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The Story Starts Here
Introduction
I will never forget the first time I took a missionary to lunch as a church staff member. At the time I had what I later came to realize as the typical perspective of missionaries. I thought they were kind of like the church celebrities, larger-than-life, the hometown heroes. I imagined people lined up at the airport waiting to receive them, holding great big signs with hearts drawn on them and banners welcoming them home. I imagined church members fighting to house them and a hundred invitations to share in Sunday School classes being heaped upon them in large burlap sacks carried to their feet by the sweaty-faced, big-eyed and thoroughly awed church members. This was surely how it was, especially at a church like ours where for some reason I grew proud thinking, “Our church has lots of missionaries. We’re doing great.” But, I couldn’t name a single one.
I don't exactly remember how it happened but I received news that one of these legendary heroes was coming home. I was excited and wanted to beat the lines to be the first person to take him to lunch. Since I was on the church staff I was sure I had the inside track and could get to him first. I would be the first to hear the amazing stories of what God is doing in the remote jungles with tribal peoples. I made the phone call and invited him to lunch. I remember hanging up the phone proud that I got to him first, and why shouldn’t I have? After all, I was on the church staff. We met at the church and my face beamed as I shook his hand. “The hand of a real live missionary,” I thought! We went to a little Mexican food restaurant near the church and I pummeled this co-laborer of Jesus with about 999 questions. I think he was barley able to eat. He told one amazing story after another and passed on to me precious knowledge of the kingdom of God, the kind that only comes from walking through the fire of experience. I was delighted. After lunch we headed back to the church and walked around the church grounds for a while. We had moved to a new site while he was in the jungle, so I gave him the tour. It was in the foyer of our suburban church as we parted that this missionary asked me the question that would shake my perception. As I was turning to leave he stopped me and with a look of desperation in his eyes and asked, “Tom, are there any Bible studies or anything that I can be a part of while I am here?” At that moment the walls of reality came closing in on me as I realized the dark truth. There were no lines of people waiting to hear his stories, there were no invitations to speak in Sunday school classes, there wasn’t even any communication between him and us in the past few years while he and his family struggled in the jungle to advance the gospel of Jesus among people who had never even heard His name.
Was this reality? Are we such an out of sight - out of mind culture that when our friends and church family members hear the call of God and answer like Isaiah saying, “Here God, right here! It’s me, I’ll go," that we forget them while they're gone? Is that how the church is supposed to be? This can’t be right. This can’t be healthy. Can it? The apostle Paul was given the right hand of fellowship when he visited the early church leaders after one of his early mission trips and Jerusalem wasn’t even his home church! What is going on now? I knew this wasn’t good for our missionaries. It prompted desperate prayers with my nose to the ground and my fists clenching my tan carpet crying out to God for something to change. Only later did I begin to realize that this disconnect between our church and our missionaries wasn’t just bad for our missionaries-it was bad for our church. The whole thing was unhealthy; somehow our church had become disconnected from the rest of God’s expanding kingdom. I began to wonder what kind of impact this disconnectedness had on our church as a community, and how it affected the spiritual atmosphere of our church as a whole.
Out of these prayers was birthed the idea of the Sending Team! A Sending Team is a group of four to twelve people that serve as a sort of NASA mission control center for our missionaries. The Sending Team is one part prayer group, one part missionary care team, one part public relations department and two parts connection. As a member of a Sending Team you are as much a part of the ministry of a cross-cultural worker as NASA’s mission control center is a part of an astronaut’s mission to the moon. I mean what if there was a Problem but there was no Houston to tell it to? What if we sent our astronauts into space and forgot they were there? We all agree that losing that kind of connection would be a bad thing- how much more is this true when it comes to God’s ever-expanding kingdom?
This guide is an attempt to overview the ministry of Sending Teams and serve as a guide to those who are part of a Sending Team already. In this guide, Sending Team leaders will find ideas and suggestions for how to lead a Sending Team meeting. This booklet also gives Sending Teams tips on how to represent their “Pro” (missionary) within the church body including how to connect with any Bible Fellowships their Pro may be partnered with. This booklet also covers communication with your Pro (phone calls and emailing) and even talks about how you can visit your Pro or send a short-term team to work with them. It is our hope that you find this booklet informational, practical, and inspirational. As always we are learning together as we uncover the mysteries of God and join Jesus in the adventure of His expanding global enterprise. So feel free to lend us your stories, questions and suggestions so we can share them with everyone. May the Lord enrich you as you play a part in preparing His beautiful bride.
A Sending Team's 7 Core Elements
The core elements of a Sending Teams are to:
1. Pray- The individuals of the Sending Team pray for their Casas Pro every day on their own and the Sending Team prays together for the Pro during the monthly meeting.
2. Write- Someone from the Sending Team writes the Casas Pro once a week. You can pass around a sign-up sheet to coordinate this.
3. Meet- Once a month Sending Teams should meet together to pray for their Pro, share stories about their Pro, and discuss ways to better represent their Pro.
4. Call- Once a quarter the Sending Team calls the Casas Pros home during your monthly meeting.
5. Represent- A Sending Team should represent their Pro to the larger body of Casas. The two main ways this is done are: A.) Hosting a table in the plaza three times a year see the Pro In The Plaza guidelines for specifics. B.) Partnering with any Bible Fellowships Your Pro may be connected with to host an interactive booth at the yearly Global Outreach Street Fair.
6. Receive- Welcome your Casas Pro when they are home in Tucson. Helping your Pro connect to Casas while they are home and to feel welcomed and at home is an important part of a Sending Team. There are more specifics on this in the “Receiving” section of this Booklet.
7. Visit- Once during their 2-4 year term of service, if possible, send a delegation from your Sending Team to visit your Casas Pro in their home or on the field where they serve.
Coordinate a monthly meeting - One of the most important things a Sending Team will do is meet monthly. Meeting monthly helps give the team a sense of community and allows an opportunity to encourage team members in the vision and purpose of a Sending Team. Just think about how it makes your Pro feel to know that you are gathering specifically to pray for and connect them to Casas. Imagine if you were living in a culture vastly different from your own, a place where not only is the spiritual stress heavy but the day-to-day tasks seem to take twice as long, are twice as difficult and twice as important as they were back home. Now imagine that you knew that a group of people was meeting in someone’s home on the third Thursday of the month for you, to pray for you, to share stories about your work, to think of ways to represent you to your church home even while you are physically far away. How would that make you feel? Connected, cared for, a part of a team, a family, a part of God’s Kingdom. That’s how I would feel.
Creating community - It is not uncommon for members of a Sending Team to not know each other prior to joining the team. This may seem backward for a community or a team but it is really only a minor a obstacle to being a very effective Sending Team. Think about a sports team. They often do not know each other before they join the team, but the team unites them with a sense of purpose and vision, making them a team. Besides this, you as a team do have a connection, and that is simply that you care about God’s Kingdom being expanded in needy parts of the world. You want to be a part of it and so now you find your self playing a vital role in expanding the Kingdom through being on a Sending Team. So how on earth should you go about coordinating a monthly meeting? What do you do at this meeting? How do you help develop a sense of community within your Sending Team? Hopefully the suggestions that follow, which have come from other experienced Sending Team leaders will help you along in your mission of leading a Sending Team.
Tips on hosting a Team meeting
1. Put out snack food. Food is from God, as all good things are! Having food helps set the tone of the meeting and helps people to relax. Eating is one of the most intimate things you can do with another person.
2. Facilitate an ice breaker. Ice-breakers can be as simple as asking people what their name is and where they went to high school? See the resource section of this booklet for a helpful book on ice-breakers if you want more suggestions.
3. Have people introduce themselves. Do this so that others begin to find the common connection they have. (such as, “Oh you went to school there?” Or, “Oh my uncle works there.” Things like this will help people realize that they have a lot more in common than they think. We really do live in a small world and it’s getting smaller everyday.
4. Have people talk about the ministries they are involved in at Casas. This really helps the team members learn about each other and who they are as individuals. The ministries you are involved in say a lot about who you are as a person and what you really care about.
5. Know where to take the meeting. It’s good to have an idea of what you want to accomplish during each meeting and how much time you want to spend on doing different things. For example you will most likely want to pray for your Pro. When and for how long do you want to do this? You may want to call your Pro or have people share stories. It’s wise to have an idea of where the team meeting is going and then you can more easily facilitate getting it there.
6. Start on time and end on time. This is respectful and sets a good standard.
Three things a Sending Team leader does besides leading monthly meetings
1. Pray for members of the team each day. As a team leader it’s good to pray for the members of the Sending Team on a daily basis as well as for your Pro. Never underestimate the power of prayer. A Sending Team that is prayed for is an effective Sending Team.
2. Continue to learn about small groups and Team dynamics. You might find it helpful, as other have, to read up on the latest small group techniques. There are books and websites available in the resource section you may find helpful.
3. Be intentional. Just be real intentional about leading a small group well and care for the missionary. In the words of other experienced Sending Team leaders it’s “simple, simple, simple.”
Connecting is the heart and soul of a Sending Team. A Sending Team keeps Casas connected to the Pros we send out and thus keeps us connected to the advancing Kingdom of God. A Sending Team also keeps Casas Pros well connected to Casas. The result- Casas knows what’s going on in the lives and work of her Pros and that our Pros know what’s going on in the life of Casas, even while they are not here.
Connection Questions
1. What does that connection look like, here now in the real world?
2. How do we keep that connection strong?
3. What kinds of things enhance the connection, both on the Casas side and on the Pros side of the story?
The following will attempt to answer those questions and will Provide some very specific practical ways of establishing, keeping and strengthening the connection.
The Casas superhighway of connection
The connecting road is more like a freeway that travels both north and south. Each direction has three or four lanes and each lane will take us to our destination. Let’s say that heading “north” is keeping Casas connected to our missionaries. What kinds of things keep Casas connected to our Pros? What makes the people of Casas know the names of each of her missionaries, the places they live, and the work they have joined God in doing? Let’s say heading “south” is keeping our missionaries connected to Casas. This means they know what’s happening in the life of Casas even while they are away engaged in the expansion of God’s Kingdom. What kinds of things can we as a Sending Team do to help our beloved missionary friends feel more connected to Casas?
Northbound on the connection super highway
(Helping Casas connect to your Pro)
Isn’t it terrible that many people in churches can’t even name one of their missionaries? They probably assume that their church has missionaries or that their churches are doing some sort of mission work. But many people can’t put a name or a face with that assumption. It makes me realize just how many people are missing out of the adventure. It makes me see how little people are really experiencing the Promised life detailed in the scriptures. Our church being connected to those she has sent out is a great blessing and part of our spiritual growth as a church. Being connected to those we send out helps us remain connected to the Kingdom of God in some very Profound ways. At Casas we believe that it isn’t healthy to send out ambassadors and then forget
about them. There are several ways or lanes along this highway in keeping Casas connected to the edges of God’s expanding Kingdom through our Pro’s. They are:
Northbound lanes on the Casas super highway of connection
Lane 1 - Street Fair
Lane 2 - A Pro in the Plaza
Lane 3 - Digital Camera: Taking an offering among Sending Team members to buy your Pro a digital Camera is not only a really great gift for them but is also a great way to encourage them to email pictures of their life and work on the edge of God’s global enterprise.
Lane 4 - Partner With a Pro: Partner With a Pro is what happens when a Bible Fellowship Class at Casas sets up a formal relationship with a Casas missionary. The class pledges to 5 Core Elements, they are similar to the core elements of a Sending Team though a little less involved they are:
Pray: individuals from the class pray for their Casas Pro every day on their own and the class prays for them together weekly.
Write: someone from the class writes the Casas Pro once a week.
Call: once a quarter the Bible Fellowship calls the Casas Pro’s home from their class on speakerphone provided by Casas Global Outreach.
Receive: When the Casas Pro is home in Tucson the Bible Fellowship receives them by welcoming them to their class. The Casas Pro is invited to the Bible Fellowship to share stories.
Visit: Once a term on the field, if possible the Bible Fellowship sends a delegation from their class to visit their Casas Pro in their home or on the field they work in.
As a Sending Team to you Partner With a Pro becomes a great tool to further connect Casas to your Pro, and on some level to connect your Pro to church. As a Sending Team you should know which Bible Fellowships your Pro is connected to (if any) and even help that Bible Fellowship to stay informed about the life and ministry of your Pro. You can send these Bible Fellowships pictures or videos or anything else that will help them to keep that Pro in front of the class. Another way that Partner With a Pro helps is during the annual Global Outreach Street Fair. As you know during this time of celebration we host interactive booths that help the people of Casas connect with the life and work of your Pro. It is highly encouraged to enlist the help of the Bible Fellowships that your Pro is connected to help you design, man, and run the booth representing your Pro at the Street Fair.
South bound on the connection super highway
(Helping your Pro connect to Casas)
We as Americans live in a very “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” culture. We tend to be less relational than many other cultures in the world. I’m sure you have family members or friends that you haven’t seen in years and really don’t think much of it. This to us is normal, yet in many places of the world they would think it unheard of not to stay in close contact with a friend who has moved away a great distance.
Shouting Hill
Sitting in an very large, very ornate rectangular room filled with large middle eastern rugs, tapestries hanging from the walls, amidst tables made of iron holding giant brass coffee kettles, I heard the story of Shouting Hill. Shouting Hill is a hill on the border of Syria and Israel. The countries of Syria and Israel do not have friendly relations to say the least. Now within these two hostile countries there is a people who are known as the Druze. The Druze are particularly known for their loyalty. They keep their own culture, their own mysterious religion, and live within their own communities scattered throughout the countries of the Middle East. The Druze are particularly known for their staunch loyalty to whatever country they live in. So strong is their loyalty that members of families have fought against each other simply because they lived in countries at war with each other. Many Druze families were displaced when the border was drawn between Syria and Israel. These families were unable to communicate with each other because of the security on this border, in an instant they were torn apart. Phone calls and emails were blocked. Communication ceased, except at Shouting Hill. At Shouting Hill families who were separated by a loyalty to countries which were enemies came to shout hellos and good-byes and together shed some tears. Year after year they longed for each other but remained separated with little in their power to undo this separation. So each year at the appointed date, whether in pouring rain or in the blistering heat they would come to this hill and shout “hello” and “I love you” to their family on the other side of the border. To them to remain unconnected was unthinkable.
Out-of-sight-out-of-mind
It’s easy for us to send out our friends to join God in His work throughout the world and to forget about them. It’s not that we don’t care, it’s just the business of our culture and daily grind, the kids have soccer practice, we have meetings to attend, and by the time the weekend rolls around all you want is a slight coma to recover before having to face it all again on Monday. However we must remember that a lot can change here at home while our friends are living in other parts of the world engaged in God’s adventure. They can easily become disconnected and even feel like they are in a more foreign place when they return home to visit. We are their link; they should not return home and be surprised to find that the church Property has relocated, to discover that their Bible Fellowship no longer exists, wondering if there are any Bible studies they can be a part of. We can keep them connected in a way that they are as current with what is going on at Casas as you or I. The following are just a few suggestions to help us down this road.
Lane 1 - Sermon CDs: The Casas tape ministry which records all of the sermons here has graciously allowed a Global Outreach volunteer to stop by and pick up a sermon CD each Sunday. This volunteer then converts and compiles three months worth of sermons in MP3 format on one CD that can be played on a computer or an MP3 compatible CD player. These quarterly sermon CDs will then be made available for pick up in the global out reach office. Once you have picked up these CDs you can take an offering from the members of the Sending Team and send these CDs to them via the Postal Service. What is nice about CDs is that they are fairly inexpensive to ship because they are relatively small in size and Pros generally do not run into much difficulty receiving them as a package. For those of you who serve on Sending Teams for Pros who are in sensitive or high-security countries, these CDs can be saved until a person is traveling to that area and can hand deliver the CDs, or until the Pro comes home for a visit and you can give them the CDs in person.
Lane 2 - The essentials: Let’s not forget that phone calls, emails are the essential ways of connecting to our Pro. Each of these is discussed in greater detail in other sections of this booklet.
Lane 3 - Gifts and tokens of remembrance: Send Birthday and Christmas Cards and even small gifts for holidays. Sending these types of things will really communicate love and connection to your Pro. I cannot explain in words how much it will mean to them when you send their child a card or small gift on their birthday.
A note about packages: Some Pros live and work in areas of the world where they simply cannot receive packages either for security concerns or because of an inefficient or corrupt postal system in that area of the world. You will want to clarify with your Pro the best ways of sending packages to them before you decide to do so. In some countries due the inefficiency and expense, your Pro could end up waiting for months to get the package out of the postal system and end up paying double or triple the value of its contents just to pick the package up. Remember we don’t want to burden our Pros, we want to connect and care for them.
There are many other ways of connecting Casas to her Pros and connecting our Pros to Casas that are not mentioned here. Things will come out as your Sending Team prays and brainstorms and as you pursue this relationship and determine to remain connected. What is most important is to just step out and begin to do all you can to keep Casas Pros connected to Casas and to keep Casas connected to them. Many of the suggestions in this booklet have come from members of Sending Teams just like yours. Together lets dream that all of our Pros will feel as connected to Casas as they did when the day the stepped forward and said, “Here we are God, send us. We are ready to join you in the adventure of expanding your kingdom.”
E-mail Guidelines & Sample Emails
Things to keep in mind
Your Pro probably receives a lot of e-mails on a daily basis. They will really appreciate your note but out of understanding write brief but meaningful emails. Don’t necessarily expect a response; maybe even let them know they don’t need to respond, that you are just saying hi. However, when you have specific questions and do need a response please ask and let them know that you are awaiting their response.
Your Pro may not yet know everyone from your Bible Fellowship Class by name, so introduce yourself and mention which Bible Fellowship you are writing from.
Your Pro may be in an area where their e-mail is monitored so keep in mind which words to use and which words to stay away from when writing to your Pro.
They know Tucson and are curious as to what’s going on in Tucson. So mention local news and weather and other Tucson related topics. This is also true for new developments at Casas.
Language
In restrictive areas do not use words like: Jesus, God, Church, Christian, Muslim, Pray, Bible, baptize(ism), gospel, evangelical(ism), Theology and most of all do not use the word missionary!
Alternative words
Jesus= CEO, boss, greatest/best friend
Christian= follower, brother/sister, family
God= Father/your Father, Boss, etc.
Church= Club, our group, Roger’s office, etc.
Bible= books, the book, the manual
Pray= yarp, lift up, request, make mention etc.
Evangelism= sharing, sharing good words, introducing them to my Father, etc.
Missionary= Pro, worker, global worker, etc.
Sample e-mail to worker in non restrictive country
Dear _____,
Hi I am _____ from the _____ class at Casas. I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know I have been praying during my quiet time for you, your family and the work you are a part of. We have as a class been lifting up the needs you made us aware of on Sunday mornings. How are those things going? You know the story you shared with us has really impacted my life\thinking \praying in this certain way (be specific and honest) Thank you for sharing it.
In Tucson its about a 150 degrees out today and they have finally built a freeway system here, (we can hope can’t we). Roger had a great message on Sunday it was about expanding God’s kingdom to the farthest ends of the world and it made me think of you and the work you are doing. I am so glad that our class can be connected with you in this way. Please let us know if there are any new things we can be praying about with you.
The Lord bless you,
_____ from _____ Sunday morning Bible Fellowship
Sample e-mail to worker in restrictive country
Dear _____,
Hi I am _____ from the _____ class at Casas. I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know I have been lifting up during my quiet time you, your family and the work you are a part of. We have as a class been lifting up the needs you made us aware of when we met together. How are those things going? You know the story you shared with us has really impacted my life\thinking \talking to my Father in this certain way (be specific and honest) Thank you for sharing it.
In Tucson it’s about a 150 degrees out today and they have finally built a freeway system here, (we can hope can’t we). Roger had a great talk when our club met. It was about expanding Your Father’s Business to the farthest ends of the world and it made me think of you and the work you are doing. I am so glad that our class can be connected with you in this way. Please let us know if there are any new things we can be making mention of with you.
Peace to you,
Blank from blank class
An important way for your class to keep Casas connected to God’s expanding kingdom and to keep our Pro’s connected to Casas is through phone calls.
The GO Team has a speakerphone that your class can use to call your Pro on a Sunday morning. Your class should call your Casas Pro once a quarter from your Bible Fellowship Class.
Steps to making the call
1. E-mail your Pro and set up an appropriate date and time to make the call.
2. Confirm that the time will work for your class
3. Check with the GO Team by calling Stacy Brice to confirm the phone is available at that time. Stacy can be reached at 878-1116 or stacyb@casaschurch.org (Often the phone can be made available for pick up from the church office)
4. Take the phone to class early and test that the call will work
5. Make the call at the appropriate time with the class
6. Involve everyone in the class in the call
Things to keep in mind
· Make the call brief but long enough to establish a relational connection
· Use appropriate language. Remember: the call may be monitored
· Let your Pro know that you pray for them and ask for prayer requests
Language guidelines for Pro’s in sensitive areas:
In restrictive areas do not use words like: Jesus, God, church, Christian, pray, Bible, baptize(ism), gospel, evangelical(ism), theology and most of all do not use the word missionary!
Alternative words:
Jesus= CEO, boss, greatest/best friend
God= Father/your Father, Boss, etc.
Church= Club, our group, Roger’s office, etc.
Christian= follower, brother/sister, family
Pray= yarp, lift up, request, make mention etc.
Bible= books, the book, the manual
Evangelism= sharing, sharing good words, introducing them to my Father, etc.
Missionary= Pro, worker, global worker, etc.
Sample phone call script
Hi _______ this is the ________ class,
How are you doing? What time is it there? It’s so good to hear your voice. We will be lifting you up today. Is there anything specific on your heart right now that we could lift up? This morning Roger talked about… Today in class we will be exploring…. Do you have any stories that you think would illustrate our lesson? How is your family? In Tucson today it’s 109 degrees outside and the latest news is…
We are so grateful to be connected with you. Thank you for taking the time to allow us to call you; we will be lifting you up to the Father today. Remember the blank class loves you.
Goodbye.
Get everyone involved:
Of course you won’t use this script word for word, it is meant to be a guideline. One of the most important things to do in making the call is to get everyone in the class involved. You can do this by assigning members of the class questions to ask your Pro or something to tell them about the class. Even if you get Joe Shmoe to say to your Pro, “Hi Pro I am Joe and my shoes are brown,” you have succeeded.
One of the core elements of a Sending Team is to represent your Pro to Casas while they are serving God in some of the most spiritually and physically needy areas of the world. This
really helps to both keep Casas Pros connected to Casas in a way they haven’t ever been and it helps keep Casas connected to God’s expanding kingdom in a way Casas has never been before. This kind of reciprocal connection of Casas to the expanding kingdom of God and Casas Pros to Casas will increase the spiritual health of our church as a whole. (1Co 12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.) Like Paul says in this passage we are all one and all apart of the same work.
There are two main ways a Sending Team can represent their worker at Casas: Street Fair and A Pro in the Plaza.
Every year the people of Casas commit to give and to pray so our church can help spread the Gospel to least-reached people groups around the world. Then every year Casas has a huge party – the Global Outreach Street Fair – to celebrate how God has used our gifts and prayers to expand His kingdom. The Street Fair is a picture of our Global Outreach Pledges at work.
When the people of Casas see booths representing the missionaries Casas supports, they are encouraged and reassured that their gifts and prayers are actually accomplishing something in God’s kingdom. And when our missionaries know there is a booth representing them at the Street Fair they are encouraged that their church hasn’t forgotten them. When new people learn about the missionary through the booth, some may even want to join your Sending Team/ Bible Fellowship so they can be connected to your missionary, too.
Your Sending Team can play a key role in helping Casas celebrate how God uses our missionaries by setting up a booth at the next Street Fair. You can include some pictures and
cultural objects (like toys, food, clothes, or music) from your missionary’s country and then join the party by talking with people as they come by. Casas will Provide ideas and training and some resources to help. Your missionary may even have a Bible Fellowship as well as a Sending Team – so you could work together with others to make a fun, interactive booth.
Sending Team Table in the Plaza Guidelines
Three times a year Sending Teams can host a table in the plaza to help the people of Casas gain an understanding of who the missionaries or “PROS ” of Casas are!. We call this “A Pro in the Plaza”. The following Guidelines will help you to gain a better understanding of what “A Pro in the Plaza” is all about and how to go about representing your Pro in this way.
Steps:
Table reservations need to be made with Casas two weeks in advance and be accompanied with a blurb in the bulletin. The blurb will be written by Scott B. We can set up a yearly schedule based upon the first time you represent your missionary in the plaza.
Guidelines for table:
1. Table could have a poster with pictures of the missionary, a map showing where they serve, who the people group is, and how to pray for the people group, the Pro and their family.
2. The Table should be interactive and fun. Some ideas are; to give away exotic international goodies, hand out trinkets, bookmarks, beads or any small tangible reminders of the missionary you are representing and the work that they do.
3. Have a sign-up sheet for people who are interested in getting more involved and may potentially join the Sending Team.
4. Communicate with the Bible Fellowship that your missionary is partnered with (if there is one) and let them know when the table will be in the plaza. The partnering Bible Fellowship may want to help man the table.
For scheduling and questions please contact Tom Hopkins at tomh@casaschurch.org or 878-1187
Things to keep in mind
When your Pro left to join God in the adventure of His expanding kingdom, they moved to another part of the world. This most likely means that they have sold their house and their cars and that their belongings are now in another part of the world. Though they may have once lived here and perhaps still consider this home, they are, in a sense, visitors. This means that they may need some very practical help when they return home with things like housing and transportation. Above all you can make the difference in how welcome they feel when they arrive.
Welcoming
When an astronaut returns from space or a sports team returns from the championship game, they are usually welcomed by crowds with banners and signs and balloons at the airport, escorted to a waiting car and a parade or festival held in their honor. Are not these friends of ours who have stepped out to join God in the adventure of expanding His global enterprise no less heroes or great adventure’s as are astronauts? Of course they are and they should be welcomed home as such. I love the following passage in the Bible, Galatians 2:9 So when James, Cephas, and John (who were reputed to be leaders) recognized the grace that had been given me, they gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcised. Here Paul says that when he and Barnabas returned to Jerusalem they were given the right hand of fellowship by the apostles. This is how our Pros should be welcomed and you as a Sending Team are the front line of defense to make sure our Pros are receiving a welcome worthy of their calling. Below are some ideas of things you can do to welcome your Pro.
Housing
Since most likely Your Pro no longer has a house in this part of the world, they may need your help finding a place to stay. When you learn of your Pro’s upcoming visit, you should ask them if they have already arranged housing. If not you can help. Here are a few options:
Family in Town
Your Pro may have family in town and already arranged to stay with them. Perfect!
The Casas House
As you know Casas owns a house for the sole purpose of housing visiting Pros. There are careful policies for the use of this house and a reservation Process which has been included in this booklet please refer to it before this option is suggested.
Staying with a Casas family
There are a number of Casas families who love to house visiting Pros; you may want to house them yourselves. Now Pros visits can be lengthy at times, this is known as their Stateside assignment or Furlough so you may want to arrange several families with whom they can stay over the course of their visit. Please contact the Global Outreach staff for help if you decide to go this route.
Other options
If you get stuck. Please consult the Global Outreach staff to discuss some other options.
Transportation
Assuming that your Pro no longer has a vehicle in the States. You may want to help your Pro arrange to have transportation during their visit, especially knowing that public transportation in Northwest Tucson and Oro Valley is virtually non existent. First, as always, check with your Pro to see if this is even an issue during their visit. Remember this is something your Pro is completely capable of arranging-you are just trying to help, not do it all. If they do need your help arranging transportation there are people at Casas who have extra vehicles and would love to minister to the body of Christ by loaning them out to a visiting Pro. Please consult the Global Outreach staff if you get to a dead-end on the arranging transportation for your Pro’s visit.
Meet them at the airport
Find out if they have a ride from the airport when you first hear of their upcoming visit. Even if they have a ride, your Sending Team can still meet them at the airport with signs, balloons and banners if appropriate. If your Pro is a raging introvert then perhaps you should forego the confetti, balloons, signs and banners. However I’m sure they would be glad just to see you there.
Warming up the place they will stay
Once you know housing has been arranged for your Pros visit. Drop by and warm the place up a little. Go there ahead of time and just make sure they have some food in the fridge, something for breakfast, and that the place feels welcoming. I suggest hanging up a banner that says “Welcome”, arrange a fruit basket on a table or counter and a little card that just says hey were glad you’re here we love you. If your Pro is partnered with a Bible Fellowship connect with them and perhaps your team and members of the Bible Fellowship can go warm up the place together.
Pot luck reception
Host a potluck with your Sending Team and other friends of your Pro after they have arrived and have had time to rest and adjust to any time zone differences. You can also connect with any Bible Fellowships that your Pro is partnered with and invite them to not only attend this potluck but to plan it with you. Remember this potluck should be a time of celebration and reception with a festival-like atmosphere.
A Meet a Pro Event at Casas
(in conjunction with the Global Outreach staff): Occasionally Casas Global Outreach hosts special events like lunches, dinners or desserts giving the larger body of Casas an opportunity to rub shoulders with a Pro. When you know the dates of your Pros visit connect with the Global Outreach staff to see if this is something they were planning on doing. If so, they can and would be happy to help plan and advertise for such and event. This is a great way to connect Casas to the adventure of God’s expanding enterprise through its Pros!
Partner with a Pro
When you learn of your Pros visit, connect with the Bible Fellowship that your Pro is connected to (if any), remind them that your Pro is going to be in town. These Bible Fellowships will then invite your Pro to share in their class during their visit. If you are not sure which, (if any), Bible Fellowships your Pro is connected to, please contact the Global Outreach staff.
These are all great ways you as a Sending Team can both minister to your Pro and to Casas as you our Pros.
You have now become part of a team supporting a Pro on the field. You pray for them, send them cards and emails, talk to them on the phone, and even chip in for Christmas gifts and anniversary greetings. Now your Sending Team is ready to send people to visit your Pro. What’s the next step?
Pray! Ask God to lead you in this endeavor.
Contact your Pro. Check to see if one season is better than another or if the field is appropriate for you to visit.
Contact Global Outreach. Claudia Mann and the GO Team will be able to help you plan your journey so it can be effective and fit under Casas’ umbrella (claudiam@casaschurch.org or 878-1189).
Fill out a Global Teams Application. Casas wants to bless you as you go to represent us in the world. (Download yours at GoCasas.com/GT.htm.)
Attend the Team Trainings offered in the spring. The trainings will help you learn to interact in an appropriate way with your Pro and their culture, stay safe with food and travel, and include others in prayer and financial investment in your trip.
Financial Note for Sending Teams
Our church as a large body seeks to be good senders. On a church level, Casas directly contributes financially to the support package of your Pro. As each of us as give and designate on our checks Casas Global Outreach, those funds help support your Pro. On an individual level, some of you support your Pro directly as well. On a Sending Team level, you do not have a financial commitment to your Pro. Many missionaries have ongoing financial needs and will communicate those needs in their regular newsletters, but the church is not expecting you to give financially to your Pro beyond your normal giving to Global Outreach. However, you do have the chance to be the Sending Team at Casas who are the best senders as you pray, write, call, receive, and visit your Casas Pro.
What Casas Pro’s have to say about
Sending Teams
The following are some paraphrased quotes that I myself have heard from Pros aka missionaries, as they spoke with excitement about Sending Teams.
“We love it!”
“We have never been so connected”
“Our co-workers are so jealous.”
As you can see from these quotes, Casas Pros are connected to Casas in a way they have never been before, and they love it! Imagine that you are a Casas Pro. You have joined Jesus in the adventure of His global Enterprise. You live in a culture very different from your own, very different from that hometown you grew up in. A culture where even the most mundane daily tasks seem so hard and take forever to accomplish, you know that you have joined Jesus, but the culture is so different, the work is so hard, you feel so alone and home seems a very long way away. Now imagine just as you think that thought, you remember it’s Tuesday night back home and that means that in the home of one of your friends a group is gathering. They are eating and sharing stories, they begin to pray. They are all there for you. They are your Sending Team. At that moment you realize you are not alone in this work. You begin to feel pretty special and even responsible to press on. As you think this thought, the cell phone in your pocket rings. It’s them. Your Sending Team. And a smile breaks out across your face as you wipe the tear from your right eye.
Resources & Links
The following is a brief list of other resources to help you in you in the ministry of a Sending Team.
Serving As Senders by Neil Pirolo - When helping to put together the ministry of Sending Teams at Casas I talked with other churches wrestling with the same issues and asked them what they did. Some of them responded saying, “Well we just give people Serving As Senders”, telling me that they formed their entire Missionary Care Ministry around this book.
The Reentry Team by Neil Pirolo – Another great resource and sort of follow up to Serving As Senders. Apparently Neil realized after the publication of Serving As Senders that among the areas of missionary Care reentry is the least understood and one of the most important.
Doing Member Care Well edited by Kelly Odonnell
