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The Start of Something Big--with Your Help.
Venezuela Lutheran Mission
Partnership (VLMP) began in 2001 with
a handful of volunteers from Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod churches
in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. To accomplish the basic
administrative
functions of a new mission society requires all the energy and time
this
group has available.
To be truthful, we are
running as fast as our little legs can carry
us. And still there is so much to do in support of the Lutheran
Church of Venezuela. For VLMP really to be the start of something
big,
we need many more volunteers--perhaps even you.
Listed below are
descriptions of 13 needed task forces. With
modern communications available the task forces need not be limited by
geography. Please pray that the Lord of the Harvest will lead
interested people in far flung locales to join together to address
common goals by
means of email, fax, conference calls, overnight mail, etc.
Please do the following:
- Read through the
list.
- Note where
your passions and abilities lie.
- Pray about
joining a task force.
- Let us know, if
God leads you to volunteer.
You can contact us by:
Be sure to include your
name, address, email, phone(s), fax, and the task force you
select. Tell us a bit about yourself: family situation, church,
present work,
past experience, areas of expertise, and any other pertinent
information.
Task Force Purpose:
1. Annual
Meeting: to facilitate this fiesta.
2.
Publicity:
to get the word out and rally support.
3.
Prayer: to
coordinate and promote prayer support.
4.
Making Amigos:
to develop ongoing Venezuelan friendships.
5.
Theological
Education: to train pastors and church leaders.
6.
Short-term
Mission Trips: to provide mission experiences.
7.
Financial
Projects: to meet needs for funds and materials.
8.
Development:
to establish a solid financial base.
9.
Self-sufficient:
to develop micro-businesses in Venezuela.
10.
Children:
to promote missions among children in the US.
11.
Global Mission:
to promote missions among Venezuelans.
12.
Missionary Care:
to serve the needs of missionaries.
13.
Missionary
Recruitment: to call and prepare missionaries.
Won't it be great when
these task forces are functioning?
1. Annual
Meeting
Goal:
To facilitate an event, which encourages members and associates of VLMP
and communicates the goals and objectives of VLMP to guests at the
event. The date and time for the annual meeting will be established by
VLMP Directors based on the task force's recommendation.
The task
force will:
- Plan, organize,
and arrange an annual meeting of the Venezuela Lutheran Mission
Partnership.
- Provide for
informative as well as entertaining presentations at the event.
- Invite all past
short-term missionaries to the event.
- Invite any
available missionaries or ILV members.
- Invite all
members of VLMP and its mailing lists.
- Communicate an
open invitation to the event to members of churches involved in VLMP.
- Operate within
the budget established by VLMP and provide an accounting of all
finances
used.
Abilities
and
spiritual gifts used: hospitality, encouragement,communication,
organizational
skills, culinary skills.
Return
to Task Forces (top of page)
2. Publicity
Goal: To
rally spiritual and financial support for the Venezuela Lutheran
Mission Partnership, through ongoing promotion and communication to
VLMP members and wider audiences.
The task
force will:
- Produce (and
update as necessary) an introductory VLMP brochure.
- Regularly
publish a VLMP newsletter.
- Create and
maintain a VLMP Web site.
- Receive,
distribute, and post on the Web "Vanguardia" and missionary letters.
- Promote
periodic coverage in church and mission-oriented magazines, newsletters
and other media.
- Build
relationships with representatives of various media.
Abilities
and
spiritual gifts used: administration, communication, media
experience, Web site design, graphic arts.
Return
to Task Forces (top of page)
3. Prayer
Goal: Coordinate
and promote prayer support for the ministry and outreach of the
Lutheran Church of Venezuela.
The task
force will:
- Communicate
regularly with ILV and SLEV members appointed to oversee prayer
ministry.
- Maintain a list
of people involved in the prayer ministry.
- Design and
implement strategies to receive and send prayer petitions, both regular
and urgent.
- Provide prayer
lists for VLMP publications and Web site.
- Promote prayer
within VLMP.
- Provide
training and advice regarding prayer and spiritual warfare.
Abilities
and
spiritual gifts used: administration, intercession, communication.
Return
to Task Forces (top of page)
4. Making
Amigos
Goal:
Develop ongoing friendships between VLMP members and Venezuelans.
The task force
will foster:
- Ongoing
personal
communication with Venezuelans following short-term missions.
- Communication
with ILV women and attendance at SOLUDAVE Gatherings.
- Communication
with ILV youth and attendance at ILV Youth Gatherings and the LCMS
Youth Gathering.
- Cursillo events
in Venezuela.
- Writing of
personal letters and testimonies.
- Production of a
Spanish AMISLUVEN brochure.
- Creative design
of other amigo-making methods.
Abilities and
spiritual gifts used: Hospitality, cross-cultural communication,
organizational skills.
Return
to Task Forces (top of page)
5. Theological
Education by Extension (TEE)
Goal:
To
assist the Theological Institute "Juan de Frias" to train leaders in
the
ILV.
The task
force will:
- Work in tandem
with leaders delegated by ILV and SLEV in this area.
- Help recruit
instructors.
- Help develop
courses.
- Enable
production of course materials (print, audiovisual, digital, etc.).
- Develop TEE
libraries and other resources.
- Implement other
assigned tasks.
Abilities
and
spiritual gifts used: Theological training, spiritual discernment,
teaching
experience, human resources management, media experience, computer
skills,
communication.
Return
to Task Forces (top of page)
6. Short-term
Mission Trips
Goal:
To provide opportunities to experience aspects of the Venezuelan
mission field on a short-term basis, while accomplishing projects or
tasks beneficial to ILV.
The
task force will:
- Be assigned
projects and/or tasks by VLMP which have been established by ILV and
agreed with by SLEV.
- Coordinate all
activities with the Volunteer Coordinator on-site in Venezuela.
- Prepare
volunteers spiritually, physically, and mentally for the trip and work.
- Encourage and
assist volunteers to raise their funding and prayer support.
- Help volunteers
communicate their mission to their home church and others before and
after the trip.
- Prepare
participants to place themselves under the direction of SLEV and ILV
while on the
mission field.
- Help
participants identify more with God's Great Commission and learn
specifically about God's work in Venezuela being done by SLEV and ILV.
- Debrief
volunteers to process the experience and to evaluate the effectiveness
of all activities.
Abilities
and
spiritual gifts used: Organization, teaching, communication,
encouragement, and prayer.
Return to Task Forces (top of page)
7. Financial
Projects
Goal:
To
address financial projects approved by ILV and SLEV.
The task force will:
- Identify and
promote financial projects approved by ILV and SLEV.
- Work in tandem
with leaders delegated by ILV and SLEV.
- Raise funds and
procure materials in accord with VLMP's fund raising policies.
- Identify and
recruit Christian experts in fields related to financial projects (e.g.
computer experts for computer purchases).
- Address other
infrastructure needs.
Abilities and
spiritual gifts used: Christian stewardship, business experience,
computer
literacy, communication.
Return
to Task Forces (top of page)
8. Development
Goal:
Establish a solid financial base for VLMP to assist the ILV.
The task force
will:
- Maintain a
focus on biblical principles of Christian stewardship and giving.
- Motivate on the
basis of responding to Christ's sacrifice for all of humanity so that
all
might be reconciled to the Father.
- Establish
biblical and efficient policies regarding fund raising and development.
- Organize
fund raising events and appeals in line with our policies.
- Propose
development strategies.
- Organize
financial appeals to individuals, congregations and former missionaries.
- Research grant
options and write grant proposals.
Abilities and
spiritual gifts used: Christian stewardship, organizational
skills, communication, development, grant writing.
Return
to Task Forces (top of page)
9.
Self-sufficient
Goal:
To
assist ILV in acquiring sufficient financial and human resources to
effectively carry out God's mission.
The task
force will:
- Work in tandem
with leaders delegated by ILV and SLEV in this area.
- Teach Biblical
principles of stewardship, tithing, spiritual gifts, etc.
- Develop
micro-enterprises to alleviate economic suffering, raise standards of
living, and increase offerings in the ILV.
- Offer and
manage micro-loans.
Abilities
and
spiritual gifts used: teaching, administration, economics,
financial management, business entrepreneurship.
Return
to Task Forces (top of page)
10. Children
Goal: To
promote mission awareness, prayer and participation among children in
North America and Venezuela.
The task force
will:
- Work in tandem
with leaders delegated by ILV and SLEV in this area.
- Develop for
children mission education materials pertinent to Venezuela.
- Teach mission
courses.
- Involve
children in cross-cultural mission experiences and activities.
- Organize
mission clubs for children.
Abilities and
spiritual gifts used: teaching, curriculum writing, printing, media
experience, music.
Return
to Task Forces (top of page)
11. Global
Mission
Goal: To
raise mission awareness, passion and involvement among the members and
churches of the ILV.
The task force will:
- Work in tandem
with leaders delegated by ILV and SLEV in this area.
- Teach the
Biblical story of God's mission, the history of missions, missiological
principles, and practical ways of assisting in God's global mission.
- Motivate ILV
members to have a heart for lost people near and far.
- Enable ILV
churches to develop a healthy program of global missions education and
activity.
- Identify
unreached ethnic groups within Venezuela and design strategies for
evangelizing
them.
- Offer
Venezuelans opportunities to do overseas mission work together with
VLMP or other mission agencies.
Abilities
and
spiritual gifts used: teaching, cross-cultural mission experience,
motivation,
encouragement, persuasion, communication.
Return
to Task Forces (top of page)
12.
Missionary Care
Goal: Minister
to the special needs of missionaries in Venezuela.
The task
force will:
- Encourage
individuals to regularly correspond with, encourage, and pray for
missionaries in Venezuela.
- Address special
needs of missionaries as needed.
- Assist with
transitions (moving, transportation, housing, education, etc.) at the
beginning and end of a home leave.
- Identify
churches where missionaries can speak and rally support for their
mission work.
- Recruit hosts
to open their homes to visiting missionaries.
- Organize
retreats and special events for missionaries.
- Assist with
transitional issues when returning permanently from Venezuela.
Abilities and
spiritual gifts used: hospitality, generosity, helping, mercy,
counseling,
prayer, friendship.
Return to Task Forces (top of page)
13.
Missionary
Recruitment
Goal:
To
assist individuals who have received a call into the mission field to
prepare
themselves and find a place to serve suited to the gifts God has given
them.
The task
force will:
- Raise awareness
of the need for cross-cultural Christian workers.
- Identify career
and volunteer missionary candidates.
- Counsel
candidates regarding appropriate preparation: spiritual, relational,
emotional,
and financial, as well as formal Bible training and missionary training.
- Assist
candidates to develop a long-term plan to get from Here to There.
- Mentor and pray
for candidates through the needed stages of preparation.
- Support
specific missionaries as needed.
Abilities
and
spiritual gifts used: mission experience, discernment, counseling,
mentoring,
encouragement, prayer.
Return
to Task Forces (top of page)
VLMP is
a member of ALMA, the Association of Lutheran Mission Agencies.
VLMP is legally incorporated in MN as a nonprofit corporation under MN
Statute Chapter 317A.
©2002
Venezuela Lutheran Mission Partnership. All rights reserved.
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