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Frequently Asked Questions
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?
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 different about a youth team?
What “method” of evangelism will be used?
What are the important dates to remember?
Does everything happen at our church?
How is “Celebrate Jesus” organized and financed?
What if we don’t invite a team?
Question: What is the purpose of a Celebrate Jesus Mission?
Answer: Our goal is 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. 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.
Question: What makes Celebrate Jesus so effective?
Answer: It gives people “hands on”, practical experience!
Question: 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.
U The key is the year-long prayer and planning that your 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 a year after mission.
Question: How do we invite a team to our church?
Answer: Complete an Invitation/Covenant 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. Your 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.
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.
Question: Who will make up the team coming to our church?
Answer: Seven to fifteen committed Christian volunteers from as far away as God calls. 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.
Question: 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 special teams.
Question: 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)/teens. These teams are especially relational and effective for missions aimed at children and their families.
Question: 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.
Question: 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.
Steve Sjogren of the Cincinnati Vineyard church has a fantastic website with 100’s of ideas for Servant Evangelism at http://www.kindness.com
Question: 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 place 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
Question: 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).
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Your Church Invitation/Covenant and fee |
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Your Planning Tool and fee |
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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.
Question: Does everything happen at our church?
Answer: No. The Opening Ceremonies 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.
Question: 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.
Question: 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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Celebrate Jesus, Inc. |
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