ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)–The North American Mission Board currently sponsors or helps coordinate the following volunteer opportunities for students and adults:
WORLD CHANGERS/WORLD TOUR — Week-long projects focused on repair and improvements on low-income housing that also provide opportunities for personal witness and growth. World Changers projects include a full day on construction projects, while World Tour projects divide the day between construction and a ministry project. Projects are offered primarily for junior and senior high youth groups, with additional project opportunities available for senior adults, single adults, young adults and mixed adults (groups or individuals). Provides a prepackaged mission trip option at a preset per-participant cost, with NAMB coordinating all logistics. More than 10,500 participated in 1997.
MISSION YOUTH GROUPS — Church student groups that typically serve in one-week missions projects, usually in the summer. Requests are coordinated through NAMB. Mission Youth Groups are responsible for all expenses of their mission trips. Opportunities include resort ministries, inner-city ministries, new church work (neighborhood surveys) and a variety of other ministries.
SPOTS (Special Projects Other Than Summer) — These are opportunities for groups of college students to experience missions firsthand, whenever and wherever needs exist. Includes a wide variety of ministry possibilities, including some during the summer (Special Projects On Through Summer).
SOJOURNERS — High school students who have completed their junior and/or senior year who serve from 6-10 weeks in the summer assisting in missions work in the United States and Canada. They serve as volunteers with no salary, but room and board are provided.
STUDENT SUMMER MISSIONARIES — Students who have completed their freshman year in college and serve 8-10 weeks in the summer. Room and board and a small stipend are provided.
STUDENT SEMESTER MISSIONARIES — Must have completed their sophomore year in college and usually serve 3-4 months in the fall or winter/spring term. Room and board and a small stipend are provided.
INNOVATORS — College students who participate in short-term mission service while working secular jobs to support themselves. Weekly work hours usually include 40 hours on the secular job and 8-10 hours of supervised ministry. Resort areas are the prime target.
US-2 MISSIONARIES — College graduates age 30 or younger who serve two years under appointment with NAMB and selected state conventions. Among the areas of service are church and community ministries new church extension, resort ministries, student work, internationals/seafarers and evangelism.
CONSTRUCTION TEAMS — Requests for church construction assistance are coordinated with adult volunteer groups and individuals. Approximately 350 requests are received annually.
MISSIONS ON SHORT-TERM (MOST) — Requests for adult non-construction workers are matched with individuals or groups willing to serve from a week to four months on a project. Many volunteers serve multiple times each year.
NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF BAPTISTS IN MISSIONS — An organization of 18 categories of volunteers representing special skills, interests and vocations.
MISSION SERVICE CORPS — Long-term adult volunteers (four months or longer) who serve in a variety of positions, including church-planting, inner-city ministry, work with ethnic groups, campus ministry in new work areas and resort ministry. About one-third are senior adults, while 20 percent are under 35. Many raise their own support.
TENTMAKERS — NAMB helps coordinate placement of individuals willing to work in ministry part-time while making their primary living in a secular job. This includes bivocational ministers and church staff members.
DISASTER RELIEF — Approximately 15,000 adult volunteers have been trained to respond to national disasters, often in cooperation with the American Red Cross. Volunteers usually are affiliated with task-specific disaster relief units operated by state conventions and local associations. Responsibilities include food preparation, cleanup and recovery, repair and rebuild, communications, crisis counseling and child care. Advance training is required.
