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Questions about: Getting involved in missions
Hayley: (09/01/08) Hi Jack,

My husband and I feel called to work full time in missions, specifically in China. We have gone there several times, have been married for a year and a half, and feel ready to find an organization. We will be meeting with organizations the next few months.

What questions should we ask? What determines a good fit between a missions organization and an individual?

I heard that the choosing of a right organization is very important.

Thanks,

Hayley

Jack:

Thanks, Hayley, for your question.

I congratulate you and your husband for this courageous step! Here are some questions you can think about, and others may occur to you.

Yes, it is certainly important to choose the organization that will be right for you. I would encourage you to research as many as you can and also try to communicate with those who are working there to get their observations.

My suggestions for questions:

a. Financial:

- What is your support requirement? Is there a figure? Can each missionary raise as little or much as they want to?
- Your policy on fund raising? Are we allowed to ask for money?

- Do all missionaries receive the same salary? Does this increase if we have more children? Do we have to raise money for national leaders?

- What is your retirement policy? Do we pay into a retirement package?

- What about health insurance? Do you have a group policy?

b. Issues

- Your policy on women in ministry? Any limitations?

- How about wives? Are they considered full missionaries?

- How about children? Can we home school? Can a wife consider that her children are her ministry until they are in school?

- Your policy on national leadership? How does your mission prepare and promote national leaders? How successful have they been in this?

- How has your mission avoided paternalism and the development of dependency on the part of the national church?

- Your policy on ethnicity? Do members of other races feel at home in your mission?

- What is the general theological orientation of your mission? What is your doctrinal statement? Your mission statement?

- Your policy regarding the Holy Spirit? Open to charismatics?

c. Member Care

- How does your mission prepare and orient candidates before they go to the field?

- What provision for language study?

- How does supervision work?

- How does your mission prepare and orient missionaries when they return home for furlough?

- What is your furlough policy? A set time or more flexibility? What about study furloughs?

These should give you a start, Hayley. Blessings on you both.

Jack

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