MONTH-BY-MONTH
Does your church family know the international worker families connected to your church or who are part of the partnership you belong to?
Spend time this month making sure you have an updated list of partnership team members and that you are receiving their newsletters. Use these for regular prayer.
Review the Alliance Missions Engagement website and research resources that you can use throughout the year.
Connect with all partnering IWs and schedule a date in the year when they can either join your service via live broadcast or send a recorded message. Make sure these services are well communicated in advance and follow any Creative Access Protocols.
In conjunction with the 40 Days of Prayer (see December), host a special night of prayer for the International Workers and the country in which you partner. Contact the IW families ahead of time and ask for specific requests or ask them to participate via Zoom. Consider asking other local churches with the same partnership to join you.
Use the Missions Engagement Assessment Tool to start to formulate a plan to better engage, serve, and connect with your partnership families.
Select and show some of the Alliance missions video series at services.
Consider inviting Andy Geffers, ANE Missions Mobilizer, to come and assist with vision casting, partnerships, or assist if you need help in getting started.
Watch for information and register for Converge New England. This is a one-day Saturday event to celebrate all things Alliance missions and to learn about how you and your church can engage with Alliance Missions. Consider bringing a group to meet both national and district CMA missions leaders, International Workers, and other district churches.
Talk to Andy Geffers about the potential of the church participating in a missions/vision trip to your partnership field. He can help you think through the purpose and goals of this trip if needed, or he can assist you in connecting with the field team to plan the trip.
With graduations and school years ending, it is a good time to have your Sunday school and youth either connect with IW kids via Zoom or send notes of encouragement and congratulations.
How can you better explain Alliance Missions to your church? Consider working through the Missions Module of Alliance 101 for a Sunday School class or sermon series.
Looking for a way to bless IW’s in your partnership? It's common that they are raising funds for a specific project or item they need. If you are having a VBS, design a fun project with the kids to raise money to assist or look for another fun way for your church to assist with this need.
Do you have anyone in your congregation (of any age) who feels a sense of calling to missions? Connect with Andy Geffers to help discern pathways that would lead them into this calling. Register to attend Called Ones*
Ask an IW in your partnership to make short, 3-5 minute video update for you to show your church. If you are unable to get one, or if you would like to meet other international workers sent from New England, contact the ANE District Office for access to short (3-5min) videos.
Watch for the C&MA Missions Engagement packet to arrive at your church. Connect with the Alliance New England office to see if there are IWs who can come to your church or for ideas on having a virtual tour.
Are any of the IW kids in your partnership staying in the US to attend college? Send them a care package or gift card to help them get settled in their new dorm. Consider inviting them for any school breaks or holidays when they may not be able to return overseas to be with family.
Tag the Alliance Events Webpage to see a listing of events and trainings for churches, particularly those for missions.
Start to think about how you can bless your IW families for Christmas. (Cards with notes from everyone in the church, video greetings, Amazon gift cards, etc). Check with each family to see if there is anything specific that they would like.
As church leadership is working on budget pieces, consider challenging the church to evaluate their giving to your international workers and GCF.
Register delegates to attend the National Alliance Converge Conference This event is an annual gathering for pastors, missions leaders, and missions advocates from churches of all sizes. Typically, this is held in the Columbus, Ohio area at the beginning of January.
Send notes of encouragement and things you are thankful for to your partnership workers. Ask them to do the same for your church.
Encourage and promote participation in Alliance Christmas Offering. Watch for resources and videos available. Watch for details and video to arrive in your email and on the Alliance website.
ANDY GEFFERS
Andy Geffers is our Missions Mobilizer and has been with Alliance New England for almost 10 years. If you’d like to begin a discussion about how you or your church can better engage with Alliance Missions, contact Andy and he’ll get you started!