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Models for Ministry: Volunteers in Mission


Models for Ministry

Volunteers in Mission provides an opportunity for United Methodists to serve as short-term missionaries to people in need around the world.

Last year, the Baltimore-Washington Conference sent 262 teams, made up of 3,546 volunteers on mission trips, an increase of 20 percent over 2007. That is one-third of all of the Volunteers in Mission that were sent from the Northeastern Jurisdiction. transformed - growing deeper in the discipleship and putting their faith into action in meaningful ways.

Begin by researching where your team will go.
  • Pray about and consider why you want to go on a mission trip, what the mission's vision looks like
  • It's easiest to travel to a site that is used to hosting teams, such as the centers set up by Methodist churches along the Gulf Coast to host teams repairing hurricane-damaged homes. Find sites at : GBGM Vim Sites.
  • Funding may decide where to take a team. A trip to the Gulf Coast or Great Plains may cost $500 per person, but an international trip may cost $1,000 to $1500 per person. An inexpensive option is to do mission work locally: groups can work through Baltimore County Christian Workcamp for as little as half a day.
  • Allow enough time to plan; for an international trip, allow at least nine months or a year
Gather your team and select a leader Nurse
  • Recruiting people to go can be a struggle, says Jeff Odom, chair of the conference VIM team, but let prospective members know that they'll help others and be changed themselves.
  • Consider connecting with another church on a trip that's already planned or collaborate on a new trip. The Conference keeps an updated list of planned trips online:
    UMVIM Opportunities
Register with the conference.
  • Let the Conference know of mission plans to ensure that proper insurance and training are provided. The conference may have additional helpful information for your particular project or location.
  • Your team can get medical insurance through the General Board of Global Ministries. Rev. Charles Harrell recalls a Oklahoma team traveling to Russia whose group member suffered a heart attack and was able to get good, prompt and medical attention through the GBGM insurance.
Prepare the team before the trip.
  • Communicate with another team who has served on the same project, and ask what to expect and what to bring.
  • Invite another VIM team from a nearby church who has been to the same region to help inform your team about practical and cultural information.
  • Meet regularly as a team to bond, plan for specifics and make sure members have a passport or other necessary items. Teams should learn cultural sensitivity for the mission area, plus learn about the region's economic, social, political and religious realities in order to understand the context for the team's work.
  • Plan out how you will involve the church - through running a clothing drive before departure or presenting to the congregation upon return.
  • Plan for evening devotions, song, worship leading and other spiritual activities.
  • Communicate with the site coordinator via phone or e-mail to nail down logistics.
  • Schedule a team commissioning during a worship service.
  • For domestic trips, if possible, send out a scout in advance of the trip to see the project site and evaluate what tools to take and what to expect, so your team can get to work immediately.
Tips for successful mission trips Nurse
  • Travel light. Limit personal luggage.
  • Think team, not self.
  • Planning for detail logistics is essential. Confirm as much as possible.
  • Conduct church fundraisers to help defray the cost of the trip for team members.
  • Worship together as a team regularly and often. Provide opportunities for personal reflection.
  • Remember, work goals matter, but relationship building comes first.
  • Prevention is the best way to maintain good health on these trips.
  • Know and be sensitive of the culture you are entering.
  • Debrief the team, realizing that coming home from a mountaintop experience may include feelings of depression, guilt, regret or unease.
  • Consider keeping journals and share the story of your trip with the congregation.
    The best stories are personal, accurate, factual and focused.
  • Lift up God in all that you do.