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Purpose of the Church Guided Research Project

Instructions and resources for completing the country project for Introduction to the Purpose of the Church.

Part 2: Case Study

You just received a letter from the chair of the missions committee at your home church.  This person explains to you that the church has recently made a decision to answer an appeal for needed support from a missionary who is already on the field.  Some people on the committee know this missionary personally and they feel good about the decision to partner with the missionary.  The problem is they know next-to-nothing about the country where he is serving.  The chairman recently heard that you had completed an extensive research project at Lincoln Christian University on the very country where this missionary is serving.  The chair is asking for you to send information that will help the committee in three specific areas described in the other tabs. 

1) Since their new missionary is already on the field and unable to visit your home church, the chair is preparing to speak to the church on two occasions.  The first time, the chair wants to give a general overview of the history and culture of the country you researched.  The chair needs to present as much demographic information as possible in an interesting way, including an explanation of the current political situation and government.  The committe wants the church to develop an appreciation for the people and the culture where their missionary is serving and wants to give an interesting and creative presentation that will both inform and create interest in the host country of their new missionary. 

 2)  At the second church meeting, the chair wants to explain in as much detail as possible, the physical and spiritual needs of the country.  The committee wants to convince the church of the vital importance of supporting missions work in that country.  They especially want the congregation to know the evangelism status of the country as well as the health, education, and economic situation for the people.  They also want to start a prayer warrior ministry at the church that would focus on specific physical and spiritual needs.  Be sure to list several specific prayer needs so the new prayer warrior ministry will have some good “prayer fuel” to start with.  The chair is concerned that many in the congregation have become apathetic to the needs of people in other countries outside of the United States and are themselves very materialistic in their outlook.  If applicable, it would be good to include some physical, economic, and spiritual comparisons between the country you researched and the United States to stir them up from their apathy and challenge them to think about the needs of others. 

 3)  The third and last thing the chair asks you to help with has to do with next summer.  The church has decided to go out of its comfort zone and take a short-term missions trip to visit their new missionary on the field.  The missions committee chair will be one of the planners and leaders for the trip.  The trip will include High School youth as well as adults from the congregation.   The chair needs your help in writing up a trip manual that includes several important items like:  cost of transportation, visa requirements, vaccination and immunication requirements,the currency name and exchange rate, information about food, drinking water, languages to use, etiquette, taboos, dress, etc.  The committee would like you to include a list of what to bring/what not to bring, and other specific information or practical tips about getting to the country and surviving/thriving once the team arrives. 

Based on your research complete one of the following options:

  • Write a 3-6 page, double-spaced paper containing a minimum of one page of material for each section.
  • Create a PowerPoint or other presentation and an accompanying 3 page, double-spaced script to read while viewing the PowerPoint that includes the material you want to give the committee chairman at your home church. 
  • Create a PowerPoint or other presentation with audio or a video.

The material contained in these presentation will help the chairman with the two meetings with the congregation and preparing the mission trip manual.  Your project should be structured in three sections, entitled “history and culture,” “physical and spiritual needs,” and “missions trip manual.” 

For this project a bibliography is not needed as you are referencing your sources throughout sections 1-9.