THE FINER DETAILS...

LENGTH OF SERVICE:

Term 1 - this first term is 2 years in Africa and is usually spent learning the culture and language, familiarising yourself with the needs of the ministry and getting involved in existing projects. At the end of your two years, you will spend a few months back home, continuing with deputations and support raising.

Term 2 - your second term is where you become more strategic in your work. You’ll have found your feet and will perhaps set up new projects and begin to train and equip the local church through your ministry. There is no maximum length to your time in Africa! Each of these will be followed by 6 months Home Assignment.

HOME ASSIGNMENT:

Home Assignment has two-fold purpose:

1. Rest & recuperation, both physical and spiritual.

2. The building up of prayer and practical support. To this end, missionaries on Home Assignment are expected to share in the missions deputation activities.

As a missionary, you will be expected to keep the first month of home assignment primarily for rest. The first month of home assignment should also be used to reconnect with your sending church.

In months 2-5 of a home assignment, you will be expected to engage in deputation of one form or another. You are to consider deputation your full-time occupation during this period, unless you have been expressly exempted from deputation due to ill health or some other special consideration. When not engaged on formal deputation, you should employ your time in reconnecting with supporters, and seeking out new supporters and supporting churches.

RAISING SUPPORT:

Mission Africa accepts missionaries in faith, in the confident expectation that God will suppply the needs of the mission and all its staff. As a missionary, you will be asked to raise of a percentage of your support in advance; this is currently set by Council at 70%, but may be subject to change. You will be asked to prayerfully make your need of support known to your sending church, and other interested Christian supporters.

The Mission has no expectation that sending churches will give their missionary full financial support. Obviously, we welcome this when it happens, but we are fully cognisant of and sympathetic to the fact that many churches are not in a position to give full financial support to individual missionaries. However, we would encourage sending congregations to give practical help and advice to missionaries as they seek to make their needs known in a local area or further afield.