First Year on the Field

GCM Staff On-Field Visit

GCM's care ministry also encompasses several on field visits. In 2004, Great Cities Missions launched a series of systematic on-field visits. Regularly scheduled visits to teams on the field at the beginning of their work is a key element to better missionary care, team relationships, and the successful planting of larger and healthier missions’ congregations.

North American Teams are visited at the following intervals:

• Approximately eight months after arrival on the field
• Approximately 18 months after arrival on the field
• Approximately three years after arrival

These regular visits will have a two-fold purpose: to provide missionary and team care and to begin laying groundwork for GCM’s emerging area of on-field team and church growth.

The first on-field visit at the 8-month stage.

The purpose of this visit is to make sure that all missionary personnel are doing well and coming out of culture shock. It is also important to make sure there are no team or individual conflicts. Another objective of this visit will be to help the team secure an adequate, well-located meeting place in which to begin their work. Should the team have received new team members who joined the team after the initial arrival date, efforts will made during this visit to insure the new team members have been properly integrated into the team and the work.

The second on-field visit at the 18-month to two-year stage.

The primary purposes for the visit are to encourage team members and check on how the church planting and evangelism strategies are progressing. Team relationships and morale will be evaluated.

The third on-field visit at the two and a half to three-year mark.

This visit will evaluate strategy progress to see if the team is on target for reaching the goals in the beginning stages of church establishment.

In addition, the discussion will begin with team members concerning long-range time commitments to the work and the implications these time commitments have for the team’s work strategy. Normally the team has not grappled with the fact that the completions of their 5-year commitments are not far off and all are wondering who will be the first teammates to return to the United States. The return to the U.S. of the first team family is a very emotional moment. Discussing this traumatic event at least two years before it takes place is the perfect time to initiate this discussion and help the team through this crucial stage. The impending departure of the missionary families makes it even more important to verify progress in developing national leaders.

A final issue to be discussed during this visit is the need for a plan to acquire a permanent meeting place.

Note: After the three visits are made, GCM believes each team should be solid in its relationships, well organized as a team, carrying out a good working plan, and progressing well towards its ultimate goal of firmly establishing the church.

GCM's Care Ministry also includes special visits and workshops as needed. Should the need arise, Great Cities Missions will facilitate Team Conflict Resolution Workshops, and intervene in crises.