another option, however. Most international churches have people who make and sell wares and souvenirs. Talk to your host to see if there are people from whom you can order items. That way you shop haggle free and you bless people from the congregation!  

Questions for the author? Contact Tory at toryr@deltaministries.com or 520-404-0841.

Leading Intentionally Part 2

We as team leaders have an extraordinary opportunity to impact our team members for Christ. Sometimes we think we are de-emphasizing our purpose in the field by focusing on our team members, but a strong team leader maintains a focus on equipping and discipling his or her team members. But what does that look like? What are we shooting for? Colossians 1:28-29 tells us that we should be shooting for Christ-likeness! Our goal should be to present every person more complete in Christ—that includes our team members! Your pre-field preparation lays the foundation for your trip, so don’t miss out on using the team meetings as a way of developing Godly character in your short-term missionaries.

As you are preparing for your STM trip, be intentional about your team meetings. Don’t schedule team meetings just to schedule team meetings but have a purpose in mind. Team meetings will have many different elements but pick a theme for each meeting. Think about the process through which you are taking your team members. As you plan out your meetings, think about this flow:

1. Getting to know each other. Spend time just getting to know each other, building relationships, and creating a safe environment where everyone feels accepted.
2. Getting to know God. This is where you can emphasize prayer and Bible reading and other spiritual disciples that develop Christ-like character.
3. Getting to know the vision. Learn about the culture you are visiting and your host.
4. Preparing for the trip. Often this is all we do. We learn the skits and Bible stories or gather the materials and forget about the rest. This is an important step, but there is so much more to preparing than this.

Our preparation should be intentional, but there is also an intentionality that should mark our interactions with our team members. How do we want God to transform them? What does it look like for each one to be more like Christ? How do we go about this? This is by no means all-inclusive, but here are some ideas:

1. We want to see people grow in their commitment to prayer and God’s Word, grow in love, become teachable, and become a servant. Take advantage of team meetings and trainings to address these issues. Make sure that these are built into your on-field experience as well.
2. Sit down with each participant at the beginning. Meet individually with each team member and ask them where they think God wants to grow them. Take notes on it and check up with them along the way.
3. Take advantage of the time on the field. I do this by being sure I have time each night to meet as a team. We go around and answer a question or two each night. The question varies, but I am always listening to the answer and listening for deeper struggles or insights. I also find that meal times can be a good time to check in with each person throughout the trip.
4. Follow-through, follow-through, follow-through! Be sure to follow-through with your team members after the trip. This can be facilitated with a group meeting but additionally you or their mentor need to follow up with them personally to see how God is speaking to them.   

Don’t underestimate your role as a STM trip leader. You are more than just a participant interacting with people on the field. You have the opportunity to disciple people through what could be the most powerful experience of their life! As always, please post your comments or email your thoughts and questions to me at toryr@deltaministries.com.

Leading Intentionally

In an earlier post, I suggested that the role of short-term mission trips could be to both spread the gospel and see participants grow in spiritual maturity. There is nothing opposite or exclusive about the two ideas. The key as a leader, though, is to remember that your job is to lead towards both ends. Let’s look at how we can intentionally address both of these roles.

How do we equip our teams to make the biggest possible impact on the mission field?  Clearly, our first job is to determine the ministry activity in partnership with the field worker. You will probably have a little dance that goes something like this:

You: “How can our mission team help you and your ministry?”

Field worker: “Well, what are you good at? What do you want to do?”

You: “We don’t totally have a team together yet, we are exploring. But we want

to do whatever you guys need.”

Field worker: “Well, why don’t we see who signs up and we can see what you

guys want to do.”

And that circle could go on and on and on…Depending on the field worker, you may need to ask some investigative questions about what they are working on and their vision. Then simply brainstorm some ideas of how your team could integrate into what is already happening.

Once the ministry activity is set, don’t jump straight into preparing for it. Remember to learn about the culture first. A couple of years ago, I worked with a group that was going to Ecuador and was going to help teach seminars at a family conference. The subjects were provided by the Ecuadorian pastor, but they had to take real care to make sure they taught from an Ecuadorian viewpoint and not an American angle. For example, one couple taught on financial stewardship. For Americans, stewardship means using our excess in the right ways. But for the typical Ecuadorian coming to their seminar, the issue was not about wasting the excess but about using the little the best way possible. Their preparation took a lot of work and research, but it was a real blessing on the field! Another way of doing this is to both ensure your team knows how to share the gospel (don’t take it for granted!) and that they can share it in a culturally relevant way. This may mean learning to share the gospel in terms of honor and shame rather than guilt and righteousness.

Another key to bridging a culture gap so that the gospel can be shared effectively is through language learning. You would be surprised how often I hear people protest learning a new language by saying things like, “What can I learn that could actually help? I’m just not good at languages! They’ll understand that I’m an American and only speak English. But I’ll always have an interpreter.” I’m not saying you have to learn the gospel in another language. But I am saying that sharing the gospel is going to require more than just putting propositional truths out there for the person to accept. Let’s be honest, what reason does someone in Cambodia have to believe you, a foreigner?! Learning a few simple phrases and common greetings will go a long ways towards opening ears to hear the gospel.

Don’t get so caught up in preparations that you forget to pray. John 15:5 tells us that we can do nothing apart from Jesus. No matter how hard we prepare, no matter how good our presentation is, if Jesus isn’t at the center it will not be fruitful. I’d rather have my team spend 5 minutes praying and 10 preparing than 15 minutes preparing and no time praying.

Finally, encourage everyone to learn to tell their testimony. Very few things are as powerful as our own story. Not everyone can preach, but anyone can tell their story. We encourage people to answer three questions: 1) What was I like before I met Jesus? 2) How did I become a follower of Jesus and what does it mean to be one? 3) What is God doing in your life now? Be sure that your team practices giving their testimony before the trip. We want to make them culturally relevant by doing a few simple things like 1) removing slang, 2) using ages instead of grade levels, and 3) removing “Christianese” like “asked Jesus into my heart.” But that takes practice. Another way of making your testimony relevant is to tailor it towards the needs of others. This could mean emphasizing the assurance of salvation through Jesus, for example. On one trip, I had a stay-at-home mom ask me about what she should share with the women. I advised her to talk about the significance she finds in God’s calling. Her life isn’t just laundry, cooking, cleaning, and taking kids places, but a calling from God in which she finds deep significance and even connection to the Almighty God who created her.

These are just a few ways to lead a team towards an effective and dynamic field ministry. I pray that they help you. Next week I will post on leading intentionally towards the discipleship of your team. As always, please post your comments or email your thoughts and questions to me at toryr@deltaministries.com.

Are There Qualifications For Serving God?

I get some variation of the question all the time about who should go on a short-term mission (STM) trip. Should non-believers be allowed to go? Should there be requirements or just a sign up? If there are requirements, what should they be? There are probably as many different opinions to these questions as there are people

Above were mentioned many questions to consider. We'll address those ideas in just a moment, but let's lay some groundwork. First, we have to understand that there is a balance with STM trips. On one hand they can be a great catalyst for change, on the other hand they can require great spiritual maturity. President Kennedy told us to "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." It is okay to think about what a STM trip can do for your participant and not just what can your participant bring to the team. But how do you know where that balance is?

Here are some specific factors that I consider when deciding whether to open a STM trip to everyone or have people apply:

1. What does your host say? If they require mature believers, that is what you should bring.

2. How far from home will you be and how long will you be gone? The further you are from home and the longer you are gone, the more mature the person needs to be.

3. What is the nature of the ministry? Does the ministry activity require a faith in Jesus?

4. How "American friendly" is the host country. The more accustomed to hosting Americans and understanding your host culture is, the more leeway you have in selecting members.

If you plan to use an application process to screen applicants, here are some qualities to look for when determining qualifications for the trip:

1. A person of the Word. Does the person model a desire to study and live the life the Bible describes as that of a Christ follower?

2. A person of prayer. The applicant should model a life of prayer in his or her lifestyle as well as be someone who turns to prayer immediately when faced with trouble or adversity.

3. A person of love. Is the person caring and loving towards others?

4. Teachable. Is the person humble and ready to learn?

5. Selfless servant. Is the person a servant? Is he or she the first one to volunteer for the job nobody wants, or does he or she always have to have the glamour position?

6. Flexible. Can the applicant adapt to different situations and get along well with others who are different from them?

If the size of your church and program allows, you should have opportunities for a range of people. It is great to have at least one trip each year on which anyone can go. Then you may have two more categories of difficulty and length for those who have participated before and demonstrated a life on mission with Jesus even at home.

One other thing to consider is a Code of Conduct document. This document should lay out expectations for behavior and provide a range of consequences in a way that does not limit prohibited offenses to what is listed, and that still allows you to handle each situation individually.

Questions for the author? Contact Tory at toryr@deltaministries.com or 520-404-0841.

 

Make Your Mission Trip Count!!!

This is part two of the idea of making sure your mission trip is worth doing. Last week I wrote an article having to do with how much is too much to spend on a short-term mission (STM) trip. This week we want to address the idea of the role of short-term mission trips and making them count.

Fundamental to this issue is the idea that STM trips cannot be the only thing you do or even the central focus of your mission emphasis. See the second half of last week’s article for a full description of this idea. So if STM trips aren’t the focal point of our mission emphasis, what role do they play? What do they have to offer? And how do we make the best of them?

First, we need to be honest about the role of short-term missions. If you researched opinions on this relatively new movement, you would find two basic camps; those who promote them for the impact they can make on the field and those who promote them for the life change of participating. I don’t know why—maybe it is our black-and-white, “one winner” culture—but I rarely hear people admit it can be about both. Can I suggest that the role of STM trips is both/and? Jesus did it (the greatest commandment is to love God and love others) so why can’t we? Can I suggest that the role of STM trips is to see God’s love proclaimed on the mission field and to make followers of Christ more like Christ? Would it be such a crime to suggest we could do both?

Right now I have the urge to write about how to successfully emphasize both, but that is another whole article. So, for now, I will hold off on that and we will look at how to get the most out of a short-term mission trip.

I’ll start with the easy, short parts first and then get to the more complex parts later. First, leadership and team training is key. Both the field missionary and your church will see the most positive impact if the team has strong mature leadership and the participants are adequately trained and prepared in areas of spiritual maturity, interpersonal relationships, and culture bridging. Click here for more information on how you can benefit from team leader and team trainings. You may also consider curriculum like Short-Term Missions Workbook: From Mission Tourists to Global Citizens by Tim Dearborn, The Next Mile, or Before You Go: A Daily Devotional by Jack Hempfling

The second key is to find a strong field worker who puts a high value on partnership. What makes a field worker strong? That could be a whole article too, I guess, but I’ll put in a couple of ideas. A strong field partner has a vision and a plan to get there. He or she also shows extreme cultural understanding and relevance. Finally, he or she shows extreme integrity and humility. One important part of humility is demonstrating a willingness to let go. What would happen if your field partner died or had to leave? Would the whole ministry fall apart or have new leaders been cultivated?

Third, look for ministry opportunities that fit your church’s gifts and callings. One church I am familiar with is investigating a partnership in Haiti. It just so happens agriculture and health care are two of the emphasis of the field worker in Haiti and those are two strengths and interests the church feels they have! This partnership has great potential for effectiveness on the field!

Finally, to really make a short-term mission count in the lives of the participants it should be transferable. This is not easy. It is hard to take an experience in a far different culture, while living a far different life in a far away country and apply the lessons to our own life. There are several keys to transferring the experience.

The first key to long-lasting impact in participants is through on field debriefing. Participants need to reflect daily and at the end of the trip. Second is through proper follow-through. I encourage leaders to schedule three meetings when they get home with the themes of celebration, reflection, and next steps but there is much more to be said on this subject. Look for future articles expanding these ideas of debriefing and follow-through.

The last way to make the trip transferrable is the most complex. Try as much as you can to tie the ministry activity on the trip with a local ministry of your church. There are three basic areas of connection: a cause (like AIDS, orphan/homeless, etc.), a ministry activity (children’s ministry, church planting, etc.), or a people group. This kind of connection allows opportunities for people to continue to be involved in ministry in their own community and the growth that comes with it. If you are interested in developing this kind of congruency and synergy at your church, then contact an STM coach for personalized consultation.

Hopefully these ideas help. Long-term missions has its drawbacks too, but we don’t scrap them. Similarly, we shouldn’t just scrap STM trips. We should find ways to do them better and impact our community as well as communities all over the world!

Are you wasting time, effort, and money????

I think there are two significant conversations happening in churches across North America. 1) How much is too much to spend on short-term missions? And 2) What is the role of short-term missions in the Great Commission? I want to share some of my thoughts on these questions in hopes that finding God’s answers to our questions will lead us into significant life-giving ministry.

How much is too much to spend on short-term missions?

It goes without saying that stewardship, calling, and quality are paramount. Everything that is said on this subject builds on these cornerstones. That being said, let’s look at the issue.

Have you ever wondered what we are stating by asking this question or questions like it? A common objection to short-term missions is that they cost too much and that the money could be better spent on a long-term missionary, a national worker, or on some specific project. The problem I have with this question and with these objections is two-fold.

First, it seems to put a price tag on God’s work and on a human life. We are used to this type of thinking. We evaluate for a “return on investment,” we take into account “risk assessments,” and recognize the “law of diminishing returns.” Jesus, however, references the Kingdom as a place where the shepherd leaves the 99 unattended to go after the one! Jesus puts a great value on just one life without giving it a monetary value or even comparing it to another life!

A few years ago, our church became aware of a badly malnourished boy living in a farm camp just 30 minutes south of the border in Mexico. At three years old, he still weighed just 14 pounds. Our partner church in Mexico and our church did everything we could. Yet the boy still died. When he died, there was a part of me that wondered if we had wasted our money. We had spent so much to try to save this life only to have him lose it. In that moment, I realized I had put a price tag on his life. Was he worth $500? $1000? $2000? How much was ok to spend before giving up? Before it became a failure? Immediately I repented of this sinful attitude and asked God to never let me see a person as a money sign again.

But when we speak of the cost of a ministry, be it a short-term mission trip or anything else, are we actually putting a cost on a human life?

My second problem with this argument is that it assumes that the resources at God’s disposal are limited. We speak as if God’s plans will be frustrated by the way we spend our money or that God might run out of money. Now, I am not belittling stewardship. I am, in fact, encouraging a healthy attitude towards stewardship. Psalm 50 tells us that God does not need our offerings and possessions because He is the owner of it all! Knowing that God has plenty to go around should set us free to give generously and place great value on even one human life!

But what do we do with the reality of the cost of a short-term mission trip? Remember the cornerstones of stewardship, calling, and quality. The first check we have should be to make sure the trip is a responsible use of money and there is no frivolous fluff in it. Second, check to make sure that we have a calling and not just an adventurous spirit. Third, make sure that what is done is done well. Be sure the proper people are selected, leadership is qualified, and that the team members are properly trained.

There is another consideration as well, however. We need to make sure that short-term mission trips aren’t the only expression of missions involvement we have individually or as a church. As an individual, a short-term mission trip should be an extension of the mission you are already living. You ought to not only be giving to your church and other long-term missionaries, but actively participating in ministry. Sharing the Gospel should be a regular part of your life. The same holds true for churches. As a church, you need to be involved in supporting long-term missionaries as well as involved in evangelism in your own community. Also, take advantage of other ways to develop missions-minded people such as offering a Pathways to Global Understanding course, providing opportunities for education about other countries, getting involved in ministry with international students or refugees in your city, keeping your supported missionaries updates in front of your congregation, and incorporating prayer for your missionaries and the world into church services and classes.

By making short-term mission trips a part of your missions program as opposed to THE missions program, we avoid turning short-term mission trips into an idol. That is, something we seek after instead of God. By keeping God at the center, and seeking to spread His message first, we arm ourselves with the Holy Spirit and the wisdom to use the resources God gives us wisely and to follow His lead into where He is working. This is so important that we have developed a tool to help you assess your short-term mission trips based on the three categories of Calling, Stewardship, and Quality. The assessment is based on God’s Word, wise experience, and the Standards of Excellence in Short-term Missions.

Visit DELTA Ministries International to purchase an unlimited use license for only $4.99US. After completing your purchase you will receive an email that directs to a location to download the STM Trip Assessment Tool and free Supplement. If you have questions about this tool or even this idea leave a comment or email me at toryr@deltaministries.com or call 520-404-0841.

What is the role of short-term missions? How do we make them count?

Well, that will have to wait for next time. Check back in a week to see what I have to say about this…