OVERVIEW: The Seven U.S. Standards of Excellence in
Short-Term Mission
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God-Centeredness
An excellent short-term mission seeks first God’s glory and his kingdom, and is expressed through our:- Purpose — Centering on God’s glory and his ends throughout our entire STM process
- Lives — Sound biblical doctrine, persistent prayer, and godliness in all our thoughts, words, and deeds
- Methods — Wise, biblical, and culturally-appropriate methods which bear spiritual fruit
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Empowering Partnerships
An excellent short-term mission establishes healthy, interdependent, on-going relationships between sending and receiving partners, and is expressed by:- Primary focus on intended receptors
- Plans which benefit all participants
- Mutual trust and accountability
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Mutual Design
An excellent short-term mission collaboratively plans each specific outreach for the benefit of all participants, and is expressed by:- On-field methods and activities aligned to long-term strategies of the partnership
- Goer-guests' ability to implement their part of the plan
- Host receivers' ability to implement their part of the plan
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Comprehensive Administration
An excellent short-term mission exhibits integrity through reliable set-up and thorough administration for all participants, and is expressed by:- Truthfulness in promotion, finances, and reporting results
- Appropriate risk management
- Quality program delivery and support logistics
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Qualified Leadership
An excellent short-term mission screens, trains, and develops capable leadership for all participants, and is expressed by:- Character — Spiritually mature servant leadership
- Skills — Prepared, competent, organized, and accountable leadership
- Values — Empowering and equipping leadership
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Appropriate Training
An excellent short-term mission prepares and equips all participants for the mutually designed outreach, and is expressed by:- Biblical, appropriate, and timely training
- On-going training and equipping (pre-field, on-field, post-field)
- Qualified trainers
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Thorough Follow-Up
An excellent short-term mission assures debriefing and appropriate follow-up for all participants, and is expressed by:- Comprehensive debriefing (pre-field, on-field, post-field)
- On-field re-entry preparation
- Post-field follow-up and evaluation
Begin: Standard # 1 - God Centeredness