LOCAL YOUTH IN MISSIONS

Local Youth in Mission Policy

We are of the opinion that it is important to motivate our young people to seriously consider missions. One of

the best ways to do this as a community is to encourage them with financial assistance.

The practice of the Waldheim Missions Conference has been to provide project funds only for missionaries

who are present and participate by invitation in the conference program. Our priority in choosing missionaries is

to favour those who have close ties to our area. We wish to continue this practice and make one exception:

include local young people going out on short term (1 to 2 years) mission assignments who cannot be present at

our conference.

Although we will continue to strongly urge them to attend the conference prior to going out, there are times

when it will be physically impossible for some to do this due to the timing of their assignment.

We believe our community would like to and should assist these as well.

In order to enable us to do this, we propose the establishment of a $5,000 Local Youth in

Missions Fund. Funds for outgoing expenses would be provided from this reserve to those who cannot be

present at conference, provided they meet the conditions below. The unused portion of this fund would be

carried over from one year to the next and provision would be made in the budget to replenish it yearly to a

maximum of $5,000.

Local Youth in Mission Criteria

This fund would provide up to $2,000 per person for outgoing expenses (funds permitting) according to the

following conditions:

1. Acceptance with an approved mission board for short term service in missions of 1 to 2 years (i.e.

service for one school term of 8 - 10 months would be considered as a whole year).

2. Acceptance/approval by the person's home church indicated by the fact that:

a. he/she has been commended to the home church congregation for prayer and support and

b. the home church is willing to recommend him/her to the Waldheim Missions Conference Board

3. Pre-field orientation and on-field supervision should be part of their assignment.

4. Service should involve, preferably, assignments on the field rather than in home office administration.

5. The fund is intended to help those youth whose interest in missions has been, at least in part, stimulated

 and nurtured by the Waldheim Missions Conference.

6. Since involvement in the conference will be impossible, participants will be required, whenever possible,

 to share in our local churches before going out as well as to report to the conference upon their return.

Application forms will be made available to those wishing financial help. The conference board will interview

the applicant. If these conditions are not fully met, it will be the responsibility of the Missions Conference Board

to determine whether an exception should be granted.