Along with warmer weather, budding leaves and blooming flowers, the advent of April 2006 brought with it another form of growth — this one within Virginia Baptists' opportunities for mobilizing volunteers for mission service.
On April 3, the Venturer Program, an opportunity for mission service of six months to two years, was introduced as a CoMissioner ministry of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board and Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia.
The basic provisions for all Venturers are assistance in interpreting God's call on the individual's life and an appropriate response to that call, development of a position for service including job description, supervision, living arrangements, assistance with travel to and from the place of service and with medical insurance during the term of service and a network for accountability, nurture and council.
Funding for Venturers' expenses takes three basic forms:
• Venturers who serve in positions that are closely aligned with mission partnerships and strategies of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board and Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia may receive expenses and a small stipend from the VBMB.
• Another form Venturer service may take is for the ministry partner on the field to provide the necessary financial resources.
• Lastly, Venturers serving in some placements will be ask to provide for their own expenses from fund-raising or from personal fixed income (i.e., retirement). Individuals who serve in positions that are to be self-funded will be offered assistance in training and accounting for fund-raising.
Qualifications for service as a Venturer:
1. Demonstrate a lifestyle of faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior and to the will of God as basic to all of life.
2. Demonstrate a commitment to and involvement in a local church congregation. This church should be related to the Baptist General Association of Virginia or to one of its partnering unions of churches.
3. Demonstrate a level of personal maturity and health-physical, mental, emotional and spiritual-commensurate to service in the intended field of service.
4. Demonstrate a willingness to live and serve for six months to two years as a volunteer independent contractor related to the VBMB, receiving only basic living needs and, in some cases, a modest stipend.
5. Demonstrate a sense of appreciation and respect for the diversity of cultures with whom Virginia Baptists serve. Further, agree to follow a missiology that values the autonomy of ministry partners and the primacy of their visions for God-called mission.
6. Agree to be accountable to a field supervisor and to the coordinator of the Venturer Program, handling differences of opinion with openness, respect and professionalism.
7. Be at least 18 years of age.
Specific opportunities for service as a Venturer will be announced in the coming weeks. Those with interest should watch the VBMB website (www.vbmb.org) or contact Terry Raines in the glocal missions and evangelism team at the Virginia Baptist Resource Center.
Special to the Herald