Memorandum of Understanding

This Memorandum of Understanding is being undertaken by the Asian Center for Missions, the Local Sending Church or Agency, the Receiving Church or Agency, and the Missionary, with regards to the training, equipping, facilitationof deployment, field supervision and the care of missionaries.

THE SPIRIT OF THIS MoU.

This MoU is founded on the recognition that we are all partners in reaping the end-time harvest and have a deep appreciation and respect for each other’s given roles towards the common purpose of bringing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the unreached in the world that they may worship and glorify God.

We are grateful for the gifts that the Lord has given our entities:

the local sending church for recognizing the call of God to the church in missions and in the life of the missionary, blessing and releasing them to the harvest field;
Asian Center for Missions, for its commitment to train and equip the missionaries, support and care for them in their missionary service to the Lord;
the local sending agency and its receiving arm for its commitment to reach the unreached in the world by leading, building them up and caring for them into a fruitful cross-cultural ministry;
Or the receiving church for its commitment to lead, support and care for the missionary in the field.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARTNERS.

As partners, we recognize and commit ourselves to the defined roles and responsibilities, as follows:

ASIAN CENTER FOR MISSIONS.

In keeping with our policies and procedures, we are responsible for the following:

1. Screening prior to training. Receive the applicants from the sending church and evaluate their fitness to be accepted to the Career Missionary Program.

2. Explains the Training Covenant, Memorandum of Understanding to the Sending Church and communicate with the same, appraisals and concerns during training.

3. Conducts the training and equipping in accord with the training covenant and the standards set forth by the organization.

4. Qualifies the missionary candidate after completing all preparation and training requirements, which includes but is not limited to the international exposure trip.

5. Match graduates with the right mission teams, receiving churches or ACM teams already in field.

6. Actively network with current and potential mission teams and agencies for mission opportunities and openings. Enter into formal agreements and partnerships with agencies that will promote stability and sustainability of the missions work in the field.

7. Supports the sending church and agency efforts in promoting awareness for the M’s work, mission field and missions in general. Educates local church leadership and supporters in practical ways of carrying out their roles and responsibilities in the work of missions, i.e. how to raise financial support, how to care for M’s in practical ways, how to promote mission, etc.

8. Process M’s for deployment to the field. As far as we are able, ensure their readiness and suitability for long-term work and deployment by looking into their emotional, spiritual, physical, psychological/mental health. This is done in coordination with the sending church and agency.

Provide pre-deployment requirements and pre-field orientation. Phil. Government requirements and target country requirements.

Facilitate travel and monetary arrangements and ensures compliance with pre-field requirements. Identification Cards will also be issued to missionaries, which are renewable yearly.

9. Missionary Care.

Joins the partners in providing for missionary care for the M’s in field through:

a. On-site M Care visits covering spiritual, physical, emotional, relational, organizational aspects and conducting personal development workshops;

b. Offer debriefing and counseling on-site or while on furlough; may refer cases to specialists as needed.

c. Monitors and maintains the active flow of communication among the partners as regards the status of the M, his life and ministry.

d. Offers the free use of the mission house for M’s covered by this MoU five-days prior to deployment and upon arrival from field.

The Sending Church and Agency:

Mutual Commitment and Accountability.

We commit to the missionary (M) and his family and the mission of God he represents. We take responsibility for them for the long-term, not just for the time they go. This commitment is expressed in the following means:

We (sending church) are the primary screening body for Missionary applicants and our responsibility is to help the candidate process his divine call for missions and ministry, to discern what God is saying to him in the “no” or “wait” or “go”.
Administrative: to give clear guidance concerning their duties to the home church and/or agency, expectations in the field, their relationship with other bodies, and their goals as well as clear job descriptions; To give specific guidance according to the defined mission of the church and/or agency; Provide country, location, ministry orientation and briefing prior to deployment of M’s.
Raising Financial support. We (the church) recognize our primary responsibility of raising the needed financial support by ___________________________. We (the agency) recognize our responsibility to assess and present the needs for the mission work objectively. We will assist the fundraising efforts of the missionary on training including the completion of the Training Bond (P 10,000) before or one month after the training starts.

Together, we will help the missionary make a sound financial program for his mission work and life in the field, which will be reviewed annually or during changes in field assignments.

We (the church) will appoint a support committee or convenor/coordinator who will ensure the regular financial support and other care resources for the missionary and his family.

Communications. We (the church and the sending agency) commit to communicate with supporters (and other supporting churches) on a regular basis by newsletters, emails, or home pages and other possible means. This includes regular and proper financial reports. We will organize mission services, mission updates, and prayer services.
Prayer, Pastoral Care and Visitation. We (the church) commit to provide spiritual guidance and counseling, which is separate from the administrative guidance. We recognize that M’s need a healthy outlet concerning their struggles without fear of censure. We can do this by sending inspirational message tapes, videos and books as a way to encourage them spiritually. We (S.C. and Agency) commit to pray for them regularly. Finances permitting, we will visit them for on-site pastoral care. We will clear with the sending agency before planning any visit for security or work related reasons. We (sending agency) also recognize that beyond the administrative oversight we will help promote spiritual health in the field through our receiving agency.
Physical and Psychological Care. We (church and sending agency) will see to it that prior to approval for training and deployment to the mission field, the M’s are in good health (physical and psychological). We will extend all possible assistance to providing for a good health care system for the M and his family, such as periodical health check and access to suitable doctors. We will also provide current social and political news from home through whatever convenient means.
Furlough Responsibilities. We (sending church and agency) will see to it that the returning/vacationing M’s will also have a most fruitful break by:

a) Provide housing. In cases where the M’s no longer have their family homes.

b) Receive and send off M’s. Help them cope with “reverse culture shock”. Convenors can organize/mobilize care resources.

c) Plan a deputation schedule. Coordinating schedules with supporting churches. Provide for a good time for rest, settling down and preparing for deputation work.

MK’s (missionary kids) and parents. We (sending church and agency):

a) Provide information about schooling. Helping with decisions

about whether to home school or attend local schools.

b) Assist MK financially. Plan a program with the missionary

parents about the financial implications of their choices and

agreeing on who is responsible for what.

c) MK’s cultural adjustment and other needs. Discuss and plan with M parents how to help children cope with M life in-field and upon return. Have a proactive stance on their needs for nurture, fellowship, careers.

d) Aged parents. Need to look into some concerns like cases of senior citizen parents remaining alone. We will maintain good communications with them by phone calls, letters or visitation as needed.

The Receiving Agency/Church.

We are responsible for the following:

1. Facilitate and procure all legal documents (invitation and acceptance, ministry agreement and other visa requirements) needed by the missionary for the duration of his/her stay;

2. Provide country, location and ministry orientation and briefing of M’s upon arrival. Provide partners feedback on the results of the in field orientation.

3. Provide re-entry debriefing upon return to field from furlough;

4. Ensure the safety of the missionary in-field. Assist them (M and family) in times of national, local and or personal crisis.

5. Provide administrative, moral and spiritual oversight while in active service. Coordinating with sending church and agency as needed. In cases of moral and spiritual failure, the receiving church/agency informs ACM. The latter will inform the sending church/agency.

6. Care for the M and family in the physical, emotional, psychological need areas.

7. Recognize M and family as official members of the receiving agency/church.

8. Submit agreed upon periodic ministry reports to partners.

9. Actively and regularly communicate with partners on matters pertaining to M’s ministry and life situation.

The Long Term Missionary.

1. Prepare the strategic plan for missions and process with the sending as well as receiving bodies prior to deployment. This is for joint approval of the partners.

2.As much as possible, consider the consequences of the plan to one’s family and life situation. Discuss with the sending and receiving bodies the assessed consequences and needs.

3. Implement mission strategies as agreed upon with the sending and receiving bodies;

4. Integrity in Reporting. Submit regular reports to partners according to schedules agreed upon. Apart from the ministry figures and progress reports, supporters will benefit from news and prayer letters. Commits to truthfulness and transparency with regards to ministry and personal concerns.

5.Accountability. Primarily accountable to his sending church, sending agency and receiving body for his spiritual life and walk with God. Seeks their counsel and advise on matters pertaining to his total life in missions. Generally accountable to all fellow missionaries and supporters of his ministry.

6.Work responsibilities. The receiving church/agency or team has supervision over the field work and communicates/coordinates with the other partners through the missionary or directly as the case may be. Responsible for discussing the difficulties and opportunities on the field faced by the M’s.

7. Recognizing the potential difficulties in communication faced by sending churches who have no access to modern means of communication, the M’s may avail of the services of the Asian Center for Missions to relay periodic reports, concerns and difficulties.

8. Observe all laws of the country and one’s country of assignment.

All parties also agree to the following mutual responsibilities:

To discuss mission and life situations of missionaries on a periodic basis jointly agreed upon;
To discuss cases wherein violations have been committed by missionaries, or may be facing ministry difficulties and other crisis, jointly and assign members to conduct necessary inquiries or interviews;
To uphold the dignity of missionaries by not firing on furlough or without the benefit of due process;
To uphold each other’s ministry in prayer;
To exercise wisdom in disseminating information pertaining to each other’s ministry especially during promotional meetings;
To respect each other’s distinctives as Christian organizations.
To evaluate this agreement according to a mutually agreed schedule;

To maintain open lines of communication that will put the welfare of the missionary and his family as a primary concern.

We understand and commit to perform our roles and responsibilities as stated above by the grace and strength of God and to the best of our abilities. We covenant with one another to fully accomplish what is expected of us and to make sure that we will abide by all the agreements stated in this Memorandum of Understanding, so help us God.

Signed this_________day of ________________at Makati, Philippines.