United Methodists' Volunteers' in Mission (UMVIM)

In 2008 the leaders of the Building Team Committee, the Medical Volunteers in Mission Committee and the Disaster Response Committee agreed that we needed a central structure to better keep our United Methodists' Volunteers in Mission on task.

The following concerns were shared:

1. Most of the Teams going out are “individual Church Teams.” Many lack leadership training, financial accountability in-country and within the foreign country and many lack Insurance and Safe Sanctuary policies;
2. Many individual Church Teams have not connected their work with the Conference work and some have gone without knowledge of the country’s leadership;
3. No control by local church in countries;
4. Need to establish contacts world-wide;
5. Many teams have no “future” plans once they return and no connections for future teams to other areas;
6. There is a need for some type of team registration and need, at times, for additional persons on church teams;
7. There is a need for persons from other areas (i.e. Medical or Education) on Building Teams, and vice-versa. There is also a longing for new types of teams from churches.

Following discussion, the following suggestions were made:

1. Establish a Volunteer In Missions Web page that will be the key page for all types of volunteers in mission. The Building Teams’ Link, the Medical Teams’ Link, … will fall UNDER this area in the Ministry Links, but all will continue to be shown. Where it says “Sign up today” change to say “Inquire”;
2. In addition to the example shared, the web page on VIM should include the following:
   - what to do in case of emergency
   - include link to insurance coverage
   - link to the State Department for alerts
   - a way to register the teams (send team’s information to Mike who will then send information to Marty for the webpage, with a notification sent to the Country Coordinator, if there is one) and to share if the teams are OPEN for additional members. Also, shared that there needs to be a listing for US Teams/projects as well;
3. Directed Sarah Watkins-Davis to form an official Education VIM Committee;
4. Recommended that a Volunteer In Mission Committee be established to coordinate efforts between the following: Conference Disaster Response Committee, Building Teams Committee, Medical VIM Committee, and Education VIM Committee;
5. Directed that a letter be sent out from my office (if agreeable, from the Bishop) noting the need for churches and groups to register teams for emergency, safety and coordination reasons. The Building Teams Committee and Disaster Response Committee will defray this cost. This letter will go out immediately following the August 23rd meeting of the Commission on Missions/Outreach (COMO);
6. Recommended that the Country Coordinators of the Building Team Committee be listed on the web according to the country they represent and that they be resources for all types of teams going to their represented country;
7. Recommended that Disaster Response in foreign countries continue to be done through the Country Coordinators;
8. Directed that a “Letterhead” for Volunteers In Mission be developed and that it be used by the Building Teams, Disaster Response, Medical VIM, and Education VIM Committees