2013 Missions Conference

2013 MISSIONS CONFERENCE Staff Application

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Dear 2013 Missions Conference Staff Applicant, Thank you for your interest in this year’s Missions Conference! We are so excited to finally get a chance to come face to face with you all, whom we have been praying for all summer! We greatly anticipate seeing how God is going to change our hearts and minds in Biola’s 84th Missions Conference. We the Directors, Coordinators, and Staff will be functioning as an intricate unit and family this year as we put on the largest student-run Missions Conference in the world, all for the glorification of our God! While this is quite a task to undertake, we have faith that our heavenly Father will be guiding us every step of the way. As possible staff members, you will be a vital part of the Missions Conference team, helping us complete our mission to educate, equip, and inspire the students of Biola to embrace their role in the completion of the Great Commission. As representatives of SMU, you will be an instrument working with the Holy Spirit to stir the hearts of students in order to cultivate a thriving and unquenchable fire for missions in and out of the United States. We are so excited that you have chosen to trust God in your decision to apply for a staff member; we want you to know that we are praying for you and most importantly praying that God will reveal to us the plans He has for your lives, whether it’s to be a part of Missions Conference or not. Missions Conference is an important part of Biola’s heart, and in order that God be maximally glorified we need invaluable help and support! Thank you so much for applying and we cannot wait to meet you face to face!

For His glory in the nations, Rebekah Davis & Keaton Tyndall (2013 Missions Conference Directors)

*If you have any questions or would like to discuss a position please feel free to e-mail us or stop by the Student Missionary Union. Our joint office hours include Wednesdays 1-3pm. * Available Positions

Global Awareness:

 Room Leaders (12-18)  Tour Guides (6)  Intercession/Response Leader (2)

Sessions:

 Photography & Design: (3) Help with visual aesthetics. (help us decorate the gym!)  Speaker Care: (2) Assist speakers with anything they need. Make them feel comfortable!  Band Care: (2) Assist the band with equipment, sound check, etc. Make the band feel comfortable (aka hang out with the band.)  Media Team: (11) Create session and promotional videos for the conference  Seminars: (2) Decide on seminar topics and speakers  Worship & Arts: (1-2) Integrate dance, live art, etc, into the main sessions.  Scheduler: (1) Assist the coordinators in the main conference schedule  Overflow: (2) Organize/oversee the chapel bands and decorating for Sutherland and Crowell

Interactions:  Explorations: Arrange for students to tour various religious sites and to serve in different community projects  Market Place: Communicate with the STM department about fundraising for the short-term missions trips and implement creative fundraising strategies. Communicate with student ministries to have info booths and oversee the setup of the Market Place during the conference.  Ethnic Lunch: Coordinate the campus-wide ethnic meal by thoroughly researching a specific culture and working with the Caf to provide an authentic meal and atmosphere.  International House of Drinks: Research drinks made by different cultures. Prepare and serve drinks for the campus Wednesday and Thursday night of the conference.  Decorations: Aid in the design and decoration of the campus. Create and implement ideas to give the campus a unique design and multi-cultural atmosphere. Create a map of the world that compliments the MC theme and recruit staff with artistic abilities to volunteer for March Crew.  Cultural Events: Make different country or culture specific booths to campus, which will use various interactive activities, crafts, and food aimed at bringing awareness to the selected region.  Film Fest: Choose various films to be shown and coordinate the setup of the Film Fest—i.e. location and equipment  Off-Campus Ministry: Research outside ministries that could benefit from students’ service and coordinate locations for information—i.e. tables outside of Global Awareness, booths, etc.

Prayer and Worship  Worship (1)- Plan & schedule all worship acts for staff meetings and 24hr. Prayer room. Can lead worship themselves as well.  Prayer Labyrinth (4)- Plan & design a 4 room guided prayer walk in the ROLO rooms. Create an immersive encounter with the Lord and some theme.  Prayer Room (2)- Plan and design a theme and layout for the 24 hr. prayer room in the Sub. Explore the freedom of the Spirit’s leading.  Prayer Networkers (2)- Plan and design ways for students to encounter God. Focus will be on the students at large.  Devotionals (3)- Design & write the dorm devotional times for each morning. Prayerfully consider the needs of the students and how they tie into the theme. One person will be in charge of coordinating and leading devotional time for OCC students.  Prayer Stations (2)- A new position. Plan and design alternative prayer locations around campus. Play a role in fostering prayer integration and Spiritual nourishment. Will work closely with the Interactions team.

Logistics:  Logistical Assistant (2): Assisting with the various duties of the logistics department, including managing materials and communicating with other departments.  Donations Liaison (2): Contacting outside organizations to request donations of items to assist other departments  Space Designer (1): Designing and organizing the arrangement of all MC activities, as well as providing detailed sketches to Facilities Services.  Interactions Connection (1): Personally assisting the Interactions department with all logistical needs.

Marketing and Hospitality:  Student Missionary Interactions: In charge of the Welcome Tea and welcoming the missionaries to Biola  Registration and Information: Take care of housing and meal plans for the various missions groups on campus. Frequently Asked Questions about Missions Conference

What is Missions Conference? Missions Conference is an annual three-day event that educates, equips and inspires students to embrace their role in completing the Great Commission. Biola’s Student Missionary Union hosts the largest completely student run missions conference in the world. Classes are cancelled for the three days of the conference and students are required to attend at least 8 sessions/seminars. In addition to the main speakers, there are a variety of other activities on campus designed to help students experience different parts of the world. Some of the activities include Global Awareness, International House of Drinks, Cultural Events, Explorations, and Ethnic Lunch.

Are there different levels of involvement? Yes. There are five basic levels of involvement, each with varying commitment levels. 1) Directors: Two students hired by the SMU president in April who give leadership and direction to the conference. 2) Coordinators: 12 students hired in the fall semester by the directors to help provide leadership for the staff and volunteers. The coordinators will oversee one of the six departments of the conference (i.e. Prayer, Sessions, InterActions, Logistics, Global Awareness, and Marketing and Hospitality). 3) Staff: 50+ students will work with the coordinators of their specific department to help achieve the department’s vision. 4) MarchCrew: Similar in role to the Staff, but they will help with specific logistical tasks in the weeks surrounding the conference. This staff will only be needed in late February and March until the conference, but are still a vital part of the Missions Conference team. 4) Volunteers: Students who work primarily during the week of the conference helping with everything from set-up to volunteering as an actor in one of the Global Awareness rooms.

I’m taking 18 units and I have a part time job…will I have enough time for MC? You may or you may not. Much of this depends on the individual, but it can also depend on the specific position you are interested in applying for. Many staff positions are very compatible with a busy schedule and have a minimal commitment in the fall semester. If you are in doubt about whether you have the time, we recommend that you apply and then share your questions or concerns with us. It is our goal to help you make a well-informed decision about your involvement.

I’m a freshman… should I even bother applying? YES!! Every year there are many freshmen and transfer students who serve with Missions Conference. We gladly accept applications from every student at Biola (including Grad students) for coordinator and staff positions. Sometimes the best new and innovative ideas come from those who have never seen a Missions Conference before.

What is Global Awareness? GA is an interactive simulation in which several classrooms on campus are transformed to represent a specific country or region of the world. Students proceed through the rooms, view skits, and interact with the actors and various exhibits in an effort to increase their understanding of the world. There is a great deal of freedom for creativity on the part of the staff to make GA as engaging and interesting as possible. GA is an eagerly anticipated event of Missions Conference every year, especially by returning students.

2013 Missions Conference Staff Application

Commitment required of all Staff members: (Attendance at all events is MANDATORY) o 6 month volunteer-based commitment: An average of about 2-4 total hours a week o Weekly meetings with all MC Staff: Sunday nights immediately following Singspo o Attendance on Staff Retreat: October 27th o Preparation before Conference o Attendance at the Conference: March 13-15th o Clean-Up After Missions Conference

Please type all answers.

Name: Student ID: Phone:

Year: Major: Email:

Units this semester: Next semester: Box number:

Involvements outside of your normal course load (i.e. job, sports team, other ministries, etc.) and hours per week you commit to each activity?

1. What positions are you interested in? Why?

2. What experiences have you had in the past that enable you to serve in the position you are applying for? Make a list.

3. Please briefly share about your relationship with the Lord. Hit the highlights: how and when it began, some of the significant things you’ve learned about Him along the way. What is God teaching you right now?

4. Think about what you feel your spiritual gifts are. Tell us about three of them. Now, ask someone who knows you well what they think you are gifted at and list three.

5. Think about places you need to grow and tell us about three of them. Now, ask someone who knows you well what he or she observes as your areas of growth and tell us about three of those.

6. What personality types do you work best with?

7. What characterizes a good team? What do you expect from a leader? What do you expect from yourself? 8. How do you see yourself as a leader? List 3 strengths and weaknesses.

9. Share with us a scripture verse that has impacted your life recently and why.

10. What is your greatest hope?

11. Why are you personally concerned about missions?

12. Describe your family. What is your role?

Additional Questions: (These questions are solely for the purpose of creating team dynamics and will definitely not be used against you in the interview process.)

Can you drive? (Do you have a car on campus?): ** If applying for Marketing and Hospitality, you will be asked to drive frequently the week of the conference. You will be reimbursed for gas.

Can you play guitar?:

Are you planning on being here during interterm?

Do you consider yourself to be more Type A or Type B?

Department-Specific Questions: Only fill out the questions for the department(s) you are applying for. If you are applying for more than one department, make sure to fill out each department you are applying for. **Please note, there are no additional questions for the Logistics department.

Sessions: 1. Are you proficient in typography? 2. Are you artistically minded? 3. Are you proficient in final cut pro?

Marketing and Hospitality: 1. Briefly explain your heart in serving people 2. How do you adjust and interact to different cultures and personalities? 3. Do you consider yourself to be someone who interacts well with different types of people?

Prayer and Worship: 1. What is the Spirits role in prayer? 2. What is your willingness to step out of cultural norms? 3. What creative abilities do you have? (art, design, etc.) 4. Would you consider yourself an empathetic person?

Global Awareness: 1. Do you have a country/culture on your heart? Why? 2. Are you comfortable in praying out loud/ in front of others? 3. Are you comfortable in speaking/acting in front of a crowd? Do you get stage fright? 4. Are you skilled in carpentry and decorating? 5. If you’re interested in being an intercession/response leader, do you have experience leading worship?

Interactions: Rank which position(s) within Interactions you would prefer: (1 being the most, 9 being the least) __ Explorations __ Marketplace __ Ethnic Lunch __ International House of Drinks __ Decorations __ Cultural Events __ Film Fest __ Base Camp __ Off-Campus Ministry

References:

Please provide contact information for the following references (i.e. their name; relationship to you, the applicant; email; best phone number to reach them at).

1.) Personal Reference 2.) Pastoral Reference 3.) Teacher or Employer Reference

This Application is Due in SMU Office (upper SUB) Hard Copy by: 12:00pm, October 19 th

[Applications turned in after the deadline will not be accepted. Please contact the MC Director at [email protected] or phone (x3103) if you foresee any difficulty in meeting this deadline.]