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Accrediting Mission Teams at Xenos III

H. Financial Support Policy for Xenos Missionaries

At any given time, there may be a number of Xenos members involved in missions ministries which require various levels of financial support. In order to promote equitable access to funding from sources within Xenos, and to protect Xenos members from excessive solicitation, we ask that candidates follow these guidelines when seeking support.

1. Because Xenos should be significantly involved in the selection process and financial support of members who wish to be missionaries:
   • Only accredited missionaries will be approved to raise support from the Xenos community as a whole
   • We discourage missionaries or candidates from support raising within Xenos (other than among family and close friends) without first fully completing the accreditation process; and
   • We advise Xenos members to direct their missions dollars to accredited Xenos missionaries, because when a team has been accredited, they have demonstrated that their mission is needed, feasible, strategic and appropriate.
2. Establishing support amounts to be given to missionaries is dependent, among other things, upon:
   • Current level of giving by the church to the General Fund;
   • The number of requests for financial support;
   • The amount of support already committed to other accredited missionaries;
   • The status of previously accredited missionaries' support raising; and
   • The amount of support requested and the term for which it is needed.
3. We assume that many short-term ministries (i.e., less than six months) can be self-supported (i.e., trip financed by personal savings, family, etc.,).
4. Normally, a maximum of 60% of a missionary's total support will be provided from within Xenos. The rest is to be raised from family, close friends, and others outside Xenos. In this way, those outside Xenos who would naturally desire to participate in the ministry can do so. At the same time, vision for the particular ministry is spread beyond Xenos.

Three Types of Financial Support From Xenos:

1. Regular support from World Ministries budget

• This kind of support is infrequently granted.
• In this case, a line item would be included in the annual World Ministries budget and funds raised through regular collections.
• Generally, those who receive support from the missions budget will not be endorsed to solicit from individual Xenos members.
• This kind of support must be approved by the elders.
• Generally, this type of support would be administered by the missionaries' Home Support team in cooperation with the World Ministries Director.

2. One-time gift from World Ministries budget.

• This kind of support is infrequently granted.
• Typically such gifts will be designated for outgoing expenses such as travel and set-up costs rather than on-going expenses.
• This kind of support must be approved by the elders.

3. Personal support-raising within Xenos

• Studies have shown that most Christians prefer to contribute both to the church budget and beyond that to individual missionaries. Personal support can increase the amount of giving to missions as well as increase the donor's personal involvement and ownership of the missionary's ministry. Missionaries benefit from having a more personal connection with supporters.
• The missionary agrees that it is their responsibility to communicate to members that this kind of personal support should be provided over and above their regular giving commitment to the church.
• Generally, missionaries are not permitted to do mass mailings to members for fund-raising purposes. However, the church mailing list will be available to accredited missionaries to help in setting up interviews. This rule avoids excessive mailings to our membership.
• During the accreditation process, missionaries who desire to raise personal support must include the following information in their Memo of Understanding:
  • Amount of support to be raised within Xenos: How much support does the candidate want to raise within the church? This figure should be shown as both a dollar amount and a percentage of the total support needs.
  • Term of support: How long will the candidate need this amount (e.g., one-time, 1 yr., 2 yrs., indefinite, etc.)?
  • Sphere of appeal: Who will the candidate attempt to raise this amount from? For example, appeals might be limited to friends and individuals on the candidate's ministry team and/or home group.
  • Marketing plan: How will the fundraising be conducted (e.g., personal letters, home group presentations, special fund-raisers, etc.)? How will the World Ministries Department and/or the Communications Group assist in fundraising?
  • Duration of fundraising: How long will the candidate attempt to raise the necessary funds? By when will the candidate need to have their fund raising completed?
• Accredited missionaries agree to conduct all fund-raising activities in accordance with this policy and with any other provisions stipulated by the World Ministries Department in their Memo of Understanding.
• Accredited missionaries agree to use all support funds from Xenos for the purpose for which they are raised.

I. Accreditation Process for Short-Term Missionaries

Notes:

1. Short-Term is defined as six months or less.
2. As noted in Prerequisites for Accreditation, we assume that at some point during this process, the candidate's mission agency will have contacted the World Ministries Department regarding the candidate's application for service. This is normally done through a reference form.

Step One: Initial Contact with Missions Department.

Candidate contacts World Ministries Department staff (Phone: 823-6500) to briefly describe nature of the ministry and agency they are considering applying for. The World Ministries Department staff person will explain the accreditation process and send the necessary application materials to candidate.

Step Two: Application

Candidate completes and returns to the World Ministries Department the Accreditation Application for Short-Term Missionaries.

Step Three: Consultation #1

The World Ministries Department staff schedules a consultation with the candidate to discuss their application and the kinds and levels of support desired.

Step Four: Evaluation #1

The World Ministries Department staff will determine, in consultation with the Evangelism/Missions Division Coordinator, whether or not to proceed to Step Five. (The consultant may need to go back to Step Three to gather more information before the evaluation can be completed.)

Step Five: Consultation #2

The World Ministries Department staff schedules a consultation with the candidate to negotiate the kinds and levels of support to be provided by Xenos, pending accreditation. A Memo of Understanding is drafted by the candidate and submitted to the staff person which details the support to be received.

Step Six: Evaluation #2

The Memo of Understanding is evaluated by the World Ministries Department staff and Evangelism/Missions Division Coordinator. Changes on the Memo of Understanding may be suggested to the candidate at this time. (The consultant may need to go back to Step Five to gather more information before the evaluation can be completed.)

Step Seven: Final Approval

The World Ministries Department staff, the Elders, and the Evangelism/Missions Coordinator will make a final decision regarding accreditation and will inform the candidate. One of three decisions will be made:

• Accreditation approved
• Accreditation unapproved
• Revisions needed before accreditation approved (in this case, return to Step Five).

In cases where accreditation is denied, candidates will be given the reasons which lead to the decision and will have opportunity to reapply for accreditation at a later time, if desired.

J. Accreditation Process for
Intermediate-Term and Career Missionaries

Notes:

1. Term definitions:
   • Intermediate-term: six months to two years
   • Career: the candidate has committed to more than two years of service with the intention of making missions service a career ministry.
2. As noted in Prerequisites for Accreditation, it is assumed that at some point during this process, the candidate's mission agency will have contacted the World Ministries Department regarding the candidate's application for service. This is normally done through a reference form.

Step One: Initial Contact with Missions Department.

Candidate contacts World Ministries Department staff (Phone: 823-6500) to briefly describe nature of the ministry and agency they are considering applying for. The World Ministries staff person will explain the accreditation process and send the necessary application materials to the candidate.

Step Two: Preliminary Application

Candidate completes and returns to the World Ministries Department the Preliminary Application.

Step Three: Consultation #1

The World Ministries Department staff schedules a consultation with the candidate to discuss their ministry goals and the Preliminary Application.

Step Four: Evaluation #1

After the consultation, the World Ministries Department staff will determine, in consultation with the Evangelism/Missions Division Coordinator, whether or not the applicant and his/her future ministry fit the basic prerequisites for accreditation. If so, approval is given to proceed to Step Five. (The consultant may need to go back to Step Three to gather more information before the evaluation can be completed.)

Step Five: Formal Application

Candidate completes and returns to the World Ministries Department the Formal Application.

Step Six: Consultation #2

The World Ministries Department staff schedules a consultation with the candidate to discuss the Formal Application and the kinds and levels of support desired.

Step Seven: Evaluation #2

The World Ministries Department staff will determine, in consultation with the Evangelism/Missions Division Coordinator, whether or not to proceed to Step Eight. (The consultant may need to go back to Step Six to gather more information before the evaluation can be completed.)

Step Eight: Consultation #3

The World Ministries Department staff will schedule a consultation with the candidate to negotiate the kinds and levels of support to be provided by Xenos, pending accreditation. A Memo of Understanding is drafted by the candidate and submitted to the staff person which details the support to be received.

Step Nine: Evaluation #3

The Memo of Understanding is evaluated by the World Ministries Department staff and the Evangelism/Missions Division Coordinator. Changes on the Memo of Understanding may be suggested to the candidate at this time. (The consultant may need to go back to Step Eight to gather more information before the evaluation can be completed.)

Step Ten: Final Approval

The World Ministries Department staff and the Evangelism/Missions Coordinator will make a recommendation to the Board of Elders for accreditation. The Elders will make one of three decisions:

• Accreditation approved
• Accreditation unapproved
• Revisions needed before accreditation approved (in this case, return to Step Eight).

In cases where accreditation is denied, candidates will be given the reasons which lead to the decision and will have opportunity to reapply for accreditation at a later time, if desired.

K. Attachments

1. Types of Missions Ministries: Handout

2. Process Checklist

3. Memo of Understanding: Template

4. Memo of Understanding: Example

5. Xenos Statement of Faith

6. Application

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