FAQ’s
APPLYING
What is Send TN Missions?
Send TN Missions is sponsored by the Baptist Collegiate Ministries of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Through Send TN, students are mobilized to serve God through missions in Tennessee, the U.S. and around the world! Send TN is committed to sending students “as they go” to share the Good News of Jesus Christ!
What are the requirements to be a Send TN missionary?
• Mature Christian student who is currently enrolled in a college or university in Tennessee (some positions require a specific number of semester hours to have been completed).
• Active in Baptist Collegiate Ministry activities OR active member of a TBC church
• Willing to participate in personal evangelism
• Minimum GPA of 2.0
• Positive attitude, flexibility, and willingness to serve others with a humble spirit
• Spiritually, physically, and emotionally healthy
• Available to attend ALL 3 mandatory events below:
• Interview Retreat: February 10-11, 2012
• Missions Orientation: March 30-April 1, 2012
• Missions Debriefing: August 3-4, 2012
• Students will be asked to sign a covenant agreement prior to appointment.
How do I apply?
Are you ready to serve as a Send TN Missionary?
Here’s how:
Complete the Pre-application information
• Complete online application
• Submit 4 personal references (included in online app)
• Submit the Kroll Background check form
• Interview with your BCM or local Baptist church
• Complete the online application by CLICKING HERE. Make sure to select Tennessee BCM Missions as the Organization you are appying to on the application.
After completing the above steps, your application file will be reviewed and, if approved, you will be invited to Interview Retreat.
What is Interview Retreat?
The purpose of Interview Retreat is to give you a place to listen and discover your next step in missions. You will be in a retreat setting with other students from across Tennessee who also have a heart for missions. Interview retreat will include great worship, small group interaction, and your individual interview.
What if I cannot attend Interview Retreat?
There will be a late interview for students who are unable to attend Interview Retreat. However, you will only be considered for positions not filled at Interview Retreat.
How do I choose a mission project?
Begin with prayer. Ask God to open your heart and mind to the people he is calling you to. Say “yes” to Him, before you know the “who, what or where” of your service. In Isaiah 6:8 it says, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” Isaiah said “yes” without knowing any of the details! After you say “yes,” begin to think about “who, what, and where.”
Who?
God calls us to people not places. Are you called to reach children, college students, those living in poverty, those who have never heard? What group do you have a passion to reach for Christ?
What?
Begin to think about the gifts, abilities and experiences the Lord has given you. These can be indications of the type of ministry for which God has already prepared you. Then think about how you can use these gifts to reach the group for which you are most passionate.
Where?
The location is the least important part of your mission position. Would you be just as willing to minister to the African immigrant in New York City as you would be to minister to them in Senegal? Or would you be just as willing to feed the homeless in Calcutta, India as you would be to feed the homeless in Houston, Texas? With all of this in mind, begin to prayerfully read through the list of opportunities. Let the Spirit lead you to the opportunities that best fit your passions and gifts. You will list three positions on your application. At Interview Retreat you will have a chance to read more details about the mission opportunities you see on the positions list. At the conclusion of Interview Retreat, you will list your top three choices. Then, the Send TN committee will meet to place students in positions that fit their passions and gifts.
What can I expect during my BCM or local church interview?
The primary purpose of a local interview is to offer support and encouragement as you seek God’s best for you in exploring mission opportunities. The interview is a chance for you to verbalize your sense of God’s direction and where you are in your personal spiritual growth and ministry. Also, the local committee ensures you meet the qualifications. The interview is not an opportunity to “trap” or “trick” you and keep you from serving, but rather to have another group of people involved in your support.
Can graduating high school seniors apply?
Send TN Missions is predominantly for college students who have completed high school. However, a few of the positions on the needs list are open to High School graduates who are currently enrolled in college or are enrolled in the fall.
How long will I serve?
Length of service varies for each type of project. The specific dates for each location are indicated on the positions list. Generally:
• Summer Missionaries serve 6-10 weeks between the end of May and early August.
• Short term trips serve 1-2 weeks between the end of May and end of July.
What if I am not a Baptist?
Opportunities are available for non-Baptist students, too. If a project is for Baptist students only, it is indicated on the list of opportunities. Students who are not members of Baptist churches must be active in their campus Baptist Collegiate Ministry.
When do I need to talk to my parents?
Now! The sooner the better! Don’t surprise them the day your application is due. Remember that your parents are taking a step of faith too. You need to give them time to think and pray about your decision. If parents have questions they are free to call the Send TN office. You might also point them to the parent page of this web site.
When will I get my appointment?
Within hours after Interview Retreat, you will be told in person or on the phone by your campus minister with your mission appointment. You will have a few days to pray and consider the appointment before accepting or declining the invitation.
After Appointment to a Project
What can I do to prepare?
Develop your personal spiritual life and be involved in a ministry with people in your campus community. Missions does not start when you get on the plane to go, but rather now, where you are. Your BCM Director will be more than willing to direct you to campus ministry opportunities. Specific preparations for your mission position will be sent to you upon appointment.
Will I have a partner?
Most likely, yes. In some instances there may be a team of students assigned together. A few positions are without a partner. If your partner is also a Send TN missionary, you will receive their contact information after Interview Retreat. Sometimes you will be partnered with students from other states. In some cases, an adult coordinator also accompanies the team.
How much money will I need to raise?
You will find the required fundraising amount listed for each position on the positions list. You only have to raise a portion of the total cost of your trip. BCM’s all across the state work hard throughout the year to raise funds to offset the additional cost. Fellow Tennessee students are sending you on mission!
What are Teammates In Missions?
Every student who serves as a Send TN missionary is asked to enlist at least 25 Teammates in Missions. Teammates in Missions are friends, church members and family members who agree to support you through prayer, encouragement, and/or financially.
What costs are covered by Send TN and my fundraising?
All costs for transportation to and from the field of service, meals, lodging, local transportation, insurance, orientation & debriefing materials, and visas are covered. Neither your passport application fee nor any immunizations fees are paid for by SendTN missions.
Will I receive a salary while serving as a missionary?
No. You will receive lots of eternal benefits but no direct salary. All basic expenses are paid by Send TN Missions: travel, food, lodging, insurance, and personal supplies. The only additional money you will need will be for sightseeing, souvenirs, long distance phone calls, internet use, etc.
Who will handle travel arrangements?
SendTN Missions will handle all travel arrangements.
Is Orientation required?
Yes! Orientation is required for all missionaries. Orientation prepares you with the general skills and information needed to serve.
On The Mission Field
Who will be my supervisor?
Send TN Missions staff will always be available for the student. However, throughout the time of service, the student will work directly with missionaries or staff who lives on the field. In the USA, the field supervisor will be a career home missionary, associational director of missions, or a local pastor. Internationally, the field supervisor will be a career international missionary or local Baptist union.
What about insurance while I am on the field?
Send TN Missions provides only supplemental insurance coverage for all student missionaries. If a student has no medical coverage, the student needs to get short term medical insurance.
What happens if there is an emergecy?
Send TN Missions staff are available to parents and students at any time. If for some reason there is an emergency at home or on the field, we are always able to communicate with the students and will do whatever is necessary in that particular situation.
Are visits from family or friends permitted?
Visits to the field of service by parents are discouraged. Ten weeks is such a short period of time that visits to the field would be a distraction to the work of the student missionary. Any planned visit to the field should be cleared by both SendTN Missions and the local field supervisor of the student missionary. Visits from friends and boyfriend/girlfriends are strictly not allowed.