The Assistant Missionary Program: Plugging in where they're needed

The Changing Face of Missions

Over the last several decades, the face of missions has radically changed, particularly in regard to the sharp upswing of interest in short-term missions. ABWE now has well over 120 short-term missionaries on the field with AMP (the Assistant Missionary Program), and this number grows steadily each year.

Don Trott, Executive Director of Missionary Mobilization and Pre-field Ministries, describes AMP participants as a "powerful force used by God in ways that only eternity will fully reveal."

Kay Wharton, Coordinator of the Assistant Missionary Program since 1998, explains that "AMP service is vital to help lighten the load of career missionaries. For instance, MK teachers are a tremendous help when the parents are in language school, as well as in many other areas."

Defining Short-Term Missions

There are different kinds of short-term opportunities available. Generally, "short-term" refers to an involvement of six months to two years. ABWE's Assistant Missionary Program was designed for those who can make such a time commitment. While the majority of AMPers are teachers or medical personnel, the spectrum of opportunity is broad. Other areas of opportunity include women's ministries, sports ministries, radio, leadership training, ESL/TESL, deaf/blind ministries, administrative support, church planting, children/youth ministries, and camp and conference ministries.

The term "missions trips" refers to the two-week to one-month ventures. Missions trips participants often go with a single focus, such as a construction or medical project, or with the aim of helping missionaries with VBS or a week of camp.

Who gets involved in short-term missions?

. Christians who, while not called to career missions, have specific skills or talents that are needed on a mission field.

. those looking for guidance as to whether or not God is calling them to a career in missionary service.

. those with work or family responsibilities they can leave for only brief periods of time, but who want to make those brief periods count in God's work around the world.

. Seniors who want to spend their retirement years in ministry.

Short-Term Missions as an Investment Opportunity

Participation in short-term missions allows volunteers to experience working in a cross-cultural setting; it also facilitates growth in missions awareness. If acquiring skill in a new language is necessary, AMPers can sometimes learn enough to become conversant in their new culture. Volunteers whose ministry is primarily in English have wonderful opportunities to build relationships that can produce measurable results.

Participants in short missions trips do not always see immediate fruit from their efforts. Often, though, the resident missionaries see ripple effects of a short-term team's service months after the team has gone home.

People who have been involved in short-term missions are changed. They pray more specifically (and more often). They give more sacrificially. Their enthusiasm is contagious. Most are touched by needs around the world, the enormity of the task facing career missionaries, and the disparity between the wealth and comfort of our own and other cultures.

Many career missionaries say that short-term experience prepared their hearts for long-term commitment, so that AMP service frequently becomes a stepping stone to career missions. "In 2003," Don Trott says, "30% of our candidate class had participated in prior short-term service with ABWE."

There is no better short-term investment in missions than hands-on, real-life experience - an investment that pays long-term dividends for all involved.

Check out ABWE's current AMP opportunities at www.abwe.org/.

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