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Vol. 5: No. 9
October 26, 2016

Focus on: Missionary Associates

Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
2 Tim 4:11 (ESV)

It's been a blessing to see how God can use short-term missions to lead people on to further service as a Missionary Associate! OP mission fields in Asia, Czech Republic, Haiti, Japan, Quebec, Uganda, and Uruguay have all welcomed MA's who were introduced to missions through short-term missions.

Every S.T.O.R.M. Report includes an update on Missionary Associate openings. This month, we focus exclusively on these openings, which include a November 1st deadline for applicants who may be interested in serving in Asia starting in February 2017. If you have contemplated service as a Missionary Associate but need to know a little more about it, we are taking this opportunity to provide some details for you.

The objectives of MA service are:

  • to assist a foreign Mission in its evangelistic outreach and other tasks
  • to test an individual's gifts for long-term service as a foreign missionary
  • to enrich the MA’s life for greater service as a member of their local church

Basic requirements for service as an MA are:

  • communicant membership in good standing in an OP church or church of like faith and practice
  • personal doctrinal convictions that align with Reformed theology
  • availability to commit to at least three months, though preferably one or two years, of service

Specific duties of the MA are:

  • determined by the Mission according to its needs, the cultural situation, and the gifts of the MA

The MA application procedure includes:

  • completion of forms required by the Committee on Foreign Missions
  • assessment of the applicant's training and experience to determine if he or she is qualified for the tasks assigned by the Mission
  • approval by the Candidates Committee in consultation with the Mission
  • potential field-specific requirements

Upon acceptance as an MA the candidate will be encouraged to:

  • begin working through a suggested reading list for field orientation
  • spend the first month or two on the field in concentrated language study

On the field, the MA will:

  • be expected to accept the authority and direction of the Mission
  • report on his or her work at each regular meeting of the Mission

Financial considerations for the MA:

  • the Committee on Foreign Missions does not provide salary, housing, fringe benefits, or travel funds for the MA
  • the Committee and the Mission will help the MA develop a personal budget

The Mission helps the MA by:

  • making arrangements for language study
  • helping to find housing
  • providing orientation to the culture and history of the country, the status of Christianity in that area, and the current work of the Mission
  • supervising the MA's work on the field
  • providing fellowship with the Mission families

Contact:

All inquiries regarding MA service may be directed to Rev. Douglas Clawson, Associate General Secretary of the Committee on Foreign Missions, at:

 

Missionary Associate Openings

 

Asia

Deadline is Nov. 1 to apply to begin in February 2017.  It's not too late to apply!

Seeking individuals who: 

  • are able to teach English at the university level
  • have at least a Bachelor's degree 
  • are under 65 years of age
  • can make a minimum commitment of one year
  • are able to begin in February or September 2017
 

For full details, please contact:
Rev. Douglas Clawson
Associate General Secretary, Committee on Foreign Missions
douglas.clawson@opc.org

 

Quebec

Seeking a young man or woman who:

  • desires to assist in outreach and discipleship on a foreign mission field
  • is a professing believer of Reformed conviction
  • speaks French or desires to learn the language
  • can make a commitment of at least one year
  • is available to start in 2017 (or any year!)
 

For full details, please contact:
Rev. Douglas Clawson
Associate General Secretary, Committee on Foreign Missions
douglas.clawson@opc.org

 

Uganda

Seeking:

  • Two individuals to assist our missionary families in Mbale with homeschooling and more.
  • Two individuals to participate in the Karamoja Education Outreach program.
  • Skilled individuals to assist our missionary deacons.
 

For full details, please contact:
Rev. Douglas Clawson
Associate General Secretary, Committee on Foreign Missions
douglas.clawson@opc.org

 

Uruguay

Seeking:

  • Individuals to assist with outreach, evangelism, and music in the worship services (must possess at least a Limited Working Proficiency in Spanish)

  • Individuals to assist with missionary childcare, cooking, and cleaning (must possess at least Elementary Proficiency in Spanish).

 

For full details, please contact:
Rev. Douglas Clawson
Associate General Secretary, Committee on Foreign Missions
douglas.clawson@opc.org

 
 
 

Download a
PRINTABLE 

Bulletin Insert
or 8.5 x 11 Poster

of this
S.T.O.R.M. Report

 

David P. Nakhla
Short-Term Missions and
Disaster Response Coordinator

Contact:
Cell 562-760-7606
david.nakhla@opc.org

Website:
www.OPCSTM.org

Facebook:
OPCShortTermMissions
OPCDisasterResponse

Questions and comments regarding the S.T.O.R.M. Report may also be directed to:

Janet L. Birkmann
Administrative Assistant, Short-Term Missions and Disaster Response
janet.birkmann@opc.org