Summer Missions
A short video of me (Unfortunately I didn’t have the budget to hire a professional actor or get one of my kids to do the video!) talking about our Online Summer Missions Program. I talk about the program, dates, training, and the application process. Application deadline is May 1, 2009.
APPLICATION PROCESS FOR ONLINE SUMMER MISSIONS
Posted on | April 14, 2009 |
I want to keep the application process as simple and as relational as possible. This is what I came up with:
- Email me, Facebook me, Twitter me, Plurk me, call me, etc, to schedule a one-on-one Skype video call. This is as much of an opportunity for you to ask me questions as it is for me to ask you questions.
- Send me a copy of a standard resume.
- Send me 5 references. (One from a family member. One from a pastor, college minister, or youth minister. Two from close friends. One from someone you feel knows you well. This could be a professor, employer, boyfriend/girlfriend, spouse, etc. You choose.) Don’t list them if you don’t want me to call them.
One week after we’ve talked and I have your resume and references, I will let you know if you’ve been accepted into the program. After you’ve been accepted, you will need to attend one of the offline trainings. Right now we have one planned for the New England Area and one for Texas. Both will be held on June 3-6.
The deadline for applications is May 1. You must call to schedule a Skype conversation before May 1 to start the process.
Oh yeah, we’re not charging anything for you to be involved in the program. You have to have your own equipment and pay for your ticket (or gas) to get to one of the offline trainings and for room and board during the training.
2009 ONLINE SUMMER MISSIONS TRAINING TOPICS AND SCHEDULE
Posted on | April 9, 2009 |
Offline training for the Online Summer Missions Program will be all day June 3, 4, 5, and 6. The offline training location will be in Texas – exact location to be announced soon. There will be a multi-site training in New England on the same dates at the same times (adjusted for Eastern Time). Additional Information will be posted here.
A YouTube video with more information about the program and application process will be posted later today. The application process must be completed by May 1, 2009. Applicants will know if they are accepted into the Summer Missions Program within one week of completing the application process.
All applicants must attend the training (in person and in real time) – either in Texas or one of the multi-site locations.
Below is the schedule. As always it is subject to change.
June 3
08:45 – Check-in
09:00 – Introductions and Overview of Online Ministry
10:00 – Break
10:15 – The DNA of Small Groups and Starting Small Groups With Lost People
11:00 – How to Facilitate Small Groups
12:00 – Lunch
13:00 – How to Live a Spiritual Lifestyle
15:00 – Break
15:15 – Learning God’s Love Language
16:30 – Questions, Assign Homework
17:00 – Break for the Day
June 4
09:00 – Debrief and Discuss Homework
10:30 – Break
10:45 – What Does the Great Commission Really Say?
12:00 – Lunch
13:00 – Jesus Establishes a Pattern to Engage Lost Communities
15:00 – Break
15:15 – What are Social Media and How Do They Work?
16:30 – Questions, Assign Homework
17:00 – Break for the Day
June 5
09:00 – Debrief and Discuss Homework
10:45 – Break
11:00 – Who is a Person of Peace?
12:00 – Lunch
13:00 – What Does an Online Community Look Like?
14:00 – Using Social Media to Find Persons of Peace in Online Communities
15:00 – Break
15:15 – Developing a Listening Plan for Your Online Ministry
16:30 – Questions, Assign Homework
17:00 – Break for the Day
June 6
09:00 – Debrief and Discuss Homework
10:45 – Break
11:00 – The Difference Between Accountability and Confession
12:00 – Lunch
13:00 – How Do You Know if You are Being Successful When Nothing Is Happening Yet?
14:00 – Developing a Team Plan to Find Persons of Peace and Start Discovery Bible Studies Online
15:00 – Break
16:00 – Looking Ahead to the Next 8 Weeks
17:00 – Dinner Together
18:00 – Evaluation, Final Q&A, Commissioning
19:00 – Break for Home
If you have questions, contact Paul at 214.668.3500 or paul at pauldwatson dot com. If you are interested in hosting a multi-site training, call Paul as soon as possible.
ONLINE SUMMER MISSIONS 2009
Posted on | April 3, 2009 |
As of June 30, 2008, Internet World Stats estimates 1,463,632,361 people around the world use the internet. Although Asian users account for 39.5% of total internet users, the most used language online is English. People from around the world are accessing the internet and using English as a trade language to join an international conversation.
Who is God?’ was one of the top three sentences googled in 2007, according to Google Zeitgeist. According to Alexa, the top religious website is Muslim. BibleGateway is second and a horoscope site is third. People access the internet to ask many questions, but more importantly, people access the internet to ask spiritual questions.
The next generation of Christian leaders – members of this Online Generation – have to learn how to engage lost people online and disciple them into obedient relationships with Christ. Whether they become internet missionaries, online church planters, or choose another vocation, the next generation of Christians needs to understand the methods outlined in Scripture for discipling the Online Generation.
Course Summary
The Online Discipleship Summer Missions Project is a nine week program.
Summer missionaries will gather in an offline location (TBA) for orientation and training, June 4, 2009 – June 7, 2009. They will learn the principles of starting rapidly multiplying groups of obedient disciples – the same methods used to start over 7000 churches in Sub-Saharan Africa in the last four years! They will learn how to use online tools to identify communities, meet felt-needs of those communities, identify Persons of Peace, and start Discovery Bible Studies – online and offline. Each summer missionary will learn how to use blogs, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Plurk, YouTube, Ustream, and Viddler to minister to people online. Finally, each student will develop a prayer network of people they contact and pray for throughout the project.
After training, summer missionaries return home. They can easily maintain part-time jobs during the summer. We ask that they commit at least three hours a day, five days a week, to online missions. During the first hour they will meet in small groups with other online missionaries in their team for accountability, to study the Bible, and to pray. For the remaining two hours, we ask that they sit down in front of their favorite TV show or movie with their laptop to search for online communities of lost people, find persons of peace, and start Discovery Bible Studies.
At the end of eight weeks, the summer missionaries will come together offline for a two day celebration (TBA). They will share what they learned in the process and what they plan to do in the future.
Who are we looking for?
Someone who…
- Loves Christ
- Is growing spiritually
- Feels strongly about the lost
- Is a self-starter
- Demonstrated good online communication skills
- Someone who uses one or more social media to communicate online (Blog, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Plurk, YouTube, Viddler, Bebo, etc.)
Summer Missionaries will need (or have easy access to):
- Cellphone with a text messaging plan (at least 1500 texts per month).
- Laptop purchased within the last three years.
- Easy access to broadband – at home, a local library, or other location.
- Webcam – built into your laptop or as an external device.
- Microphone – built into your laptop or webcam, or as an external device.
For more information and to apply, contact Paul D. Watson at 214.668.3500 or email paul at pauldwatson dot com.
