Mission Team Logistics

Volunteering to Serve Be patient. Many churches will not submit mission team requests until January and continue to submit request through the month of April. You may need to agree with a church to come and serve and then work on finalizing dates and details in the spring. How to begin the process: 1) Go to www.mtsbcmissions.org (this web site) 2) Click on Volunteer Network 3) Select Volunteer Interest Form 4) Complete the entire form and click SUBMIT button 5) A confirmation page will appear notifying you that we have received your interest form. 6) We will contact you with ministry possibilities and work with you to find a place of service. You may also return to the web site home page, click Volunteer Network, then select 2006 Missions Opportunities. This is an up to date list of current requests for missions teams from Montana churches.

Task Be sure you understand exactly what your host church is asking of you. Ask plenty of clarification questions. As you (the team) and your Montana host get to know each other, you will be able to tailor the shared ministry task to reflect the specific needs and talents/gifts in the situation to produce a meaningful ministry experience for all involved. Things to think about What task(s) are we being called to do? How does the team's ministry fit in to our ministry goals and objectives? What do we need to do to prepare our team to minister effectively? What materials and curriculum will be needed?

Pre-Trip Visit Nothing clarifies and unites the responding team and the host as well as the pre-trip visit. Teams who invest the time and money into an advance trip avoid miscommunication pitfalls and discover specific details that relate to their team's needs and gifts. Pre-Trip Visit Considerations Select your pre-trip visit date. Determine the size of the advance team. Prepare a list of questions you would like to discuss with your host. Plan ways to encourage your host church during your visit. Ask your host to provide you with a complete tour of the ministry area. Ask for specific prayer requests to take home with you to share with your entire mission team and church. Locate places the team may wish to purchase souvenirs and sight see if available. Identify additional needs your team may be able to address. Check out your team's lodging options, get motel prices and locations, etc. Figure out your meal plans while on-site, check out local grocery stores & kitchen where you will prepare your food. Determine what transportation you will need while in Montana, make rental plans as needed. Work on a basic schedule that you can add details to as you and your host continue to plan.

Transportation Transportation should be one of the simplest arrangements made for volunteers. Typically, when mission teams come to minister in Montana they travel in vans or buses. The vehicles become their ride to and from the ministry site each day. However, if you fly, you will need to make rental vehicle arrangements for your team. It will be best to communicate that you will provide transportation during the week for each participant you bring to the project. That may sound simple enough, but transportation can become complicated if you have multiple sites. Consider: What will the daily tranportation needs be for this project? Will our host provide maps with directions to the work sites, convenience stores, shopping areas and sight-seeing venues? Do we have sufficient tranportation to transport volunteers safely during the week? Will the vehicles we plan to use be properly serviced before the project? Is insurance current on those vehicles? Will the insurance papers be with the vehicles? Are there insurance restrictions on the use of the church's vehicles? Does our host have a backup plan to use local vehicles in case of breakdowns or multiple work sites? If we are flying, what arrangements will we need to make for ground transportation? Is it understood who covers the cost of rented vehicles? Have we requested an area map for the mission team leaders with markings to direct them to their lodging and projects? When volunteer mission teams fly to the project, they typically are still responsible for local transportaion, which means the team (volunteers) rents vehicles during the project. Some associations and ministries receive so many volunteers during the year that they may have secured vans and buses to facilitate local transportation. Do not hesitate to ask your host for preferred driving routes up to the location. The host church may know some great short cuts or recommend some scenic routes you don't want to miss along the way. Regardless of the mode of transportation to the field, provide a printed itinerary for your host as soon as plans are finalized. For those driving, the itinerary should include day-by-day highway route numbers, nightly stops and locations, and contact numbers (should you need to reach the group when enroute). If you are flying, be sure to provide flight numbers, arrival and departure times and dates, layover information and cell phone numbers of team leaders.

Lodging Arrangements Aside from traveling to Montana, lodging is usually the second largest expense for visiting teams. Be sure to let your host know what types of arrangements you have in mind so that you can work together to locate the lodging that best fits your needs. Consider the following: How many people will come with the volunteer mission team? What is the gender ratio of the volunteer mission team? If a youth mission team is responding, what is the youth-to-adult ratio? Can the mission team afford to stay in a local hotel or motel? Will we need to bring sleeping bags, pillows, towels, or other things? Is there a church in the community that can house us in their building? Is there a church camp in the area that might be available for lodging, showers and meals? Could we rent space in a local school or community center to house volunteers? Who will pay for our lodging?

Meals You will work hard during your time on a project, and you can get very hungry. Breakfast is particularly important as you will burn many calories during the day. Like every aspect of the mission trip, the food arrangements need to be clarified before you arrive. Determine: Will we need to bring/buy our own groceries? Will we need to bring our own cooks? if so, where will be prepare our meals? Will we need to bring portable cooking appliances? Can the host provide any meals? How many? If we stay in member homes, will our hosts provide any meals? What are the catering options? If we are house in rented school or community center space, ca kitchens there be used for meal preparation? Can the kitchen staff be hired to prepare the meals? What is the estimated cost of meals for each volunteer? What menus would be appropriate for us? Will any volunteer require special dietary considerations? (Food allergies, diabetics, etc.) It will be helpful to put together a planning schedule for each meal during your stay. This way, if the church will be having a potluck, you will remember that the meal will be provided. Likewise, if you plan personal sight-seeing or recreation, you need to make your host away that you will have your own meal plans during that time. Many times teams will buy and prepare their own food. Be prepared to ask your host to take you to a local grocery store where you can purchase the groceries you need for the duration of the trip.

Spiritual Needs A missions project can be a very special time in the life of a volunteer. Often, a missions project represents a period of time - usually one week - when a Christian is as focused on God's will for his or her life as at any other time. While he or she is learning about missions experientially, the volunteer's growth may not be as complete if he or she does not have intellectual and spiritual learning as well. A volunteer may learn how to put shingles on a roof, but her or she also needs to understand the Biblical basis for the missions effort. Worship and missions education need to be a part of each volunteer project. Likewise, when a church issues the invitation to volunteers, the spritual growth of the host church's members also must be a priority. During the ministry together, God may touch the lives of members of the host church/ministry. Do not hesitate to set aside a time of testimony and sharing for them with your team. Take time to recognize what God is revealing to you and to those with whom you minister on a daily basis. Consider: Have you prepared an orientation time to help team members understand their context of ministry here in Montana? Have you prepared a weekly schedule that includes time for worship, Bible study, and personal devotions? Will the volunteers have adequate facilities for worship and Bible study? Will the team's times of Bible study and worship include members of the host church? Have you discussed plans with the mission team leaders for worship and Bible study? Is ti clear whose responsibility this will be during the week? Have you allowed for a personal time of debriefing for the team? This allows them to process how they've grown and what they've learned from the experience. Volunteer projects are often physically exhausting. The experience does not have to include long services or teaching times. Spiritual emphasis can come through personal journaling, prayer walking, work-site devotions, small-group sharing and debriefing sessions and testimonies.

Scheduling A daily schedule is one of the most important logistical issues in volunteer planning. Volunteers who are coming at their own expense and using their vacation time to volunteer want to know what they will be doing. Also, by working with mission team leaders to produce a daily schedule beofre the project begins, you are communicating to your host that much thought and planning has gone into this project. You also will be encouraging you host church by demonstrating to them that their time and energy expended in preparing to host you will be a worthwhile ministry investment. The simplest way to schedule is to divide each day into three segments. Plan for the team to work two segments each day, and allow the third segment to be free for them to spend as they see fit. Be sure to figure out: How much time will it take to accomplish the clearly-defined task for this mission team? Is the work expectation realistic? Does the schedule reflect adequate rest breaks, devotion breaks, and time for meals? (Remember that the team will need time to recuperate from travel to the ministry location. Many volunteers drive several days or fly on red-eye flights) Does the schedule include time for shopping, sight-seeing and recreation? Does the schedule include worshp time with a host church? Does the schedule include time for detailed informational meetings, orientation and debriefing? Does the schedule reflect time used wisely and effectively? Have you made contingency plans? (For example, if you are unable to do sports evangelism outside, due to inclement weather, will you retrun to the church and organize supplies for the block party?) Have you coordinated the schedule with the host church to be sure there is clear communication regarding how time will be spent and that everyone is in agreement?

Sharing Your Faith Each member of the mission team should be able to give a 75 word personal salvation testimony. The testimony should include three sections: 1) my life before Christ, 2) how I came to a point in my life where I decided to accept Christa as my Saviour, and 3) my life now that I am saved. Each member should be able to comfortably share their testimony with a lost person and have practiced sharing it prior to their arrival on the mission field. Learning to share in a short, simple format helps each person to get to the point and then if there are questions you can elaborate. each member should also memorize key salvation verses and be able to recite them anytime they are called upon. You may allow them to choose them from a tract they enjoy or from a list you assign.

Medical Response Plan Accidents happen. Accidents even happen to good people while doing good things. Suffering an injury or illness while away from home creates anxiety for volunteers. Quality preparation can keep an incident from becoming an emergency. The plans you make in advance will be grealy appreciated by your host. Consider these things: Have we worked withour host to make prior arrangements with a local general practitioner to see volunteers who need non-emergency medical assistance? Will there be registered nurses or physicials traveling with us? Have we clearly communicated to our team that they must provide proof of meidcal insurance, and that each volunteer is responsible for their medical expenses? Have we provided our mission team leaders with medical release forms? Do we have a plan for dispensing medicines during the project? Do we have a first aid kit to carry with us? Can our host provide volunteer leaders with a list of local emergency phone numbers, local pharmacy hourse and locations? Have I asked the team about any special medication conditions or needs: anaphalyatic allergies (Epi-Pen), asthmatics, diabetics, epileptics (seizure possibilities), etc?

Insurance Coverage This may be one of the most unpopular topics for ministries. However, when bad things happen, it can create serious problems for everyone. An entity - church, association, state convention, or incorporated ministry - that invites volunteers to join them in ministry should consider having blanket liability and accident insurance policies. Consider: Have you evaluated the need for liability and accident coverage associated with your mission project? Is you see a potential need, have your secured the liability and accident coverage? There are risks associated with ministry. These risks should be calculated and minimized. However, the risks should not be obstacles to accomplishing the mission to which God has call you.

Sight-Seeing/Recreation Volunteers like to see the area where they are serving. Seeing local landmarks, visiting museums, going to the mountains and shopping allows your mission team to see more of the community and gain valuable cultural awareness. You may ask your host to serve as a tour guide if appropriate, or you may simply request Web sites, phone numbers, maps and brochures and make your own arrangements. As you prepare for your mission trip, consider: Does the schedule allow for at least one day of sight-seeing/recreation? What attractions might our team enjoy? Will activities/venues require advance reservations/payment or ticket purchases? Can our host provide maps for the mission team leaders? Do we want host church/ministry members to join us during our free time? Will the attaction/event help the team understand local culture? If staying in a school, church or camp facility, will the lodging facility be closed during free time hours? When will it reopen? Will it be secure while we are out? Being in the "last, best place" means many teams will want to stay to enjoy the beauty that is Montana. Feel free to ask about hunting rules and regulations, fishing rules and regulations, rodeo schedules, state fair information and the like. The links below will help guide you to many of the most popular sites.


Finances: Who Pays for What? If there is any area of volunteer missions service that can create bad feelings fast, it is money. Volunteers are not free, and hosts have limited resources. The best way to solve a problem is to prevent it. You prevent financial problems with clear, up-front communication. In talking with your host, find out: What will be the loding arrangemetns? Who will pay for lodging? How many meals will each team members have to purchase while traveling and while on location? Will there be a program fee that covers, for instance, T-shirts for volunteers, honorariums for special speakers, or other expenses? Will the mission team secure supplementary medical insurance? Have we made it clear that we understand that any sight-seeing or recreational aspects of the trip will be at our expense? Will we have opportunities to purchase snacks? How much money might we need for this? Do we need to bring tools/materials? Which ones? Does our host church have a budget for each initiative? A budget could help both you and the mission team leaders in the communication process.

Team Dynamics Mission experiences are based on teamwork. Each member must go on mission as part of a team. Therefore, members should focus on the good of the team and dedicate themselves to guarding and contributing to team unity at all times. Before leaving home, it is important that some ground rules for the smooth running of your team be established. As a team you should develop a plan of communication and code of conduct among yourselves. Irritations are a common problem confronting teams. Missions is hard work and members may be tired most of the time they are serving. Missions is a joint effort, but some members of the team may not be used to spending every moment in close confines with other people. Team members must commit to work through small irritations before they escale into major problems. Stress the sense of missions to your team throughout training, traveling and serving: "This is not a vacation. God has called us. Our church has commissioned us. We are on mission." Remind your team that in the Lord's work, success is not measured in terms of numbers. Prepare your team to see beyond the immediate to the ultimate, beyond the situation to the Savior. Train in the same groups in whick you will serve so members get to know each other and how to work with the personalitites within their areas of responsibilities.

Protocol Remember the misison team is on duty at all times, 24 hours a day, during the project. While you are in restaurants or between activities, your conduct is being observed and measured by the teachings you have delivered about Christ. Tight discipline and sincerity of concern need to be prevalent at all times. Double check with your host about what type of clothing is appropriate for the climate, culture and ministry task(s). Take care to communicate this information and provide it to team members well in advance. Montana summers are generall mild and ver dry. If you are in a mountainous area you will need to have heavier and warmer clothing on hand for the higher altitude and possibility of snow. Comfortable walking shoes are always a must. You should align yourselves with the host pastor or missionary in Montana rather than your home church or state. You will need to elarn all you can about your ministry area, culture, customs, ethnic group, religious history, the mission church/ministry and its development, and other topics as directed by your host. If you are involved in minsitry where teaching curriculum will be used, be sure to ask your host what curriculum he or she prefers. Ministry in Montana means dealing with primarily unchurched people. (For example, you cannot assume that kids here are familiar with event the most common Bible stories.) When selecting Bibles to bring and distribute, always check with your host about translation choice. Team members and leaders should avoid participation in local doctrine controversies. The primary concern of the volunteer mission team should be witnessing and ministering to others. It is also inappropriate to discuss publicly or privately any difficulties in the home church. If the team leader finds himself or herself in disagreement with the host, the visitng team leader should calmly discuss these items with the host pastor or missionary inprivate, not in front of the whole team. If no agreement or compromise can be worked out, the visiting team leader should agree to proceed as the host pastor or missionary has requested. The pastor or missionary will have to live with the results long after the mission team has returned home. A team may work very hard for several days in a given location with no obvious response. A change of location or schedule in the middle of the week may be made. The team should plan to work in such a manner that they will be open to further leading of the Holy Spirit. The mission team should do everything possible to help attendance grow. If attendance is small, the team should still work with those who come and not complain about the smaller number. God may use just a few to begin a new work. Come well trained for your task so your responsibilities will go smoothly. Consider: How will we advertise the ministry to the local community once on the field? Which Bible stories will we tell and how does each one relate specifically to the age group we are targeting? How can we tell each Bible story in at least three different ways? Who will teach Bible verses and how will we teach them? How will we teach songs? How will we explain games or give instructions for crafts? What is the most effective way to relate to the specific age grouop we will teach? (For example, How will we talk to children? How will we deal with inappropriate behavior in teenagers? How will we relate most effectively to senior adults?) What is our primary plan for meeting parents and adults in the community?

Record Keeping Record keeping is vital to follow-up after you leave the field and the ministry continues. When collecting records such as VBS attendance, Block party registration cards, or community surveys, be sure to work with someone from the host church so that participants also become familiar with someone who will be there after you have returned home. Write clearly and add notationsl to help those who do the follow-up make connections with people. (For example, you may note that Johnny "likes the Bronces, " Sally "originally moved to Montana from Illinois," June "has a family member in the hospital," etc.) Your team needs to gather and/or prepare teaching materials ahead of time, as well as have a bag of tricks (resources to use when the game plan fails). Be sure to practice the ministry before you get to the mission field. Establish a record-keeping system that includes how records will be kep, who will be responsible for keeping them, and to whom reports will be made.

Leaving the Mission Field Beware of making promises! In the place where you will serve, you will discover many needs. These may take the form of physical needs such as food, shelter, clothes, material resources, or whatever. The needs may be spiritual or emotional. Your tendency will be to want to help, and often you will find yourself wanting to say, "I'll send it to you when I get back." or "We'll be back next year!" Check yourself. Don't make promises that you cannot keep. Saying goodbye and leaving the mission field can be painful for both your team and the people with whom you have been working. Expect it. Don't make your pain a public affair. Don't put the local folks through an emotional period with you. Remember that they must remain and continue on. Leave them with grace.

Debriefing: Evaluating the Experience Evaluating your experience is an essential part of your mission trip. This is the time where you stop and acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses and recognize all that God has done in your midst. We recommend that you allow each team member to fill out an evaluation form during the final days of your trip. After reading through what your team has to say, set aside one final time to discuss the evaluations as a group. This provides your team members time to share what God has done in their lives during the experience, time to analyze their preparedness and effectiveness, and time for closure and perspective needed before returning home. Evaluation Questions: Did we accomplish the purposes of the project? Did we anticipate local needs correctly? Were we adequately prepared for being on mission? If so, what training was the most beneficial? Were our leaders adequately prepared to lead our team? If so, what were their strengths? If not, how could they be better prepared? Was the schedule well-balanced between work and leisure? Did we work well with our host? Were there any problems with conduct or communication? What were some of the successes of the missions project? What did you see God do? How has the experience helped us mature spiritually? Has any team member made a spiritual decision as a result of this ministry? If so, is follow-up counseling needed? How will we share what God has done here and in our lives when we return home?

Sharing the Experience Decide as a team what you want to share. Divide up responsibilities needed to accomplish a quality presentation. Request time to share at an informal church gathering, with specific groups within the church, or for an entire worship service. Be sure to include: Trip Summary - keep it brief and remember to make sure you tell the story to those who didn't go, not highlight it for your fellow team members. Testimony - choose one or more team members to share some specific experiences that were meaningful. If you use more than one testimony, space them out during the presentation. Team Recognition - call the names of all team members. You might also present a certificate or team photo to each team member. You might pray over the team asking God's blessing on the ministry done and that team members would continue to grow closer to Him as a result of this experience. If time allows, recognize all the behind-the-scenes helpers such as financial donors, trainers, prayer warriors, etc. Special Music - select music that was used during the ministry experience, music with a missions theme, or a song that became meaningful while on the trip. Pictures - Video clips, PowerPoint presentations with digital pictures, and photos are powerful tools to share your experience with your home church. Take care to include pictures of your ministry setting to help them capture the geographic and cultural landscape. You will also need pictures that convey the needs of your ministry area. Use pictures that capture why you were there or prompt you to share a particular experience. Add pictures of the church where you worked, the local park where you held the Backyard Bible Club, the construction site, or your lodging facility. Include a shot of the host pastor or family. More important of all, show pictures of the work.