Local Hosts
The core of the retreat and the key
distinctive is the discussion group with six prospects and two mentors.
Each group meets four times throughout the weekend. This is
not a conference with workshops. See separate seven page document with
worksheets for the
small group discussions. Here a
sample schedule.
Local hosts are needed to co-sponsor future retreats in the U.S.
To co-sponsor The Journey Deepens (TJD) retreat in your region here's what is involved:
- Recommend a few mentors to serve in discussion
groups.
- Recommend a local, inspirational missionary speaker
to speak in the Saturday morning general session. Note: the Friday evening and
Sunday morning speaker is either Steve Hoke or Don Parrott. On Saturday evening
TJD has a Concert of Prayer.
- Recruit a worship leader and arrange to have a small sound system and sound technician if needed.
- Select a retreat facility that has available dates, affordable meals/kitchen facility, adequate sleep accommodations for singles with options for married couples onsite or nearby motel. If married accommodations are limited then consider if a few couples could sleep in the home guest room of some of the intercessors/volunteers.
- Promote the retreat extensively in your region
to Perspectives classes and alumni, local churches, campus ministries and anyone
who wants to explore the possibility of becoming a missionary. Local hosts
should work closely with others who have experience in coordinating other
citywide or regional missions events. Promotion may include an approved email
sent twice to appropriate contacts, listing the retreat on your website, showing
4 minute retreat video at your own events such as short-termer debriefings, etc.
- Recommend weekends which avoid conflicts with
local school, university and church calendars, regional and national events
including Passion, Urbana, World Pioneer and GO conferences, etc.
The TJD national office handles:
- Scheduling Steve Hoke or Don Parrott.
- Telephone screening of missionary mentors. Not every missionary is qualified or has the personality for this.
- Orientation of missionary mentors.
- Registration via web, phone call inquiries
- Printing brochures
- E-mail distribution to any lists provided by co-sponsors.
Note: to see our core values in action view the retreat four minute online video. Also, like many agencies we have adopted the Lausanne Covenant as our doctrinal statement.
TJD is just one part of missions mobilization as local churches and others help future missionaries:
- Awaken missions interest and grapple with heart issues through relationships in a local church, a missionary friend, a worship festival, short-term trip, Perspectives course, missions conferences like Passion, Urbana, Finishers, MissionNext, World Pioneer, etc
- Attend TJD to explore what's it like to be a missionary, to discover whether a missionary or sender role is God's fit, to connect with others for follow-up
- Continue to process these issues with their family, local church, and those they met at the retreat, both peers from their small group and mission agency mobilizers
- Get further training in character and skill issues from a local church, training organization or missions agency