Goals and dreams die in our heads but writing them down gives them life!
Happy New Year, travelers! 2023 is here and it’s time to look ahead to the future. I’m currently mulling a blog series in my head but before I get to that there are a few article ideas that don’t fit neatly into a series. So, I figured I would start 2023 by penning these topics so I can expand them later if need be. Today, we finish talking about Formal Mission Planning.
In a previous post we touched on what a formal mission plan was and what it entailed. I wanted to write a couple posts that’ll help prospective missionaries draft a mission proposal to show possible donors, loved ones, and pastors. So, as a show of transparency, let’s dissect the actual Formal Mission Plan that I developed for SRM and am currently working through.
Part One: Summary
Any plan should start with a Vision Statement for possible to donors to see who you are and what you wish to do. Here is SRM’s:
Silk Road Mission exists to identify, connect, and support Gospel Workers to the peoples of the Silk Road.
It’s short, sweet, to the point, and scaffolds a framework that we will work with going forward. Next, you see, we’ll expand those three concepts of Identifying, Connecting, and Supporting:
Identify: SRM will work closely with local churches around the world to train and send missionaries to the peoples of the Silk Road.
Connect: SRM will leverage its growing network of current missionaries from many mission organizations to mobilize the next generation of mission leaders.
Support: SRM will provide ongoing training and practical help to missionaries from many mission organizations that are serving the peoples of the Silk Road.
Then the final part of your summary should be exactly what you hope to do in missions. Broad terms are acceptable here just be ready to define and explain them to your donors when asked for clarification. Here’s mine:
SRM’s Strategy requires serious effort in these key areas:
- Fundraising at both the Church and Individual levels.
- Networking with on-the-ground missionaries and establishing bases of operations.
- Planning and implementing short term trips to the field for mission candidates.
- Developing training materials for missionaries and churches.
- Raising awareness of mission opportunities through video and print media.
- Sending and Supporting our own long term missionaries.
Now, there is a point of order concerning the above statements and one that an individual missionary may craft. My goal is to create a mission organization. Individual missionaries may want to be just that, individual. That said, all or some of my objectives can easily be fitted to a single missionary no problem. Just replace any reference to SRM with “I” and it’ll do.
Any donor reading my summary will know what I plan to do and why. This may not be enough to win over their support but it’s enough to get a meeting set up to discuss giving and partnership. Think like this: your summary should help a prospective church or person decide if their vision for their funding and your vision for ministry align. All money is not equal and missionaries should prioritize support from like-minded sources. When sender and goer are aligned in vision, there isn’t much that can stop them.
Part Two: Timeline
This next one can be a hang up for many missionary candidates. There a ton of unknowns and they don’t want to give false information to friends, family, and pastors. That’s noble and I won’t decry it. However, I will say this, get a timeline written down. Think of it as an “ideal” and go from there. Be flexible enough to change it if need be and keep James 4:13-17 clearly in mind.
Below is the timeline “ideal” that I hope to follow:
Alpha Phase: Approx. 3 years
1. Become Fully Funded at $4,000/month ($48k/yr) but continue to always be raising support.
2. Grow mission network to include at least two core field contacts per country visited.
3. Be in regular monthly communication with those contacts.
4. Plan and implement the first round of short term trips to Nepal, Japan, and Taiwan.
5. Establish media presence on both Youtube and other social media sites.
Beta Phase: Approx. 4 years
1. Fundraising efforts are geared toward more church partnerships.
2. Hire team of one or two mobilizers to replicate Phase 1 individually.
3. Establish 3 Mission Outposts.
4. Plan and implement both first and second round of short term trips.
5. Hire media person/team to grow media and training materials inventory.
6. Expand network to have at least two core field contacts for each major city in target countries.
7. Mobilizers will maintain communication with their on the field partners.
8. Incorporate SRM into an official legal/financial entity.
Gamma Phase: Approx. 8+ years
1. Establish and codify the Sending Process for SRM long term missionaries.
2. Send the first long term missionaries.
3. Grow the SRM team to multiple mobilizers, media professionals, trainers, and fundraisers.
4. Grow network of Mission Outposts, Field Contacts, and Partner Churches.
5. Continue evolving to meet future unknown mission needs and demands.
Omega Phase: Approx. 15+ years
1. Finalize future plan of SRM leadership succession.
2. Clearly and definitively lay out generational values.
3. Give final status update on closeness to mission completion and plan to make progress.
4. Commission my final class of missionary candidates.
5. Retire from SRM Leadership and pass it on to the next generation.
Here’s the kicker about that timeline: I have no idea if it’ll come to pass. However, I’m working towards it and hope that it one day will. All the while, I’m trusting in God to lead me as He wills.
Final Thoughts
Making a Formal Mission Plan is an important part of your missions journey. It shows those who support you that you have thought things through and are taking this seriously. Put the plan on paper! Goals and dreams die in our heads but writing them down gives them life! So, give your mission life. Expose it to the scrutiny of others and be ready and willing to change things as needed.
With that, the rest is up to you! Time to get writing! If you would like me to review your mission plan, then feel free to email me at kes_srm@proton.me and I’ll gladly take a look!
That’s all for now, May the Lord Bless you and keep you!
See you next time, travelers!
Kenneth See
SRM Founder