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Accrediting Mission Teams at Xenos II

E. Prerequisites for Accreditation

1. Candidates must exhibit a genuine commitment to Jesus Christ, spiritual growth, and ministry.
2. Candidates must be committed members of Xenos Christian Fellowship as evidenced by regular, committed participation in fellowship, giving, and ministry and agreement with Xenos' Statement of Faith.
3. The candidate's mission agency must seek the input of the World Ministries Department in their evaluation/selection process. This is usually done through a reference form or interview. As a general rule of thumb, candidates who apply with agencies who do not seek the input of the local church in the selection process will not be accredited.
4. Applicants for intermediate-term and career service must be servant team members. Membership in the Xenos Servant Team entails a number of requirements in personal life, education experience and commitment.
5. Candidates must sufficiently complete all requirements listed below in Accreditation Processes, Sections I and J.

F. Requirements For Accredited Missionaries

1. Missionaries accredited by Xenos Christian Fellowship will fulfill their responsibility in the following ways:
   • Maintain their membership, in good standing, in the agency with which they serve.
   • Maintain appropriate standards in Christian character and behavior.
   • Report any major changes in their job or ministry descriptions on the field.
   • Provide, upon request, annual goals and/or an evaluation of progress towards ministry goals. Evaluations may be provided by the mission agency; applicable to intermediate-term and career missionaries only.
   • Communicate at least once per quarter with the World Ministries Department (regular prayer letters are sufficient).
   • Conduct all fund-raising activities in accordance with Xenos' Financial Support Policy for Missionaries (see Section H below), and with any other agreements negotiated with the World Ministries Department during the accreditation process.
   • Use all support moneys from Xenos for the purpose for which they are raised.
   • Keep the World Ministries Department informed of progress towards getting to the field assignment. Normally, this is done through monthly Status Reports.
   • Meet with a World Ministries Department staff person for debriefing during home assignment. Short-term missionaries will be debriefed after the completion of their assignment.
2. Withdrawal of Accreditation: The following conditions may result in a withdrawal of accreditation:
   • The missionary fails to fulfill all of the above responsibilities.
   • The missionary fails to maintain appropriate standards in Christian character and behavior.
   • The mission agency dismisses the worker.
   • The mission agency evaluates the worker's ministry as unsatisfactory.
   • The missionary has major changes in his/her ministry description and/or field placement which take them beyond the scope of the original ministry.
3. In situations where one or more of these conditions exist, a review of the missionary's accreditation status will take place. The missionary will be notified in writing regarding the review. No decision will be made by the World Ministries Department regarding the missionary's accreditation status without first soliciting the missionary's and mission agency's input.
4. In cases of withdrawal of accreditation, means of support will be terminated within a time period negotiated between the missionary, Xenos and the sponsoring mission agency. In situations where a worker is receiving support from individuals in the church, the World Ministries Department will send a letter to all Xenos donors notifying them of the decision to withdraw accreditation.
5. If accreditation is withdrawn, a missionary would have the following recourses available to them:
   • Reapply and go back through the accreditation process. There would not be any guarantee that the missionary would be re-accredited and the candidate would have to demonstrated that they have satisfactorily resolved the issues which led to having their accreditation withdrawn.
   • Return to civilian life and get re-involved in the home church. For longer-term missionaries this would mean finding different employment. The church would help them in this process.
   • Seek to be reassigned by a missions agency apart from the support of this church.

G. Factors in Accrediting Missions Ministries

The following criteria express the characteristics of mission proposals, mission agencies, and missions candidates to whom Xenos presently gives priority in the accreditation process. As such, they will serve as a general guideline to help World Ministries Department staff evaluate a particular missions ministry. Please note that these are NOT requirements for a ministry to be accredited, but only serve as general guidelines and are subject to change. The criteria are not listed in order of importance.

1. The Missions Ministry

1. Need
   • The ministry uniquely meets a spiritual need;
   • Needs would most likely be unmet apart from the presence of this ministry;
   • There are insufficient numbers of mission workers and/or national believers to meet the need; and
   • The people group or geographical location has yet to be targeted by any evangelical mission efforts.
2. Type of work
   • The ministry directly involves or results in the planting of new churches.
3. Role of worker
   • The worker's role is clearly defined; and
   • The worker's role clearly contributes to the overall goal of the mission's ministry.
4. Door of opportunity
   • God has apparently opened a door for the gospel which was previously closed for spiritual, political or social reasons.
5. Responsiveness of field
   • The target people group or geographical location is known or believed to be responsive to the gospel.
6. Strategic value
   • The ministry can be a key in reaching an entire city, region, country or country now closed to the gospel.
7. Duplication potential
   • The ministry is conducted on principles and practices which can be duplicated in other places or among other people groups.
8. Focus
   • The ministry has a specific and clear purpose; and
   • The ministry has specific, objective and measurable ministry goals.
9. Training of nationals
   • The ministry has a clear philosophy regarding the necessity of training nationals for ministry leadership; and
   • If possible, the ministry has national believers in key positions of leadership.
10. Cost-effectiveness
    • The expected fruit of the ministry justifies the expense of the ministry.
11. Financial Support levels
    • Financial support levels are set with the goal of meeting the needs of the worker and financing his/her ministry while at the same time being sensitive to the living standards of the national population.
12. Team Ministry
    • The missionary or couple functions on the field as part of a team with a common purpose.
13. Term of service
    • The term of service is of sufficient length to bear spiritual fruit and to meet the ministry's stated goals.

2. The Missions Agency

1. Reputation
   • The agency has a solid reputation with other agencies and evangelical churches and is a member in good standing with either IFMA (International Foreign Mission Association) or EFMA (Evangelical Foreign Missions Association).
2. Statement of faith
   • The agency has a Statement of Faith which is compatible with Xenos' Statement of Faith in essential areas.
3. Policies and Practices
   • The agency has clearly defined policies; and
   • The agency's policies are generally compatible with Xenos' concepts of ministry and Christian living.
4. Experience in field of service
   • The agency has experience in the target location or among the target people group; or
   • The agency has experience in equivalent locations or people groups.
5. Financial accountability
   • The agency is a member of EFCA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) or gives other satisfaction to the board of appropriate financial accountability.
6. Relationship with the local church
   • The agency has a clearly defined philosophy regarding the importance and role of the local church in the sending of missionaries; and
   • The agency treats the local church as an equal partner in selecting, evaluating, and sending missionaries.
7. Assessment of potential workers
   • The agency has means to assess character qualifications, spiritual gifts and ministry experience of the candidate.
8. Provisions for training of worker
   • The agency provides any necessary training and/or gives guidance in obtaining such.
9. Provisions for the supervision and accountability for the worker
   • The agency is able to clearly show how the worker will be supervised on the field; and,
   • The agency is able to demonstrate the means by which the worker's ministry will be evaluated.
10. Provisions for personal and spiritual care of the worker
    • The agency is able to demonstrate the means by which the worker's personal and spiritual needs will be ministered to.

3. The Missions Candidate

Candidates for World Ministries need to belong to the Xenos Servant Team. The requirements for belonging to the team include the following items plus a number of additional requirements. These items are also important.

1. Commitment to Christ and spiritual growth
   • The candidate is able to articulate the nature of his/her commitment to Christ;
   • The candidate is able to demonstrate a consistent walk with Christ over a period of time; and
   • The candidate is able to identify areas of growth and change Christ has brought about in his/her life.
2. Commitment to fellowship and ministry
   • The candidate can demonstrate a consistent commitment to fellowshipping with other believers; and
   • The candidate has a history of committed, sacrificial service within the church.
3. Commitment to financial stewardship
   • The candidate can demonstrate they are financially responsible; and
   • The candidate can demonstrate a pattern of sacrificial giving.
4. Interpersonal Relationships
   • The candidate has developed close relationships with other believers; and
   • The candidate has a history of getting along well with co-workers.
5. Gifting suited to potential role
   • The candidate can demonstrate he/she has exercised the spiritual gifts necessary for his/her potential missions role.
6. Ministry experience suited to potential role
   • The candidate has ministry experience related to his/her potential role.
7. Moral and character qualifications commensurate with potential role
   • Intermediate-term and career candidates exhibit the qualifications of deacons found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13; and
   • Those who function as leaders on the field exhibit the qualifications for elders listed in 1 Timothy 3:2-7
8. Passion for their potential role
   • The candidate exhibits a passion and burden for their future ministry role.
9. Working under spiritual leadership
   • The candidate has a history of cooperation with spiritual leaders.
10. Biblical training and knowledge commensurate with potential role
    • The candidate has a clear understanding of basic Christian doctrine; and
    • The candidate has a level of training and a working knowledge of the scriptures commensurate with their future ministry role.
11. Marriage
    • If married, the candidates demonstrate a stable and growing relationship; and
    • Both partners in the marriage have a common vision for the missions ministry.
12. Submission to the mission agency's policies
    • The candidate has read, understood, and is willing to live under the policies and practices of the mission agency.
13. Statement of Faith
    • The candidate agrees with the statements of faith of Xenos and their mission agency.
14. References from church leadership
    • The candidate is spoken well of by church leaders with whom he/she has co-labored.
15. References from close relationships
    • The candidate is spoken well of by Christian friends.

4. Xenos Missions Proposals

1. Continuity of the work to other accredited Xenos missions ministries
   • The new ministry contributes to, or is an extension of, previously accredited Xenos missions ministries.
2. Current missions focus of the church
   • The ministry is part of the current missions thrust or strategy of the church.
3. Current commitments to supported missionaries.
   • Xenos is able to support the new ministry without detriment to prior commitments to other accredited missionaries.
4. The financial resources and priorities of the church
   • In regards to financial support, Xenos has the resources available to support the candidate up and above prior financial commitments reflected in the General Fund and any special projects.

Read on to the next section in "Missionary Accreditation"

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