Notes from the Quad (Racheal Barnett)

How can GBGM be helpful to the local conference in the promotion of missionaries?

• Information that goes to conference staff, CCMP, CSGM and Conference Chair of GM. We do our best to keep up with CSGM contact persons and the list changes on a weekly basis.
• It would helpful to us if the CSGM took our information/emails and dispersed that to interested persons and other AC advocates.
• Print resources for annual conferences.
• One sample package/kit of all the resources that are available from GBGM.
• A “cheat sheet” that lists where and how to order all the resources available from GBGM/WD.
• Increase promotion for The Missionary Voice.
• Promote myGBGM.
• Earlier notifications of missionary itineration. The current process sends notifications to CSGMs and supporting churches 6 months prior to a missionary’s itineration. Earlier notification would not be feasible or accurate as events and travel do change.
• Updates on Conference giving to missionary support. The Advance will keep CSGMs informed through quarterly reports of Covenanting and supporting churches throughout 2009. This information can always be requested from Rachael Barnett, rbarnett@gbgm-umc.org, but please know that we will do this on a quarterly basis.

How can the annual conference be helpful to GBGM in the promotion of missionaries?

• Meet the challenge of 10 new Covenant Relationships.
• Disseminate resources from GBGM – newsletter, websites, word of mouth, district trainings, personal testimonies, book missionaries so the local church can see a missionary.
• Use Mission Moments - Advance e-newsletter, Stories on web, Hallelujah Moments, prayer calendar.
• Separate the itineration job from other CSGM responsibilities so one person can focus on missionary support.
• Organize mission events at annual conferences, Global Ministries festival, etc
  Engage Board of Ordained Ministries
  Duplicate Dale Smith – Dale coordinates itineration and missionary support in Cal-Pac conference. Cal-Pac has the highest percentage of churches in a Covenant Relationship.
• Use the connection.
• Build a team – UMW, District Secretaries of GM, Retired Missionaries.
• CSGMs – Talk with Cabinet in your Annual Conference.
• Identify, Encourage, mentor possible young adult missionaries.
• GBOD – Utilize the Lay Speaking Mission Curriculum

What are some obstacles that hinder churches supporting a missionary?

• “Scarcity” theology instead of a theology of abundance.
• Fear overcomes faith. Refusing to do the paperwork.
• Ignorance – they don’t know about UMC in mission.
• Communication breakdowns – no one is telling the story.
• Conference restructuring and confusion.
• GBGM upheaval and past history.
• Lack of or limiting nature of Recognition.
• Drift away from theological foundation for mission.
• Outward vs. inward focus.
• Marketing – lack of.
  

What are some good tools/ideas to increase support for missionaries?

• Pictures of the supported missionaries on the conference website with a link to the missionary biography on GBGM website.
• Missionary Book for the conference put out annually. Many churches do not use the internet, but if put online it is cost –effective. Also, there are constant changes in missionary placements, personnel, etc. and keeping the info online instead of in print allows you to update the information in a timely fashion instead of having materials in print that are out of date.
• District Mission Secretaries – someone with a passion, preferably a lay person or a retried clergy available on Sunday.
• Secure time on the floor at annual conference; do something “weird” and creative; do something different each year – The Advance starts contacting ACs early (fall) and follows- up to keep our desire to be on the floor in front of the people making decisions.
• Send letters to someone in each church about itineration or other news.
• Lay CSGM make yourself available to preach or speak on Sundays in other churches.
• Give an annual award to one church and one individual for mission service at AC.
• Use the Sept/Oct 2008 issues of New World Outlook, “How To for Mission.”
• Get support from District Superintendent.
• When missionaries visit a church, the church should invite other churches to attend.
• When organizing itineration, call the churches with a specific date instead of waiting for church to respond.
• Use interation to garner support for missionaries that have few covenants, get them in front of churches to share their story ….no commitment necessary to hear them speak.
• Try to get churches to support missionaries that are already connected to the conference.
• Use video conferencing – telephone missionary during worship.
• Use missionary letters, emails, newsletters, websites.
• Central PA conference requires all new pastors in the conference to attend a seminar at GBGM.
• Get churches to cancel Sunday School classes so they can meet with the missionary.
• Small group contact with the missionary.
• Have a banquet with food from the missionary’s place of assignment.
• District mission saturation events increased Covenants from 6 to 10 and raised money for missionary support.
• Send a “how to do mission” form/letter to each church in conference.