Long-Term Mission Resources

Long-term Mission Resources

~ Pre-Assignment Resources ~
~ On-Assignment Resources ~
~ Post-Assignment Resources ~
~ Other Long-term Mission Resources ~
_~_{Go to Short-term Mission Resources}_~

PRE-ASSIGNMENT

Application & Discernment

Here are some articles you might find helpful as you discern readiness of potential long-term missionaries:

- Article - Discerning Readiness in a Potential Sent One, Part I

- Article - Discerning Readiness in a Potential Sent One, Part 2

Long-term Mission Applicant Checklist - click here to download

This Excel spreadsheet helps church mission leaders track an applicant's progress through the application, discernment, and approval process for a long-term mission assignment.

Long-term Application - https://bit.ly/ltm-apply

You may use this form for persons applying to serve on a long-term mission assignment. There is a shortened application for missionaries who are not from your church (who have another home sending church providing their oversight).

_{Click here}_{to see a sample application for a missionary from your church.}

_{Click here}_{to see a sample application for a missionary who is not from your church.}

Applicants can complete the application at bit.ly/ltm-apply, and forward/deliver a copy to your church.

_{(Note: If you want the completed applications sent directly to your church so the applicant doesn't need to forward them, or if you want the application customized with questions specific for your church, please contact}_{Dwane Reitz}_{to discuss your church's needs.)}

Reference Form for Mission Applicant - bit.ly/mission-reference

This online form can be completed by the mission applicant's character references. This is a two-part form:

Part 1 of the form is to be filled out by a missions leader at your church. Upon submission, an email request with a link to Part 2 of the form (questions for the reference person) is sent to the reference for them to complete.
When the reference completes the form, your church missions leader/church contact receives an email with a PDF copy of the completed reference form.

_{Click here}_{to see a sample Reference Form for a long-term mission applicant.}

Ministry Information Form - https://bit.ly/ministry-info

This online form can be used as part of your church's vetting/discernment process to gather information about a mission agency with whom a missionary candidate from your church is preparing to serve. This is a two-part form:

Part 1 of the form is to be filled out by a missions leader at your church. Upon submission, an email request with a link to Part 2 of the form (questions for the mission agency) is sent to the mission agency for them to complete.
When the mission agency completes their form, your church missions leader/church contact receives an email with a PDF copy of the mission agency's completed form.

_{Click here}_{to see a sample Ministry Information Form with the questions asked of the mission agency.}

Personal Growth

Personal Life Inventory - https://bit.ly/personal-life-inventory

The purpose of this inventory is to help the missionary candidate and their sending-church leadership develop a plan for the missionary candidate's personal growth and ministry development. The missionary candidate can fill it out as a self-assessment; it can also be filled out by a mentor assessing the missionary candidate's strengths and weaknesses in spiritual growth, personal/family growth, interpersonal/intercultural growth, and ministry/vocational growth.

_{Click here}_{to see a sample Personal Life Inventory.}

Missionary Support Team (MST)

MST Brochure - click here to download

This brochure (an editable Word document) gives an overview of a Missionary Support Team (MST) - purpose of the MST, what the MST does, team member roles, etc., and can be used as the missionary invites persons to serve on their MST.

MST Roles - click here to download

This document provides descriptions of each of the MST roles to help guide the team members as they serve on the MST.

Practical Ideas for Caring for Missionaries - click here to download

This document offers ideas for caring for missionaries before they go, while they are on assignment, and when they return home. It also includes some questions for MSTs as they evaluate their effectiveness in supporting the missionary.

Budgeting & Support Raising

Missionary Budget Worksheet - click here to download

This budget worksheet is designed for missionaries who are not given a personal support budget from their mission agency. It lists common budget categories and can be customized to meet the needs of the missionary. There are columns for startup/onetime, monthly, and annual expenses.

Sample long-term donation/pledge card - click here to download

This donation/pledge card can be customized by missionaries for use in their support raising.

Support tracking worksheet - click here to download

This support tracking worksheet helps missionaries track their support levels as they raise support. After entering donations and pledge amounts in the worksheet, they can see their average monthly support amount and the percentage of total support raised.

Missionary Ministry Agreement

This ministry agreement outlines expectations and commitments between the sending church and the missionary, and can be customized to fit your church's needs. Download the following 3 files and follow the steps in the Ministry Agreement instructions file to merge missionary data (Excel file) into the Missionary Agreement template (Word file).

- Missionary Agreement instructions - click here to download

- Missionary Agreement template (Word file) - click here to download

- Missionary Agreement merge-data (Excel file) - click here to download

ON-ASSIGNMENT

Missionary Report - https://bit.ly/missionary-report

Missionaries can submit a quarterly or annual report at bit.ly/missionary-report to help your church's missions leadership gain a better understanding of their wellbeing and issues they are facing in their personal lives and ministry. The annual report asks some additional questions not asked in the quarterly report. There is also a shortened annual report for missionaries who receive financial support from your church, but who are not sent from your church (do not receive pastoral care/oversight from your church).

^{Click here}^{for a sample quarterly report.}

^{Click here}^{for a sample annual report.}

^{Click here}^{for a sample report from missionaries not from your church.}

Pastoral Visits to the Mission Field - Here are some resources you might find useful as you plan pastoral visits to your missionaries on the field:

- Article - Visits to the Mission Field

- Article - In-Person Care

- Click here for a document you can share with the missionary as they prepare to receive a pastoral visit.

- Click here for a document with tips for the person(s) going on the pastoral visit.

- Click here for a document with Missionary Care Questions that can help to guide discussions with the missionary.

POST-ASSIGNMENT

Missionary End of Term Evaluation - https://bit.ly/end-term-evaluation

Missionaries can submit an end-of-term evaluation at bit.ly/end-term-evaluation. This is designed to help your church's missions leadership gain a better understanding of what your missionaries have experienced and are processing as they return home at the completion of a long-term mission assignment. It provides a focus for reflection upon both positive and negative experiences encountered on their mission assignment, and can serve as a springboard for debriefing discussions with the missionary.

^{Click here}^{for a sample End of Term Evaluation.}