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What is the purpose of a Celebrate Jesus
Mission?
What makes Celebrate Jesus so
effective?
What can you really accomplish in just a
week?
How do we invite a team to our
church?
What will we
do?
Who will make up the team coming to our
church?
Who determines if we get an all-age team, a
family or a youth team?
What is a family
team?
What is different about a youth
team?
What “method” of evangelism will be
used?
What is the overall
cost?
Question 1 : What is the purpose of a Celebrate Jesus
Mission?
Answer:
Our goal is to help the local church learn about their neighbors and how they can serve
them. We want to help people find Jesus and the
loving fellowship of a local church while providing “on-the-job training” in becoming a
more effective witness for Christ for the volunteers that come on mission. Through CJM we
have observed God harvesting new Christians, igniting congregations and transforming team
members. People receive calls to ministry, congregations are invigorated as their vision is
sharpened to see outside the walls of the church, prayer life is deepened, and neighborhood
visitations lay groundwork for ongoing, effective outreach.
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Question 2 : What makes Celebrate Jesus so effective?
Answer: It gives people “hands on”, practical experience!
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Question 3 : What can you really accomplish in just a week?
Answer:
Begin
a new worship service, start a new Sunday School, launch a youth group, begin 12 outreach small
groups, reach 1000 homes with a personal visit from your church, share the gospel with 2000
people at a block party, start a bus ministry, gain a whole new perspective on what church is
about - all these are actual results from missions in the last few
years.
The key is the year-long prayer and planning that the church undertakes in partnership with
the Celebrate Jesus team. We like to see the planning process and the mission itself as the
beginning of a new work that will still be effective many years after
mission.
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Question 4 : How do we invite a team to our church?
Answer:
Complete the Invitation/Covenant (contact the Celebrate Jesus office for this) and submit it
with the covenant fee by the deadline set for your particular area. You will then receive
the Mission Planning Tool to assist in setting goals and programs for the mission. The
completed Planning Tool and Planning Tool fee will be returned to the Celebrate Jesus
Office. Consultation with your church leaders and Celebrate Jesus leadership will be set
up to hone and “fine tune” your plans. A Team Leader and Team Pastor will be assigned to your
Church and will meet with you to develop detailed plans and a schedule for your week of
mission. A schedule of dates will be given to you after you submit your Covenant and
fee.
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Question 5 : What will we do?
Answer:
Every
church mission is uniquely different. Rely on God. Celebrate Jesus will provide
materials and assistance to help you:
·
Pray
for and examine your community and church. Planning Tool
·
Set
achievable, measurable goals. Goals sheet
·
Plan
and develop a method to meet goals. Consultation & Mission
Schedule
·
Begin
follow-through to those reached during your mission.
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Question 6 : Who will make up the team coming to our church?
Answer:
Six
to fifteen committed Christian volunteers from around the world. These are Christians of all
ages, gifts and backgrounds. The size of the team depends on the goals you set,
your congregation’s commitment, and the number of appropriate team members
available. Team members are not experts, but are willing and committed to partner
with you to reach your congregation’s goals.
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Question 7 : Who determines if we get an all-age team, a family or a youth
team?
Answer:
We
consult with you and decide that together, based on the goals you set, the make-up of your
community and the availability of team members.
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Question 8 : What is a family team?
Answer:
A
family team includes Mom and/or Dad (or legal guardian) with their children (ages 5 years old
and up). These teams are especially relational and effective for missions aimed at children and
their families.
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Question 9 : What is different about a youth team?
Answer:
The
only difference is that the bulk of team members are young people (13 -18 years old). The
mission goals may or may not be targeted at youth; however, youth teams bring high energy
and can be useful at mobilizing a congregation’s youth for community outreach.
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Question 10 : What “method” of evangelism will be used?
Answer:
There
are many effective ways to reach people and we work with your congregational leaders to plan a
mission that will be effective, natural and most likely to succeed given your community and
congregational make-up. One of the most common methods is Servant Evangelism (Acts of
Kindness), which encourages the team and church members to reach out to those in the community
who are not churched in simple, creative ways.
Steve Sjogren (who founded several Vineyard churches)
has a fantastic website with 100’s of ideas for Servant Evangelism at
http://www.kindness.com
.
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Question 11 : What is the overall cost?
Answer:
Administrative
fees:
There
is a $300 fee due with the Invitation/Covenant, a $400 fee due with the Planning Tool, and a
$300 training fee due several months before mission. (Please contact the Celebrate Jesus
office for a Covenant for your area mission, including deadlines.) These fees help offset
our travel, printing, postage and phone costs during the planning phase of the
mission.
Mission
Expenses:
You agree to pay all programs you plan. You have complete control of this total amount. In
the past churches have spent from $200 to $20,000 on the week of mission. The most effective
missions are not necessarily the most costly.
Mission
Offering:
Please
consider Celebrate Jesus a mission outreach and include us in your yearly mission budget.
CJ’s administrative costs are significantly higher than the administrative
fees.
Hospitality
Expenses:
Your
obligation is to provide well-balanced nutritional meals, showers and a clean floor to sleep
on
Team
members travel at their own expense as a
love
offering for your church’s outreach
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Question 12 : What are the important dates to remember?
Answer:
Deadline
dates for the following will be reflected on the Covenant for your specific mission (available
by calling the Celebrate Jesus office).
§ Your
Church Invitation/Covenant and fee
§ Your
Planning Tool and fee
§ Training
fee
Consultation dates and location will be confirmed with your church leaders several months prior to
mission and that will be the time we clarify your goals and ensure that adequate preparation,
participation and follow-through are planned.
Again, prior to mission the CJ Team Leader and Team Pastor will meet with your church leaders to
pray, view your church facility, tour your neighborhood and help plan your mission week schedule.
Remember, you will be responsible for sharing a meal and housing these folks for one evening. You
will be informed of all these dates as mission is planned.
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Question 13 : Does everything happen at our church?
Answer:
No.
The Opening Ceremony on the first Saturday, the Mid-week Celebration and the Closing
Service the following Saturday will be centrally located. All Host Church
congregations and teams come together for these special events. Everything else happens in
your local community.
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Question 14 : How is “Celebrate Jesus” organized and financed?
Answer:
Celebrate
Jesus Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a Board of
Directors.
The Executive Director is Kathy Furlong. Celebrate Jesus is funded by the generosity of individuals
and congregations, by mission offerings, and by the sacrificial dedication of team members and
staff.
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Question 15 : What if we don’t invite a team?
Answer:
How
about encouraging some people from your church to serve as “home missionaries” on another
congregation’s team? The blessing will return to your church when your “missionaries” come
back equipped, inspired and excited about reaching out and sharing Jesus.
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