Training Prepares A Team For The Task At Hand
This may be the primary reason for training mission teams. As an employer you would not throw an employee into their job without proper training, so short-term missionaries need to be trained in their job as well. People will rise up to the expectations you make for them and training begins the conversation regarding what measurement tools will be used to measure success.
Before a team goes to serve they need to understand the biblical basis of missions. You need to talk about what God's Word says are the reasons for telling the world about Jesus. This doesn't start or end with the Great Commission. It begins in Genesis and goes all the way through Revelation. A team that understands God's purpose for missions will start to have his heartbeat for the world as well. This knowledge will help them prepare by understanding God's big plan for the nations.
A team also needs to know what is unique about your church's mission strategy. Does your church specialize certain type of partnership? What is the vision of your missions involvement? What are your goals? Helping people understand this before someone goes on mission helps them to understand why they are approaching the trip from a certain perspective and prepares their mind for having the end goal in their sights.
A team also needs to know as much about the area that they will serve as possible. Why is it important that a mission team go to this particular area? What is God doing? What are the needs? This prepares team members to understand the spiritual and cultural climate of where they will serve.
Team members need to be prepared to share their story and the story of Christ. Many Christians have never constructed his or her testimony, They may feel that their story is not dynamic. In this training, the leader has an opportunity to disciple. A leader can help team members realize that the power of their story is that Jesus has redeemed them. Everyone's path to salvation is different and they need to see that their story has power.
Also, in this time, a team needs to understand how to have spiritual conversations. Those conversations may begin with them sharing their story but more realistically these conversations will come more organically. Team members need to be prepared to know how to start conversations and maybe even more importantly, when to end those conversations. This prepares them to better understand the sensitivity needed to approach the hearts of people with whom God is already at work to draw to him. If they say too little or too much, they may be impeding the Spirit's work.
The team needs to be prepared to commune with God. Training them to listen for God's voice and to take time to spend with him before, during and after the trip is paramount. The success of the trip literally could come from these daily communications. This prepares the team's heart for God working in and through them while they serve as well as before and after the trip.
Cultures differ around the world. Even different parts of the United States have vastly different cultures. It is important to discuss how cultures differ and specifically talk about the culture of the area a team will serve. This prepares the team for differences and helps them to keep from making assumptions about people based on ignorance of the cultural differences of the area where they are serving.
Trip specific training is vital. It will only help your team and the people you are serving if you come into the trip ready to go. What is the platform of your trip? What supplies might you need to achieve the goals the missionary has for the trip? What gifts and abilities lie in your team that can be used to achieve the goals of the trip?
Never go on a trip expecting missionaries to have all the supplies you need. If you are doing children's ministry ask if it is evangelistic or educational. Then your team needs to plan, in conjunction with the missionary, how that will look. Do you need to prepare a mini vacation Bible school format? Do you need to find ESL materials? If you are doing leadership development what resources will you need? What are the construction needs? Asking good questions and then preparing to work in the bounds of the answers you receive will prepare your team to be successful without being a burden to the missionaries. Do not rely on the mission to put a program together for you. Find the needs and the vision of your work and then prepare your team to hit the ground running in executing that vision. Missionaries will appreciate not having to supply your needs or create a program for your team to execute.
That may seem like a lot, but I believe all of these things are necessary to have a fully prepared team. Our preparation helps to glorify God as we try to make him famous in the world.
Missionaries work hard. The work that they do doesn't always show fruit. They are often separated from extended family, living in cultures that are unfamiliar. They can get discouraged. They are not spiritual superheroes but are men and women serving Jesus through the call they have committed to live out.
Cultures differ around the world. Even different parts of the United States have vastly different cultures. It is important to discuss how cultures differ and specifically talk about the culture of the area a team will serve. This prepares the team for differences and helps them to keep from making assumptions about people based on ignorance of the cultural differences of the area where they are serving.
Trip specific training is vital. It will only help your team and the people you are serving if you come into the trip ready to go. What is the platform of your trip? What supplies might you need to achieve the goals the missionary has for the trip? What gifts and abilities lie in your team that can be used to achieve the goals of the trip?
Never go on a trip expecting missionaries to have all the supplies you need. If you are doing children's ministry ask if it is evangelistic or educational. Then your team needs to plan, in conjunction with the missionary, how that will look. Do you need to prepare a mini vacation Bible school format? Do you need to find ESL materials? If you are doing leadership development what resources will you need? What are the construction needs? Asking good questions and then preparing to work in the bounds of the answers you receive will prepare your team to be successful without being a burden to the missionaries. Do not rely on the mission to put a program together for you. Find the needs and the vision of your work and then prepare your team to hit the ground running in executing that vision. Missionaries will appreciate not having to supply your needs or create a program for your team to execute.
That may seem like a lot, but I believe all of these things are necessary to have a fully prepared team. Our preparation helps to glorify God as we try to make him famous in the world.
Training Blesses The Missionary
Missionaries work hard. The work that they do doesn't always show fruit. They are often separated from extended family, living in cultures that are unfamiliar. They can get discouraged. They are not spiritual superheroes but are men and women serving Jesus through the call they have committed to live out.
Having to train and prepare all the details of a team's trip is more than a missionary needs to take on. Most often they will do it because they love Jesus and they want to advance the work that God is doing in their area. However, when we depend on the missionary to work out all the on site details, we most often are hindering the work they are doing. This planning takes them away from the regular ministry in their areas. A well prepared team will bless and encourage the missionary. The partnership between a church ministry and a missionary should always keep the well being of missionary and their families in the forefront of vision of the partnership.
Training Brings God Glory
When a team is well trained and ready to go, there is a greater chance to avoid things that may distract from making God famous in the area where the team will serve. A well trained team understands why they are going, what they will do and how it will be done. This becomes a testimony of faithfulness to the missionary and the people of their community. When we are prepared for our mission endeavors, that preparation shows through and God works in mighty ways as a result.
There is an old Hymn that says, "Give of your best to the Master", training helps teams to give their very best. A good leader owes their missionary, their team and our God the very best and training will help to make that possible.
If you need help in developing mission team training feel free to reach out to me at jasperrains2911@yahoo.com and I will do all I can to help you be successful.
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