I'm going to try to put together a packet of information to send to churches, Rachel has some Tupperware activities so I'll be home alone tonight. In speaking with Mr. Lippy, one of the Mission Leadership Team (MLT) members at my parents church, he encouraged me not to be concerned with providing too much information. He and the other MLT wanted to know as much as possible. My previous relationship with them means we have a base to stand on already. Mr. Lippy's service on the pastoral search committee at CBC gives him a real neat perspective on the workings of this sort of thing. His encouragement reminded me of a conversation Rachel and I had with my dad and mom in which the topic of secrecy in ministries came up. This secrecy can be very damaging and we discussed briefly what it had looked like when it was absent in a few situations. It, alone, can make the difference between trust and distrust. So, I'm going to capitalize on something God equipped me with. I tend to be very open as long as I don't feel threatened. I'll need to keep this in the forefront.

I also ran into the Weir family. I went through Youth Group with Matt and Nate. I missed Nate, but Rachel and I had the opportunity to talk with Matt and then their parents. We found out, while visiting FIM several months ago, that the Director of FIM was the pastor of Matt's Dad before they went to Haiti to be missionaries working in radio. Director Wilt had some fun stories to tell. It was fun to talk with the Weir's about the mission we have before us and just catch up on what is going on with Nate and the rest of their family.

Anyway, in thinking about what I want to put in the packet, I'm trying to think about the questions that a missions committee might ask. Our financial needs and a breakdown of them would, certainly, something they may want to see. Our mission statement and related planning documentation makes sense. Of course, our coming prayer card, but until it gets through design, I'll use the current one we made. The first prayer letter, which we haven't "published yet" will probably go in. I think I'll consider a copy of our presentation printed out in a format similar to the one here on the website. Also, a list of the kinds of ways we would be able to be involved with the church might help the mission committee think of ways to allow us to serve the church. I'll probably come up with a few more things on the way home tonight.

--- edit: Later the same night, I created this list.

• A Picture of Us
• Intro Letter to Church
• Explain What Makes FIM Different; Flexibility in Ministry, Integrity and Accountability
• Explain Connection With Church
• Explain Our Roles with FIM; Summarize Ministry Plan
• Mission Statement
• Prayer Card
• Prayer Letter
• Printed Presentation in Notes View
• Possible Ways We Can Be Involved
• FIM Doctrinal Statement
• Financial Planning Sheet
• More as I think of it...