FSTML Recap

I spent most of last week in Atlanta at the FSTML (Fellowship of Short Term Mission Leaders) Conference. The conference theme was, "The Road Ahead: A Critical Look at the Future of Short Term Missions", and included training sessions focused on the coming trends and issues facing Gods people who are engaged in and impacted by short term mission.

We started the week by attending a pre-conference for organizations that have recently adopted the 7 standards of excellence in short term mission. This introductory workshop helped us catch the vision for how our continued commitment to the standards will impact our ministry efforts. One of the standards is "God centeredness", and as we talked about what that looks like, someone said, "Whatever becomes the center of your short-term trip is what people will worship when you leave." That was a powerful reminder that we must always be intentional to clearly point to Christ in everything we do on a trip.

While the teaching was great, the best part was spending time networking with people from the over 100 other organizations that were in attendance. Unlike other trade shows and seminars, there was a real sense of unity. Everyone was interested in sharing their best ideas and learning from others. We met several others from organizations doing exactly what we do at Simply Missions, but we didn't see each other as competitors. Instead, we spent lots of time talking and learning from one another because we recognize that we are not doing our own work, we are all doing Kingdom work.

Thanks to all who were praying for us while we were in Atlanta!

SOE Provisional Members

We are happy to "officially" announce our partnership with the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission (SOE) as provisional members. There are a number of benefits that come with this association but we are most excited about being able to connect with other like-minded ministries who will help us become more effective in what we do. Read about more of the benefits here. One big change you may notice is that we will now proudly display the SOE seal on our website and other publications.

Not sure what the standards are? Check them out here.

Striving for Exellence with SOE Membership!

At the heart of this ministry lies our passion to see every believer become a participant in the Great Commission. We recognize that short-term mission experiences have tremendous potential to encourage that participation by introducing individuals to the work of God around the world. But we also realize that passion and potential won’t accomplish anything without planning, preparation, partnerships, proper leadership, peer accountability, and, of course, prayer.

It is with these things in mind that we have begun the process of becoming members of the S.O.E. (U.S. Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission). This is a three-year process that will help us successfully navigate this ministry toward fulfillment of our passion. The process begins with our commitment to the seven standards of excellence: God-Centeredness, Empowering Partnerships, Mutual Design, Comprehensive Administration, Qualified Leadership, Appropriate Training, and Thorough Follow-Up.

By joining this association we will let the world know that we pursue the highest ethical standards in all our short-term mission endeavors. We will also improve our partnerships, training, and effectiveness, and reduce our risk through better planning and resource-sharing. Here are some more of the benefits:

Becoming a member of SOE means that we will...

• Let donors, prayer partners, sending partners, host receivers, and other participants know that our program applies nationally-derived measures of excellence.
• Let everyone know that we are committed to effective short-term mission.
• Become networked with similar groups who are also striving for excellence in short-term mission.
• Have assistance in identifying risk and applying appropriate risk management and crisis planning.
• Have assistance in becoming a better financial steward by avoiding costly mistakes.
• Have links to other valuable resources (publications, training media, training conferences... and hundreds of other Christians who are also doing short-term mission).
• Have opportunities to help mentor churches and organizations who are less experienced in short-term mission.
• Have opportunities to be mentored by more experienced churches and organizations.

Please pray with us as we begin this Membership process.