Section 1: Expectations

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Purpose

As part of the Office of Spiritual Life at Baylor University, our mission at Spiritual Life is to nurture theological depth, spiritual wholeness and missional living in the students, staff and faculty of Baylor University. We do this by offering integrated formational programming, transformative missional experiences, competent pastoral care and worship that is responsive to the Christian tradition and sensitive to the culture.

The purpose of Baylor University Missions is to shape Baylor’s faithful engagement with Waco and the world by creating intentional opportunities to integrate faith, learning and practice within a broad Christian worldview.

These missional experiences allow our students to reflect on how God might use the knowledge and skills they gain here at Baylor to make a difference in the world. It also provides incredible venues to experience and learn from a different culture and to be a part of what God is doing in and around the world.

Guiding Principles

At Baylor Missions, we believe that we can participate in God’s Kingdom work through our work, by both finding situations that utilize our specific skills as well as living out the Christian life every day in the classroom, workplace and community, wherever that may be. As we consider mission projects, global partners, and team leaders, we use the following principles to guide our decisions: 1.

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5. Discipline-Specific Missions

• We focus primarily on a discipline-specific approach to missions as it helps our students understand how they can use their specific strengths and passions in service of Christ and the world.

Global Partners

• We work in relationship with global partners, those individuals or organizations that help lead the way to meet the needs of their community.

Long-Term Commitment

• We will commit 3-5 years of working alongside global partners to address a particular issue or project (i.e. an engineering team that builds a solar grid for a hospital in Haiti or an interdisciplinary team that focuses on food security in

Washington, D.C.).

Reciprocity

• It is our goal to create a shared experience where everyone benefits. It is our intent to learn from other cultures and share with them our knowledge, resources and care.

Reflection/Integration

• We believe it is our responsibility to ensure that all students have multiple outlets for reflection on their experience. It is our hope that through this reflection process, we are helping our students integrate this experience into their daily lives and future vocation.

Learning Goals and Outcomes

Learning Goals

Baylor Missions seeks to educate students about vocation as mission, Christian responsibility, and the practice of intentionality. We help students: 1. Practice intentionality within the context of their mission experiences. 2. Apply the practice of Christian responsibility to their mission experiences. 3. Discuss the concept of vocation as calling.

Learning Outcomes

We want those who participate in Baylor Missions… 1.

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6. To understand the nature of the Missio Dei (the mission of God) and how they can participate in this through global mission projects. To have a greater understanding of what it means to use one’s vocation and calling to impact the world for Christ. To understand that we have a responsibility to love and care for our global neighbors. To gain a healthy respect for local ministers and their ability to enculturate the gospel and minister within their community. To reflect and integrate their experience on the trip so that they can better understand the holistic nature of missions.

To share their story, both at Baylor and in the community, that others might learn and be transformed by this experience as well.

The Role of a Team Leader

This manual will serve as a guide and resource for you, the team leader, as you plan and prepare to go on a discipline-specific mission trip. Our approach has been to provide as much detail as possible so that you can utilize what you need when you need it. Each of the following items is dealt with in detail in the subsequent chapters. This list is thorough, but certainly not exhaustive. Team Leaders and co-leaders are both committed to the purpose, guiding principles, learning goals and outcomes of Baylor Missions as described on the previous pages. They are especially attentive to the growth of the students and the global footprint left by the team. They work collaboratively with the global partner and Baylor Missions to develop a project in which the students and the community witness the love of God and the love for one another. The Team Leader is the primary lead for the team and is largely responsible for team recruitment, project management and reporting to Baylor Missions. Team Leaders must have experience as a leader on a previous Baylor mission trip and their academic discipline must connect to the trip purpose and project and/or to the student group. Student, peer and global partner evaluations will be considered for approval for future trips. Team co-leaders provide a vital supporting role to the team leader and to the team. Team coleaders may be a first-time international traveler. They may or may not intend to serve as the Team Leader in the future. Their academic discipline must connect to the trip purpose and project and/or to the student group. Student, peer and global partner evaluations will be considered for approval for future trips.

Team Leader Criteria includes:

- Academic discipline is connected to trip purpose and project, and/or student group - Full-Time, Exempt Status - Previously served as a co-leader - Personal travel abroad - Willing and able to: o understand and operate within financial budgets o facilitate reflection from both a spiritual and social integration standpoint o complete all the trainings o recruit students o organize and lead a minimum of five team meetings o cover personal passport fees, immunizations, and other personal expenses not included in the trip cost - Affirms: o commitment to Baylor Missions’ learning goals and outcomes and guiding principles o work with and listen to global partner

Co-Leader Criteria includes:

- Academic discipline is connected to trip purpose and project, and/or student group - Willing and able to: o understand and operate within financial budgets o complete all the trainings o cover personal passport fees, immunizations, and other personal expenses not included in the trip cost - Affirms: o commitment to Baylor Missions’ learning goals and outcomes and guiding principles o work with and listen to global partner

In General, Team Leaders:

- Desire to see students discover a sense of vocation as mission - Are committed to the philosophy and vision of Baylor Missions as a part of the mission of

Baylor - Are an integral part of the planning process - Complete BearsAbroad application, signature documents and medical forms

Specifically, Team Leaders:

- Work with Baylor Missions to determine the emphasis of their specific team - Are knowledgeable of the various policies and procedures for trip planning o All mission trip policies and procedures, as well as trip leader resources such as timelines, planning tools, and submission materials are available at www.baylor.edu/missions/leaders - Work with the Assistant Director of Operations to submit trip proposal - Recruit, interview and approve students - Hold regular team meetings and prayer times (recommended at least five meetings before departure) - Prepare students as a team for the mission experience - Ensure team members are keeping up with deadlines - Formulate an itinerary for the trip - Support and challenge students before, during, and after the trip - Develop debriefing activities for the students throughout the trip and upon return - Provide a trip summary to Baylor Missions

Attend Required Workshops:

- Baylor Missions Team Leader Orientation - Leadership Lab (required for leaders who have led 3 trips or less) - Missions Summit - Cash Advance Workshop

Important Things to Know:

- Every team leader must be approved by the Assistant Dean of Spiritual Life and Missions. - A minimum of 12 students is required for each team. Exceptions must be approved by the Assistant Dean. - The trip cost for leaders is covered by a Baylor Missions Team Leadership Grant. Expenses to be covered by the leaders personally include: passport, personal items, souvenirs, immunizations and medical expenses.

Things to Consider:

- Have you spoken with your family and considered other personal commitments before deciding to go? - Have you spoken with your chair and/or dean to get approval? - Do you have time to plan a trip and attend all the required meetings? - Do you already have contacts and projects in mind for your trip? - Will students be able to receive course credit for the trip? If so, prior approval by the

Assistant Dean and a separate approval process through CGE are required.

Baylor Missions Team Leader Grant Covenant

Baylor Missions would not exist without you. We know that you lead mission trips with us because you feel called by God to engage, along with students, in transformational, faithinformed engagement around the world. We do, too. Just as you commit to excellence every day in your department, we commit to excellence in our program. We strive to be a community on campus that supports holistic kingdom engagement, provides resources to engage spiritual reflection, and empowers missional living. We commit to serve with you as we serve our students. By receiving the Baylor Missions Team Leadership Grant, we ask you to commit to completing the requirements of all Team Leaders (see below).

Baylor Missions Team Leader Roles and Responsibilities

• Work with Baylor Missions to determine the strategic direction of your trip • Adhere to all Baylor travel policies and procedures • Actively participate in Baylor Missions team leader workshops and online training courses • Submit trip proposal through BearQuest, including meeting with the Assistant Director of

Emergency Management and Global Preparedness • Meet with Baylor Missions staff to approve budget prior to posting trip cost and stay within budget • Recruit, interview and approve team members • Hold regular team meetings and prayer times to prepare students as a team for the mission experience • Submit a final itinerary • Attend Baylor Missions Summit with your team • Ensure that all travelers comply with Baylor policies and procedures, including student code of conduct, during the trip • Be intentional with reflection and debriefing conversations during the trip and upon return • Complete a post-trip summary for Baylor Missions

By agreeing to lead a Baylor Missions team, I commit to complete all roles and responsibilities of Missions Team Leaders. Should I be unable to fulfill these requirements, I understand that I will be responsible to repay Baylor University for expenses incurred.

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The Role of a Student Leader

A Student Team Leader represents the student organization and serves as the logistical lead as needed in conjunction with the faculty/staff team leaders and the global partners. The student leader may take on the primary role for team recruitment, project management and reporting to Baylor Missions. The student leader also works alongside the faculty/staff team leaders who are the official representation for Baylor University and who are ultimately responsible for the team. Thus, student leaders and faculty/staff leaders should have a thorough discussion to define responsibilities for recruitment, project management, global partner communications, reporting to Baylor missions, team communications, team meetings, and other trip components, as needed.

This following list of expectations for student leaders is thorough, but certainly not exhaustive.

In General, Student Leaders:

- Desire to discover a sense of vocation as mission and see their peers do the same - Are committed to the philosophy and vision of BU Missions as a part of the mission of

Baylor - Actively collaborate with the faculty/staff leader and BU Missions in the planning process

Specifically, Student Leaders:

- Must attend required Student Org Leader Trainings - Regarding Faculty/Staff Leaders: o Work with Baylor Missions to recruit faculty/staff leader (2 for International, 1 for Domestic) o Include faculty/staff leaders in all team meetings and communications o Recognize faculty/staff leaders as the official representation of Baylor University for guidance in planning and carrying out projects in country o Work with faculty/staff leader to submit trip proposal through BearQuest o Formulate an itinerary with the faculty/staff leader for the mission experience - Regarding Student Team Members: o Prepare students as a team for the missions experience through planning, advertising, and attending regular team meetings and prayer times for trip participants o Ensure student team members are keeping up with deadlines set by BU Missions o Support and challenge students before, during, and after the trip o Plan and participate in debriefing activities with the team upon return - Will be knowledgeable of the various policies and procedures for trip planning - Will be knowledgeable of trip leader resources such as a team leader manual, timelines, planning tools, and submission materials are now available at www.baylor.edu/missions/leaders - Follow and enforce Baylor Code of Conduct and BU Missions’ expectations

The Role of Baylor Missions

As you have read the list of expectations and responsibilities, please know that it is the desire of Baylor Missions to support, guide and serve you, the faculty, staff and student team leaders, as you undertake this monumental task.

Baylor Missions will:

Identify and approve all mission projects according to our guiding principles Obtain approval for trips according to Baylor travel policy Approve all team leaders, volunteers and guests Set up the BearsAbroad application site (Baylor’s travel database) Work with team leaders to plan positive mission experiences Publicize and provide general recruitment for all teams Be responsible for all financial decisions Assist team leader in planning logistics: travel, housing, food, transportation, etc. In some cases, the team leader, because of his/her experience in this location, may be more hands-on with planning logistics. Inform every student of Baylor’s cell phone policy for international travel Provide support and resources for team building, fundraising, itinerary planning, etc. Communicate all deadlines, policies and procedures as clearly as possible Provide cultural and spiritual orientation for all participants Provide information to students and leaders about required and recommended vaccines Offer help in planning debriefing activities upon return This list is thorough, but certainly not exhaustive. Some items may not always be applicable based upon the needs and environment of any given leader, team or location.

The Non-Negotiables

Baylor Missions collaborates with many constituencies in planning trips. It is necessary to establish policies and procedures that will streamline the process and allow us to use our resources and staff in the best and most efficient manner possible. Because of the desire to be good stewards of the resources available and to be consistent with every staff member, faculty and student involved, the following is a list of non-negotiables.

In order to participate in a Baylormission trip, you, the team leader, must be willing to comply with these items:

1. Baylor Missions works with each leader to determine the overall trip cost. Please do not quote a cost to students unless it has been confirmed through our office. We cannot honor misquotes given by a team leader. 2. Our office assists with group travel arrangements. These include but are not limited to: airline tickets, buses, cars, rail tickets, hotels, housing, and food. Our office is receptive to recommendations made by team leaders but we are fiscally responsible for all financial decisions. Thus, we cannot accommodate personal preferences. If approved,

Team members requiring alternate travel dates must make their own arrangements.

Baylor is not responsible for those traveling separate from the team. 3. Fundraising policies are set by Baylor University. Money paid by an individual traveler

is considered a payment. Payments are not tax-deductible. Money given to a team or program may be considered a donation. Donations are processed through the Baylor

Gift Office. All donations received will be used at the discretion of the Assistant Dean. The donor may receive a receipt for tax credit. Leaders will receive financial updates regarding students that have not met payment deadlines.

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Team meetings are a vital part of our missions program as they allow the team to bond. Plan your project at meetings, but also form a plan to prepare your students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and spiritually for this venture. We encourage bimonthly meetings. During busy times that may not be feasible, so we encourage you to at least be in contact by email (and/or group chat) and to meet with them at least five times before departure.

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Programming funds are built into individual trip costs. If your team requires more funds than this allotment, it is up to the team to raise those funds. Baylor Missions Budget Coordinator must be contacted immediately of any financial needs outside of budgeted trip costs. If the expense is approved and time allows for a fundraising event, please note that the funds raised above the required amount will be at the discretion of the Assistant Dean of Spiritual Life. Contact the Assistant Director for Missions Operations for more information. (Ex: A pre-med team realizes that they did not budget for supplies the

partner expects the team to bring and contacts the Budget Coordinator to discuss their options.)

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Attendance at the Cash Advance Workshop and Materials Pick Up is required for all team leaders. Attendance at Baylor Missions Leadership Lab is required for those who have led less than three trips. All team leaders are required to review the video training session in order to learn how to review student applications. Team Leaders must submit their team roster to Baylor Missions upon the due date so that students will receive timely notifications. (Video Tutorials are found at: https://www.baylor.edu/missions/index.php?id=868496) Attendance at Missions Summit is required for team leaders and every trip participant. The dates are set at the beginning of the fall semester. Please ask your students to put this on their calendar.

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All Baylor participants must abide by Baylor Campus Policies as the mission location and activities are considered to be an extension of Baylor’s campus. This includes, but is not limited to, a zero-tolerance policy in regards to the consumption of alcohol by faculty, staff and students. Faculty and staff violations and/or failure to report student violations of the Student Code of Conduct may require follow-up with appropriate campus representatives.