Spring is finally here in Springfield, MO! I know that many of you are probably still hip deep in snow, and still others of you live in places where it never gets below 80 degrees! However, for us here… this is a great time of the year. I hope and pray that you are all having a great time as well!
I wanted to write you a quick note to let you know that ISMK FIRED UP is ready for you to sign up! This is a new initiative of MK (grades 7 – 12) small groups online! We will probably be using Facebook, but we are not necessarily limited to that. Each small group leader can decide what will work best for their group. Every MK that signs up for ISMK FIRED UP will be assigned a small group, and with it, a leader and assistant leader. The leaders are all MKs that have grown up where you are, and they are looking forward to meeting you younger MKs! ISMK will also be a part of these small groups.
ISMK Fired Up has 2 main goals:
1. Community. We want to be a part of a small group community with MKs around the world. We want you to have the opportunity to build relationships with other MKs! I believe that we can strengthen each other. You have the opportunity to meet MKs, and to be a part of other MKs lives!
2. Discipleship. We will all be reading the Bible together, which we have tried to make attainable. We plan on reading about 4 chapters per week. At this rate, it will take 6 years to complete the entire Bible – which is a long time, but I know it will be worthwhile! This will also generate discussion online with the other MKs and the leaders.
This program will launch on September 1st, however, all applications need to be done as soon as possible. We need to assign MKs to leaders/groups. No more applications will be accepted after August 1st for the 2009 – 2010 school year.
This is going to be a group effort that I think we will all benefit from! I think it will take a little bit of effort to start with, but will be well worth our time! Check out the promo video on at www.ismk.org/fired_up.
I hope to see your name on the ISMK FIRED UP list!
Cairo 2014
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Parental Update, March 2009
Happy March!
We are in the middle of the spring class of Candidate Orientation. ISMK has had meetings with all the new families that are being interviewed this week, and it has been a very hectic week. Although the spring class is smaller than the fall class, we have a great group of families going through. Many of you will remember your interview with the Executive Committee. Most Candidates are in the middle of those interviews today!
We have recently mailed out our newest Communiqué to your MKs. They should be receiving it in the mail soon. If they are not receiving the mail from our office, please let us know – we may not have the correct address for them in the official database here!
I have 2 things I want to make you aware of – the new discipleship program (ISMK Fired Up), and the Annual MK Update form that you all fill out.
I want to make sure that you are all aware of the discipleship program. Our recent Communiqué is all about the Fired Up program. We want MKs around the world to join us in reading the Bible! We have alumni (we have screened them) who would like to be mentors to current MKs. Our goal is to set up small groups online, where MKs can connect with each other and with an alumnus to discuss the Bible and other relevant topics. The discussions will be in a closed “internet” room with alumni as the leaders. ISMK will also be in the discussion rooms. Our goal is to read about 4 chapters of the Bible each week, and discuss what we have read. I believe we are going to be able to create some great small groups and truly have a greater role and presence in the spiritual lives of MKs. I also believe it is going to strengthen the sense of community within our MKs.
As parents, I ask that you encourage your MKs to be a part of this program. I believe it will strengthen everyone that is a part. I also believe that it could be a great launching point for family devotions! If you ever have any questions about the program, or any aspect of it, please feel free to contact our office. MKs have until August 1st to apply for the 2009 – 2010 school year, and applications are now online at the ismk.org website. They will each be assigned a small group and leader before the launch on September 1st.
The next area I needed to address with you is the Annual MK Update forms. Each year we send out a form for you to fill out that keeps us up to date with the MKs. When we receive the forms, we type in the data and change what needs to be changed. Well, you may have noticed that we are trying to do this electronically now…. And we failed miserably! L The computer that tried to send it out crashed almost immediately! I know that many of you fought your way through the online document, and some of you were not going to fight with it. First let me say… SORRY! Trying to send out 1400 emails that are all merging with your account information here was just too much for the system. We are now working on another solution which will be web-based. We hope to have it up and running within a year. Know that we are working on it. However, also know that we are not programmers and will have to rely on outside to complete the necessary work. We appreciate your feedback – even your frustrations! We took that feedback to the “web guys” and worked on solutions. Although it is a long process, it will be done!
Funniest response – “Your form doesn’t work. You need something more 21st century, like an online link.”
We are in the middle of the spring class of Candidate Orientation. ISMK has had meetings with all the new families that are being interviewed this week, and it has been a very hectic week. Although the spring class is smaller than the fall class, we have a great group of families going through. Many of you will remember your interview with the Executive Committee. Most Candidates are in the middle of those interviews today!
We have recently mailed out our newest Communiqué to your MKs. They should be receiving it in the mail soon. If they are not receiving the mail from our office, please let us know – we may not have the correct address for them in the official database here!
I have 2 things I want to make you aware of – the new discipleship program (ISMK Fired Up), and the Annual MK Update form that you all fill out.
I want to make sure that you are all aware of the discipleship program. Our recent Communiqué is all about the Fired Up program. We want MKs around the world to join us in reading the Bible! We have alumni (we have screened them) who would like to be mentors to current MKs. Our goal is to set up small groups online, where MKs can connect with each other and with an alumnus to discuss the Bible and other relevant topics. The discussions will be in a closed “internet” room with alumni as the leaders. ISMK will also be in the discussion rooms. Our goal is to read about 4 chapters of the Bible each week, and discuss what we have read. I believe we are going to be able to create some great small groups and truly have a greater role and presence in the spiritual lives of MKs. I also believe it is going to strengthen the sense of community within our MKs.
As parents, I ask that you encourage your MKs to be a part of this program. I believe it will strengthen everyone that is a part. I also believe that it could be a great launching point for family devotions! If you ever have any questions about the program, or any aspect of it, please feel free to contact our office. MKs have until August 1st to apply for the 2009 – 2010 school year, and applications are now online at the ismk.org website. They will each be assigned a small group and leader before the launch on September 1st.
The next area I needed to address with you is the Annual MK Update forms. Each year we send out a form for you to fill out that keeps us up to date with the MKs. When we receive the forms, we type in the data and change what needs to be changed. Well, you may have noticed that we are trying to do this electronically now…. And we failed miserably! L The computer that tried to send it out crashed almost immediately! I know that many of you fought your way through the online document, and some of you were not going to fight with it. First let me say… SORRY! Trying to send out 1400 emails that are all merging with your account information here was just too much for the system. We are now working on another solution which will be web-based. We hope to have it up and running within a year. Know that we are working on it. However, also know that we are not programmers and will have to rely on outside to complete the necessary work. We appreciate your feedback – even your frustrations! We took that feedback to the “web guys” and worked on solutions. Although it is a long process, it will be done!
Funniest response – “Your form doesn’t work. You need something more 21st century, like an online link.”
Thursday, March 12, 2009
MK, Kristi Schubert goes on Task Force
Five days…depending on where you are and what you are doing, five days can fly by or seem to stand still. When spent with Missionary Kids, five days seem to be over way too soon. In January, I had the privilege of ministering to MKs in Pacific Oceania. Our time spent together included Bible lessons, crafts, games, and plenty of fun sprinkled in. This was an awesome opportunity to build relationships and encourage MKs, who are often the ones doing ministry themselves.
Engaging MKs, whether here or abroad, is a rewarding experience. Interacting with MKs allows you to learn about their lives, their likes and dislikes, their dreams and the specific challenges they face. As you spend time loving on MKs, opportunities to minister make themselves available, whether that means praying with them or speaking a timely word. While your investment does mean the world to missionary families, you’ll likely find it is your privilege and blessing to be a part of the lives of these awesome individuals. No matter if you’re with them a long time or a five short days, MKs will make a lasting impression on you. Thank you so much for your role in the MK program. Your support not only ministers to those on the field, but makes it possible for MK alumni like me to continue ministering overseas as well.
Written by MK alumni Kristi Schubert. ISMK encourages alumni MKs to engage in ministry and give back to the ISMK program.
Engaging MKs, whether here or abroad, is a rewarding experience. Interacting with MKs allows you to learn about their lives, their likes and dislikes, their dreams and the specific challenges they face. As you spend time loving on MKs, opportunities to minister make themselves available, whether that means praying with them or speaking a timely word. While your investment does mean the world to missionary families, you’ll likely find it is your privilege and blessing to be a part of the lives of these awesome individuals. No matter if you’re with them a long time or a five short days, MKs will make a lasting impression on you. Thank you so much for your role in the MK program. Your support not only ministers to those on the field, but makes it possible for MK alumni like me to continue ministering overseas as well.
Written by MK alumni Kristi Schubert. ISMK encourages alumni MKs to engage in ministry and give back to the ISMK program.
Parental Update, February 2009
I just wanted to update you on the ISMK program! We are in the middle of a couple large projects right now. The most immediate one is Missionary Training and Missionary Renewal. Last summer was our first summer with the changed schedule. While the schedule is something we can work with, it provided us many challenges. The main challenge was the amount of hours that staff had to work without taking a day off. Most of our staff were physically exhausted by the end of Missionary Renewal, and less effective because of their exhaustion.
One of my goals this year was to make sure they had a day off in between Missionary Training and Missionary Renewal. However, the schedule changed again for this summer, so we have multiple adjustments to make at the same time!
The other challenge is to make sure that the MK staff will make enough money to make it worthwhile to come work the summer programs. If the staff do not make enough money, they will not work. If they don’t work, we are not able have an effective program. Last summer we saw the challenges of an understaffed MK program. These issues have been addressed, but now the challenge is to put it into place and see what it will look like! I believe that this summer we will have a top notch program with the right amount of staff. Also, with the addition of a day to Missionary Renewal, I believe we will be even more effective than we were last summer.
Should you ever have questions, or concerns, please feel free to write me!
The next major project we are working on is the “ISMK Fired Up” discipleship program. You will be hearing about this regularly for the next few months as we prepare to implement this new program. We will be promoting this among the MKs for the next 6 months, with a launch date of September 1st. Pray with us as we work on the details of this program!
The foundation of ISMK Fired Up is the reading of Scripture. We are setting up a global schedule for Bible reading, which will include a discussion guide and small group MK leaders to facilitate the discipleship process. The discussion guides we are going to be using (partly) have been written by the National Youth Ministry of the Assemblies. They are called “Fire Starters”, and can be found on the ag.org website under the youth ministries area. We will be organizing them into a usable fashion for MK discipleship. I would love for all our parents of teenage MKs to encourage their kids to sign up for this program. It will be online for them to apply in April.
Our goal with Fired Up is to provide a Bible training program for our MKs, with qualified small group leaders and a relationship-based internet setting. We will have an application process for the leaders as well as for the MKs. Once the applications are in, we will be assigning small group leaders to MKs (based on geographical locations). I truly believe in the discipleship of our MKs! This is one step closer to a comprehensive discipleship program for our children. We have plans to take it deeper in the future!
We have not sent out the Parental Update form this year, as it is all going digital. We sent out the first version of the update last month via email. However, as soon as we hit “send”… the computer froze that was trying to process the request. We are still on the drawing board, trying to get a suitable solution. The AGWM IT people are hard at work trying to make this work. We pray it will get to you in the next month! Thanks for your patience.
One of my goals this year was to make sure they had a day off in between Missionary Training and Missionary Renewal. However, the schedule changed again for this summer, so we have multiple adjustments to make at the same time!
The other challenge is to make sure that the MK staff will make enough money to make it worthwhile to come work the summer programs. If the staff do not make enough money, they will not work. If they don’t work, we are not able have an effective program. Last summer we saw the challenges of an understaffed MK program. These issues have been addressed, but now the challenge is to put it into place and see what it will look like! I believe that this summer we will have a top notch program with the right amount of staff. Also, with the addition of a day to Missionary Renewal, I believe we will be even more effective than we were last summer.
Should you ever have questions, or concerns, please feel free to write me!
The next major project we are working on is the “ISMK Fired Up” discipleship program. You will be hearing about this regularly for the next few months as we prepare to implement this new program. We will be promoting this among the MKs for the next 6 months, with a launch date of September 1st. Pray with us as we work on the details of this program!
The foundation of ISMK Fired Up is the reading of Scripture. We are setting up a global schedule for Bible reading, which will include a discussion guide and small group MK leaders to facilitate the discipleship process. The discussion guides we are going to be using (partly) have been written by the National Youth Ministry of the Assemblies. They are called “Fire Starters”, and can be found on the ag.org website under the youth ministries area. We will be organizing them into a usable fashion for MK discipleship. I would love for all our parents of teenage MKs to encourage their kids to sign up for this program. It will be online for them to apply in April.
Our goal with Fired Up is to provide a Bible training program for our MKs, with qualified small group leaders and a relationship-based internet setting. We will have an application process for the leaders as well as for the MKs. Once the applications are in, we will be assigning small group leaders to MKs (based on geographical locations). I truly believe in the discipleship of our MKs! This is one step closer to a comprehensive discipleship program for our children. We have plans to take it deeper in the future!
We have not sent out the Parental Update form this year, as it is all going digital. We sent out the first version of the update last month via email. However, as soon as we hit “send”… the computer froze that was trying to process the request. We are still on the drawing board, trying to get a suitable solution. The AGWM IT people are hard at work trying to make this work. We pray it will get to you in the next month! Thanks for your patience.
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