Creating STM Opportunities

Vol. 7: No. 2
February 28, 2018

The OP church in Magna, Utah, put out a call for help refurbishing their large church building. Courtney Habegger of Faith OPC in Long Beach, CA, created Team Utah in response. The team included OPC'ers from California and Michigan.

Creating STM Opportunities

...the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
Philemon 7 (ESV)

One of the goals of OPC Short-Term Missions is to involve more churches and presbyteries in creating short-term missions opportunities.

Many of you come to this report, to OPCSTM.org, or to Facebook, to find opportunities for short-term service or to read about the experiences of those who have returned from STM trips, and we strive to be a good resource in this way!

But we also offer STM Resources at OPCSTM.org that are meant to encourage and guide presbyteries and churches to take an active role as organizers of trips or hosts of visiting teams, and to address some of the fears or obstacles that prevent them from moving forward in this.

The sample resources below include "How To" advice from:

the Presbytery of Southern California which has organized the English Camp and Team Praha trips to the Czech Republic for years
the OP church plant in Naples, Florida, which invites churches to send them a team to be put to good and edifying use in community outreach and service
a pastor who has created lots of STM trips for his youth groups
the OPC member who created Team Utah, pictured above in 2016

We hope our STM Resources will help you consider creating an STM opportunity that will provide another option to OPC'ers who seek to serve, and will be a blessing to those who are served.

All STM Resources

"The Farniks in the Czech Republic, the Hopps in Haiti, the Falks in Uruguay, and the whole Karamoja team in Uganda have gone out of their way to host our teams and think of creative ways to put them to work on their fields. Write to your missionaries and ask them whether they desire a team from your presbytery." - David Winslow

"As with any endeavor involving the testimony of the Lord Jesus and the lives of those under your care, leading or receiving a mission team out of their hometown is a serious matter that takes careful planning. Think through every single step from beginning to end, and strive for excellence."
- Eric Hausler