Guidebook for Team leaders

A1: The International Mission Board (IMB), an agency of the Southern Baptist Convention, works in cooperation with Southern Baptist churches to send missionaries to the international mission field, including career, short-term, and volunteer missionaries . The mission statement of the IMB is "To lead Southern Baptists to be on mission with God to bring all the peoples of the world to saving faith in Jesus Christ."

Student Missions is a program administrated by the Collegiate Mobilization Team of the IMB. Student Missions offers students in college or seminary the opportunity to serve alongside a career missionary. Students serve in short-term, summer and semester assignments overseas.

Student Missions began in 1947 with 11 students going to Hawaii (an international territory at that time). Since that time, more than 10,000 students have participated in the IMB's Student Missions program. In 2000 and 2001 approximately 3,500 students served each year through Student Missions.

Q2: How are students chosen to serve through IMB Student Missions?

A2: Individual students complete an in-depth application and submit it to the
Collegiate Mobilization Team's application review committee. Four references from ministers, professors and friends are also required for each applicant. Based on the information gathered from the application and references, including skills, interests, abilities, field preferences, dates of availability, and references, the committee approves or refuses the student for service.

When the committee members affirm a student for service, they assign the
student to a mission project, based primarily on the assignment preferences noted by the student on the application.

Q3: How are student missionaries supported financially?

A3: Students serving through IMB Student Missions are responsible for all of their expenses. These expenses include travel costs, insurance, and cost of living on the field (food, lodging, and in-country transportation). The field personnel determine the cost on the field and make the field arrangements for the students. The project request in a student's Approval Packet sent by the Collegiate Mobilization Team lists the cost on the field.

Q4: What about insurance for my student while on the field?

A4: In order to serve through the IMB, all student missionaries must have
missionary insurance coverage through Adams and Associates International for approximately $2 per day. This insurance is comprehensive coverage, not just medical insurance. Most policies in the United States do NOT cover emergencies overseas.

Adams and Associates insurance provides comprehensive coverage during the term of the mission project, not just medical insurance. Coverage information is available at www.thetask.org/students/approved/ on the "insurance" link. The log in name and password for this site are available in your student's Approval Packet.

Q5: Who will supervise my student on the field?

A5: The field supervisor will be a career missionary, a local pastor or a journeyman. Each student will be accountable to a supervisor and to the IMB Regional Office of the country in which they serve.

Q6: Who makes transportation arrangements to the field for my student?

A6: Your student is responsible to contact the travel agent to arrange the complete travel plans. For the best airfares, travel arrangements should be started at least 3 months before the date the project begins. A list of recommended travel agents and the regions of the world which they cover are on our website at www.thetask.org/students/Approved/default.htm.

Q7: Who arranges housing for my student and what is the housing like?

A7: The field supervisor is responsible for your living arrangements on the field, unless other wise noted on the project request or communicated to you by the field supervisor. Once your student is assigned to a project, you may contact the supervisor for answers to specific questions about housing.

Q8: How can I contact my student on the field?

A8: The field supervisor can give you the contact information (email address, fax number, postal address, and/or phone number) where your student can be reached throughout the summer. When you contact your student, please keep in mind the security level of the place where your student is serving. If the security code is 2 or 3, please refrain from using vocabulary which indicates the religious nature of this trip such as "missions," "evangelism," "God or Jesus," "church," etc. when communicating with the field supervisor.

In security-sensitive areas, privacy is not highly regarded. Remember, email is like a postcard - it is open for anyone to read. Postal mail is often opened before it arrives to the intended recipient, and phone lines are frequently tapped by government officials. Please be cautious when communicating with your student who is serving in a security 2 or 3 area.

Q9: What if there is a family crisis or some other emergency while my student
is on the field?

A9: In case of an emergency, the Collegiate Mobilization Team is available to you to contact your student. Your student may be in a place where communication is difficult. We are always able to get in touch with your student on short notice in case of an emergency.

Q10: Can I send packages to my student?

A10: In general, the answer is yes, BUT, be sure and check with your student's field supervisor about the correct procedure.

Postal mail is so slow in some countries that without the correct procedure your package would not arrive on the field until your student is back in the States. Pilfering is a problem in many countries and packages are enticing, so your student may not receive some items. Also, some countries require the recipients to pay duty for packages when they retrieve them from the post office. The duty sometimes costs more than the items in the package.

Q11: Can I visit my student on the field?

A11: We appreciate your support of and interest in your students' ministry. If
you must see your student while s/he is a student missionary, the field supervisor must give approval. It is important that your visit not interfere with the ministry.

Q12: What if I have other questions?

A12: If you have questions, please consult your student and the Approval Packet first. The information in the Approval Packet is thorough and may answer your question.

For questions related to your student's project assignment or the country in which your student will serve, please contact the field supervisor. Types of information that the field supervisor knows best includes:

What clothes/shoes are appropriate for the culture and the climate
Housing on the field
Food on the field
Specifics about the job
Information about the religion and lifestyle of the people group
Gender roles and how men and women relate to each other in the culture
Receptivity to the gospel among the people group you will serve
How to share the gospel with this people group
What ministry materials to bring.

If you have questions about logistical arrangements for the project that are not answered in the Approval Packet, please contact the Collegiate Mobilization Team at 1-800-789-4693 or isd.student@imb.org.

Youth | International World Changers | College/Seminary | After College/Journeyman

A Southern Baptist Convention entity supported by the Cooperative Program and
the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering®.
® Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is a registered trademark of Woman's Missionary Union
© Copyright 2006 International Mission Board. All Rights Reserved.

Additional questions, Comments, Concerns... Can't Find It? TO RECEIVE PERSONAL ATTENTION contact your IMB Webservant.

Parents' Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents

Parents' Frequently Asked Questions