Welcome to Wise Short-Term Missions:
Principles and Practices to Benefit Vulnerable Children & Families!
If you are in charge of strategizing, planning, or organizing the short-term mission programming for your church, sending, or hosting organization, you are likely faced with many questions about what your short-term mission groups will do, who they will serve, and how they will carry that out. We participate in short-term missions because we want to positively impact the world around us. However, we can do more harm than good without a proper understanding of what is most effective. This is especially true when we seek to serve vulnerable children and families.
This course is specifically designed for leaders in charge of strategizing, planning, and organizing short-term missions programming for a church, sending organization, or hosting organization. It will help leaders to ensure their programs are seeking the best for the vulnerable children and families they serve by guiding them through the essential work of evaluating their programs and identifying ways they want to adapt or develop new strategies in their pursuit of a healthy short-term missions program.
What You Can Expect
CAFO Certificate of
Completion
Earn a CAFO Certificate of Completion by which CAFO stands behind your commitment to learn, grow in, and apply best practices and wisdom-guided.
Editable, Logo-Free
Tools and Templates
Use our editable, logo-free templates to help you make a plan of action for how you can improve the quality of service you provide. These free introductory tools are accessible to any organization or advocate.
Team Discussion and
Summary Guides
Access a team discussion and summary guide that includes prompts to help your team reflect on and discuss next steps and highlights relevant resources for further investigation.
Example Curriculum
- Evaluating our Program
- Seven Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Missions
- Short-Term Missions Strategy Intended to Benefit Families
- Principle #1: Protection: Safeguarding Children From Harm Is The First Priority
- Principle #2: Attachment: Support Bonds Between Children And Their Parent Or Primary Caregiver
- Principle #3: Caregivers: Honor The Role Of Parents And Primary Caregivers
- Principle #4: Community Support: The Communities Surrounding Vulnerable Children
- Principle #5: Expectations: Make Sure The Trip Purpose Is Clear And Expectations Thoroughly Understood
- Principle #6: Partnership: Anchor Every Trip In Long-Term Relationships With Quality Partners
- Principle #7: Training: Commit To Learning Before Doing
- Principle #8: Media: Share Stories And Images With Care
- Pause and Reflect
The Core Elements of Success in OVC Care
This eCourse is part of the Core Elements of Success in OVC Care program. It is targeted toward supporting NGOs serving vulnerable children and families as they develop and engage in partnerships with government agencies, other NGOs, churches, and other stakeholders, but principles may apply more broadly.
Ideally, it will be used in conjunction with the Core Elements Self-Assessment and other Core Elements eCourses.
This eCourse can be completed on your own, with a partner or as a team. We believe that teams learning together is where growth begins, and we are here to support you in your process of equipping your team to care well for vulnerable children and families.
