The Pentecostal Sub-Arctic Mission Partnership Guidelines for Short Term Mission’s Ministry North of 60 Thank you for your desire to partner with what God is doing in the through the Alberta and Northwest Territories District (ABNWT) of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) and the Pentecostal Sub-Arctic Mission (PSAM). How to Connect with the Churches of the North FOUR of the PAOC Churches in the Sub-Arctic are self-governing. They are Fort Smith, Hay River Pentecostal Chapel, Hay River Pentecostal Church and Cornerstone Pentecostal Church in . These self-governing churches are likely led in the same way as your own local church. Local churches will likely have their own system and guidelines for hosting guests and teams, that are specific to their community. Therefore, plans for team ministry in those communities should be made directly between the Pastor of the Host Church and the Church that is planning to send a team. FOUR of the PAOC ministry locations in the Sub-Arctic are governed by PSAM. They are , , and Fort Resolution. These guidelines are prepared primarily for teams wishing to partner with PSAM to send ministry teams to these locations. Local Churches interested in ministry to these communities will work with the PSAM Director and the Church leaders in a respective community to facilitate the trip. OTHER – There are a number of others communities where we are unofficially engaging at various levels of partnering. We are in the process of developing relationships and seeking further opportunities to team ministry in these places. The PSAM Director can provide further information on this. The North – Rich and Diverse

Canada’s North has a rich and diverse spectrum of people’s and cultures – no two communities are alike. While there may be many similarities between groups and communities, they are unique and should be recognized and respected. Even though you are serving in Canada, you may at times feel very far from what is familiar and known to you.

Pre-Trip Planning Questions to ask Yourself What is the purpose of your ministry trip North? Why the North? What are your goals and objectives? Answering these questions will help you to discern and identify the kind of ministry involvement you feel called to, or have a heart for. Not every context in the North may offer the opportunity for you to minister in the areas or ways you desire to. Knowing the kind of ministry involvement you and your team are prepared to engage in, will help determine the best location for you. Team Composition What kind of team are you looking at taking? Size? Age? Specific skills? By determining the age and type of people who may be on your team will help you to identify the best fit for your partnership. Host What are you expecting in a host? In some locations amenities are very scare and the host is not able to provide comfortable accommodation or ready access to medical care. If you are planning for a multi-generational team, the host location will need to be able to accommodate the needs of families, genders, accompanied and unaccompanied minors. Communication, ahead of time is critical to ensure a fruitful and effective ministry experience. Partnership Successful short-term missions involves strong partnership. You and your team will stay in a community for a short time and then leave. The Pastor, PSAM worker and local believers will remain in the community to faithfully serve the people there. It is important that the leaders remaining can build in a positive way on the impact your visit has made. With God We are workers together with God. He has been, is, and will continue to be active among the people of the North. He invites us to partner with Him. When you travel on a short-term mission’s assignment, you are first and foremost an ambassador of the King of Kings and His Kingdom. God’s truth and the culture of His Kingdom is the lens through which all other contexts and culture are engaged and interpreted. It is important that team members travel with the understanding that they are expected to represent Jesus with authenticity and excellence. With the Local PAOC Church A previously mentioned, teams partnering with any of the four self-governing PAOC churches North of 60 will deal exclusively with the Pastor and Local Leadership of the respective church and follow whatever guidelines that Assembly has put in place. With PSAM workers In PSAM locations, there are three partners involved, the sending church, the PSAM Director and the receiving church. All three will work together to ensure that the experience is a positive one for all concerned.

With other Communities The PSAM Director will help to establish partnerships between STM teams in the South and Communities asking for this type of partnership in the North. Planning Time of Year Access to the North varies with the community and with the season. During the winter months Tulita and Fort Good Hope and other communities of interest are accessible only by the winter road. In summer, these communities are accessible only by waterways or by air travel. Both are expensive. Fort Simpson is accessible by road year-round, but is dependent on ‘ferry’ service across the Liard River in the summer or ‘ice bridge’ in the winter. Fort Resolution is accessible by road year-round. The Four Self-Governing churches are accessible by road year-round. Some of these communities have a regular rhythm of life, designated times when everyone is away and times when everyone is home. The summer season is short and some communities are almost empty in July with people on vacation. Once you have determined your Northern ministry partner, you can determine with them the best time of year to take a team from your location. Travel Travel in the North takes time and is expensive. As described above, there are a variety of options that can take you to your place of ministry. Air flights from major hubs like or Calgary to Yellowknife can be fairly inexpensive. Northwestern Air Lease, First Air and North- Wright can provide connecting service to the isolated communities. These planes are small and have weight restrictions. Some offer discounted flights for groups. The cost is still very expensive. Communities along the rivers and lakes can sometimes be accessed by boat in the summer. The cost is quite expensive for water travel. All safety precautions must be considered if traveling in this way. The winter road begins close to Wrigley and travels through Tulita to Fort Good Hope. Access to this road becomes available around the first of January and is open until March. (Dates vary according to the seasonal temperatures). When traveling on the winter road, survival gear and adequate clothing is a must. It is recommended only to travel the winter road in 4x4 vehicles. The use of truck radios for communication increases the safety level dramatically. It is also wise to have a satellite phone along. It is important to know that your vehicle insurance may not cover incidents on the winter road, as it is considered ‘off-roading.’ Reading the fine print of insurance policies, especially on rental vehicles is important to avoid unpleasant surprise. (The Northwest Territories provides a comprehensive set of instructions for safe travel on the winter road. PSAM would be glad to provide that information to any prospective team.) In some communities, you will see that ATVs in the summer and Snow Machines in the winter is the most common type of transportation within the community. You may also see people riding in the back of pick-up trucks.

It is important to note that insurance that may be provided by the Local sending Church or may be purchased specifically for your team WILL NOT cover injuries that are deemed the result of unsafe practices such as riding in the back of a pick-up truck, riding on ATVs or Snow Machines without a helmet, or riding waterways without life vests.

Cell phone access is available in most of the communities but only covers a small area around the community (usually about 10 kilometers). For the most part, you will not have access while traveling to cell service. Fuel stations are strategically placed and you will need to ensure that you fuel up at every available location. Plan sufficient time for rest stops, for wildlife, for slow moving vehicles and to enjoy the attractions and scenery. Budgeting Sharing Expenses Determine with your host what arrangements and costs the team will be expected to take care of and what, if anything, the host is able to take care of. The cost of travel will be significant especially to more isolated communities. Accommodation What is available for accommodation will vary from place to place, as will the cost. Part of the communication with the host will include a thorough understanding of what is available and the costs involved. Safety is a paramount concern. Food The cost of food is also much higher. The amount of supplies you carry with you as a team will be determined by the mode of travel and the time of year. When traveling to isolated communities, it is always a blessing for the workers to receive fresh produce. If you are driving North, it is suggested that you purchase costly dry goods (cereal, coffee, etc.) meat, fruit and vegetables in the South. It is recommended that you create a meal plan, consulting with your host over their recommendations and availability of supplies in their particular community. You will have access to a Co-op or Northern Store in most communities. However the costs are high and the selection is limited. If there is anyone on your team who has dietary restrictions such as ‘gluten free’, those supplies need to be brought with them. Larger communities may have gluten free food but it will be very expensive.

Be sure to try the local food that is offered to you. It will have been prepared with love and respect. Water The drinking water will be safe in the majority of communities. However, it is always a safeguard to purchase bottled water for drinking if possible. In many of the communities, water must be hauled in. If the host church is providing accommodation, it is suggested that team factor in the cost of at least one refill of water. Utilities Hosting a team will require using more electricity, gas, etc.. It is suggested that the team include an amount to assist the host church with this extra expense.

Ministry Budget Your team will need to discuss with the host what supplies will be provided by the host to carry out the intended ministry and what supplies will need to be brought with the team. If there are community events that a team with be sponsoring, the costs of food, or any additional resources should be factored into the budget. Be clear about costs and how things can be paid for in host communities. Some communities are cash only and do not have a bank. Health/Wellness and Adequate Insurance Not all communities in the North have easy access to medical aid and treatment. Team members on regular medication should bring more than enough in the original packaging to cover their time. All team members should have their health care card with them, as well as any other extended coverage. Smaller communities may only have a nursing station. In the case of severe illness or injury, patients are medi-vac-ed to larger centres. Teams should plan to bring basic pharmaceuticals with them as the host community may not have a pharmacy and the cost of these items is high. The sending church must be certain that insurance needs are met. Does the local sending church have a policy that covers injury or accident of team members? Does the sending church have a policy that would cover the cost of medi-vac out of the North (AHC does not cover this)?

If the sending church does not have, or is not ready to provide this coverage, each team member must ensure adequate personal coverage. Minors traveling must be covered by their parent or guardian’s policy. Inquire with your local church insurance provider or seek supplemental insurance through institutions like Scotia Bank or TD Services. Personal Spending Team members should plan to bring with them cash for spending. There may be opportunity to purchase souvenirs, and during travel there will be opportunity to purchase food concessions. It is up to team leadership to determine if there should be a ‘cap’ to the amount a team member brings. Excursions It is always important to experience the best that a people or community has to offer. While you may see a lot of heartbreak and human brokenness, it is also important to see the beauty of the people and place as well. Teams are encouraged to coordinate with their host to experience something unique to the location. Fun and Rest Any team that is in the North for seven or more days should have a day of sabbath rest to enjoy where they are. It is expected that team members work hard during ministry times so it is important that they also receive proper rest and enjoy the experience. Scheduling While you may carefully plan the details of your trip, you may discover that you will need to be flexible in your program. It is important that you adapt to the situation you are in. The pace of life and time constraints varies from community to community.

Recruiting If you have a specific type of ministry in mind, then you will recruit a team specifically towards that. If you want to have a specific type of team, you will need to partner with a context where that team can best serve.

Recruiting should be done through an application form process that takes the following issues into consideration: Age related YOUTH are the most popular make up of an STM team. This experience can be deeply impacting and formative in the faith development of a young person. Youth aged teams will need to be paired with ministry that fits their age and stage. While youth teams have great energy and excitement there can also be homesickness, peer conflict and limited capacity for focused or laborious projects. If you are planning a youth team, some additional preparation for the experience of being away from home and ‘cut off’ may be beneficial.

MULTI-AGE teams made up of families and individuals from different generations can be involved in multiple areas of ministry. As a best practice minors not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian should be accepted into a team. Families desiring to participate on a team should understand that parents/legal guardians are responsible for their child(ren) at all times. However, team activity and participation of all team members should be directed by the team leaders. Those individuals who are minors between the ages of 13 and 18 years, who are part of the team will have to submit a ‘waiver’ from parents/legal guardian releasing the local sending church, its staff and volunteers, as well as the host church and its staff and volunteers, as well as PSAM, of any and all liability. Technology While many people are used to easy and regular access to social media, email and the internet on personal devices, access may be limited in the North. Team leaders will need to decide according to the age and make-up of the team regarding the use of personal devices. While some hosts may be willing to provide access, it should not be expected or assumed. Team members should be prepared to have no access in order to circumvent unmet expectations. Protection Plan Policies

All team members over the age of 18, partnering in the North will need to provide a current Criminal Record Check with a ‘vulnerable sector search’ to their host prior to their arrival. Documents will need to be scanned and forwarded to the teams Northern host. This should be cared for well in advance of the trip. Protection plan training should be part of the team training conducted in the local sending church prior to the trip. As protection plans are tied to a church’s insurance coverage, all teams being sent from an organization (local church, school, etc.) must have insurance to cover third party liability with a minimum amount of 2 million dollars.

Training It is essential that teams meet regularly to prepare for their STM trip. The training is important for team cohesion and forming a common purpose and excitement. Meetings Determine how often you will be meeting and what your goals for each meeting will be. Topics

• Discovering God’s purpose for Mission. • Discovering how the gifts of each person will contribute to the trip. • Servant Ministry – What does serving the Lord, serving one another, serving the community you have chosen look like. • History and Implications of Former Mission’s Ministry in the North • History and Hurts surrounding Residential Schooling • Contemporary Issues in the North • Cultural Sensitivity Training – It is highly recommended that part of the preparation process be spent in learning about the cultural nuances of the community you will be going to. The people of the North are spiritually sensitive people. Many aspects of their culture are rich and deep. However, their spirituality has not necessarily led them to Jesus and the culture can sometimes be an impediment. It is important that the team understand how to relate the message of the Gospel to the people in a culturally sensitive, loving, embracive way. The team should also approach ministry with a humble attitude and willingness to learn as well as teach.

• Community Awareness - Learning about the specific community where you are going, it’s history, the people.

NOTE: (we are currently working to make material available to assist you in this training. Contact Al at 780 977 2179 for more details.)

Prayer Begin to pray for God’s wisdom, for one another, for the people of the community you have chosen. Prayer is the backbone of every STM trip. A prayerless team will result in a fruitless trip. Behaviour Discipline: Team members should refrain from the use of any type of corporal punishment when working with children. Repeated misbehavior, should be dealt with by the host leader and the team leader.

Open Door Policy: Team members should follow the ‘Three Muskateer Rule.’ AT any time there should be a minimum 2 adults with any child OR a minimum 2 children with any adult and always where they can be seen. Touch: Love and care can be expressed appropriately by placing a hand on a shoulder, giving a side-hug or speaking kindly while making direct eye contact. Any physical contact beyond that is not acceptable. Harassment/Bullying or Racial Stereotyping: Team members should foster an environment that is free from physical or verbal harassment (any behaviour that demeans or embarrasses another). There should be no discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, creed, sex, age or disability. Attitude and Conduct: It is expected that team members act in a way that represents Jesus well and that they avoid behaviours that does not reflect Christian values. Dignity and Deference: It is important that team members treat members of the community politely, with deference. Argumentative, aggressive or confrontational attitudes are not acceptable. Dress Code: Team leaders should confer with the host church to determine what is acceptable in their particular context. Modesty is always expected.

Social Media: Members of the team who are 18 years of age or older are discouraged from engaging in private social media communications with children after the event, with the knowledge and express consent of the parent/legal guardian of the minor. Social media posting between minors on the team and minors in the community past the duration of the trip should be approved by both sets of the parents/legal guardians of the children involved. Packing Pre-pack what you can in order to determine space availability. Find out from your hosts what laundry facilities are available, if there is access to freezers for meat you may take. Ensure that emergency first aid kits are included. Scan all team member documentation under a USB drive to carry and leave a second copy at your church. Shadow Team Spiritual Warfare is a part of any STM outreach. The team, which is active on the ground, is often extremely busy and apart from devotional times is fully occupied with their immediate responsibilities. It is a profitable idea to establish a ‘shadow team’ which will remain at home but will be dedicated to praying for the active team, stay in contact with them as much as location allows to receive prayer requests and progress reports. If this shadow team can meet together several times while the active team is away, it will become a powerful, spiritual boost to those doing the ministry on the ground.

Team De-brief

It is important for the STM team to de-brief after the trip. It may be wise to meet once fairly soon after the event and then again 3 months after the event.