The “Month Out” time has often been one of the most helpful and rewarding aspects of the TIMO curriculum. Near the end of the two year curriculum during the conclusion unit, each individual, couple, or family will move into a different ministry situation for a one month period.
The primary goal of this month will be to observe different styles or approaches to outreach ministry in order to help team members better formulate their philosophy of ministry.
Since TIMO is concerned with training in ministry outreach, the experience sought should have an evangelistic thrust to it. Many important and valid ministries are performed by missionaries in Africa, but not all of them are evangelistically oriented. For instance, theological education or teaching at a mission school or working in a mission hospital are all valuable but are evangelistic only in an indirect way. This can certainly be a gray area; a missionary who is a village health care worker may be using that position as the open door to proclaim the gospel… or, she may just be serving by alleviating suffering. The only rule here is that you need to be convinced - and be able to convince your team leader - that the ministry you will be visiting has a significant evangelistic dimension.
Month Out Is Not This:
The Month Out is not a time for a vacation or a time to rest and recuperate.
Month Out is not the chance to get to see your close friend who has been working in Africa all this time, but whom you haven’t had an opening to visit.
Month Out should not be used as a time when the team member “covers” for a vacationing or furloughing missionary in some ministry. This rather misses the point of seeing a different ministry in action. An exception to this is if the missionary who is leaving is part of an integrated team where guidance and direction could still be provided for the TIMO member by another person.
Neither is the Month Out solely the opportunity you have been waiting for to visit the place you have always wanted to see. That is not to say you shouldn’t be interested in where you are going - you should! The Lord often forms our predilections in a way so that we are most useful in the place we most want to be. But one should not, for instance, choose for his Month Out an outreach ministry in Mombasa because he has always wanted to check out the snorkeling and beaches of Mombasa. Focus on which ministry experience would be most valuable to you. If it is Mombasa, so be it.
Month Out Can Include This:
Keeping in mind the major requirement that Month Out is primarily an opportunity to witness other methods and styles of outreach ministry, Month Out can also include these aspects:
Getting an Idea for Ministry Direction
Some panicky team members nervously approach the end of their TIMO commitment realizing they still don’t have a clue which way to go. Some team members in this position have chosen a variety of three or four options to look at. This gives a breadth of observation with less depth but can be very helpful. There are times, though, when after nearly two years of TIMO, a team member says, “I’m not cut out for outreach, so maybe I’ll just go check out a mission school.” TIMO want to earnestly discourage such choices. Since TIMO is training in ministry outreach, the Month Out experience must involve outreach.
Confirming Ministry Direction
I think I want to do Muslim outreach, but I’m just not sure. Visiting our AIM missionaries involved in Muslim ministries during the Month Out may be helpful in confirming this direction or putting the brakes on.
Confirming a Specific Ministry Assignment
A couple thinks they have been called to an outreach ministry among the Luo in Kenya. Besides observing different methods and styles, this couple may find assurance that this is the next step when they visit another family working among the Luo.
Preparation For The Month Out: The Big Three
The better the planning, the greater chance there is for a successful Month Out. Communication in Africa is almost uniformly slow and difficult, so it is important to start earlier rather than later. A good time for beginning to make a choice for where your Month Out will be is after the one year mark for the team.
The Right Ministry
At least three things need to come together before you are ready for your Month Out. The first is that you need the right ministry. This ministry will first need to be of interest to you and secondly will need to fit the criterion of being an outreach ministry. There is generally no limitation on location for Month Out, though the rule of thumb is that the further from your TIMO team and the more expensive your travel costs, the more compelling should be your reasons to visit this particular ministry.
The Right Person
A month out with someone can be a looong time, and you need to find someone you think you can rub shoulders with for this period. Your team leader and TIMO En Gedi can provide suggestions if you are stumped. What you need is a sponsor, someone who will secure housing (or put you up themselves), take you around, and incorporate you into the ministry as far as possible. This is really the key to the whole experience. Being a good sponsor will require a time commitment, so one needs to find someone with a vision for developing people. Setting up expectations and coming to mutual agreement with your sponsor before going on the Month Out is very important. Communication with your sponsor before going on the Month Out is hard work but pays tremendous dividends. (see Appendix A at the end of this section for good questions to ask.)
The Right Housing
Being seasoned TIMO veterans, perhaps any old floor will do for you as a place to sleep, but a bad housing situation can be problematic both for the team member and the host. Usually, space can be found for a single team member. Sometimes it is difficult to come up with a room for a TIMO couple, and finding a place for a TIMO family can be downright difficult. The right ministry with the right person with the wrong housing is not the right Month Out.
Communicating With The Team Leader
Be in consultation with your team leader about the direction you are thinking for Month Out; he may see hidden dangers, obstacles, or concerns that you don’t see. Resist the urge to present him with a fait accomplis where you have already decided on a location and ministry and everyone there expects you to be coming. After deciding on where and when and with whom you will spend your Month Out and getting the “okay” from the team leader, you will need to write up a one page Tentative Plan for Month Out which should include the following:
- The ministry to be observed
- Your sponsor
- Your probable living situation
- Travel plans and dates
- Emergency contact number(s)
- A daily or weekly agenda (as specific as possible)
- Personal goals for Month Out (what do I want to accomplish?)
Things rarely go according to plan, especially in Africa. But as the old adage says, if you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time; so it is important to start with a plan even if you need to adjust it.
You Are Ambassadors!
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.” II Corinthians 5:20a
We are always Christ’s ambassadors, and so will you be during the Month Out. But you are also TIMO’s ambassadors during this time. You are always representing TIMO during your two years as a team member, but this is an especially “public” time.
Go Heavy on the Appreciation, Hold the Criticism
When you observe the different ministry approaches during your Month Out, you will no doubt see things you disagree with; your outsider’s eye will probably see how to do some things more efficiently or effectively. Please don’t volunteer these insights! Write them down for future reference and reflection. Your job is not to fix but to observe. Remember that it is the Lord who will build His church and not any ultimate method or strategy.
Rather, communicate your gratefulness to tag along (and work if your sponsor thinks it is appropriate). Be thankful, be appreciative. Remember that most good ambassadors are diplomatic.
During the two years of TIMO you should be keeping a journal of some kind; Month Out is a period when you should maintain especially good self-discipline in keeping your journal.
Pay Your Way
Good ambassadors don’t freeload. Make sure you bring enough money to cover travel costs, meals, and emergencies when you go on Month Out. Remember that living in someone’s home is an expense. As a minimum standard you should use the current field hospitality rate.
Coming Home to Your TIMO Team
After your Month Out experience, you need to do two last things: express appreciation and write a reflection paper about your experience.
Express Appreciation
The lost art of writing thank you notes should be revived for your host. Also, a small, well- thought out gift of appreciation for your host would be appropriate as well if you feel so led.
Write a Reflection Paper
Write a reflection paper about your Month Out experience. This should not be merely a travel log of what you did but an assessment of what you saw and experienced. What did you agree with? What did you think could be improved? What new insights did you gain? Don’t forget to evaluate how you did on accomplishing the goals you set for yourself in your Tentative Plan for Month Out. The paper should be a minimum of five typed pages but can be more. Be prepared to share it with the team on a team day. TIMO En Gedi would also like a copy of your paper for its team files and future reference if you are willing to have others read it, but that is your choice.
Appendix A: Some Questions To Discuss With Your Sponsor Before Month Out
- How long will I stay?
- With whom will I stay? Do I need to bring bedding? Will I have my own room (or home) or be sharing it? Will I be inconveniencing someone (e.g., a child)?
- How will I take meals? Will someone prepare for me? Am I “on my own”? Who will I eat with? Do I need to bring cooking utensils?
- Will you (i.e., the sponsor) be there the entire time?
- How will I travel? With you? By public transport? By foot? By bicycle?
- What ministries will I see? Do you want me to just observe, or can I take part in some of the ministries? What responsibilities do you expect me to have?
- Will you or someone else introduce me to those in the community?
- What concerns or questions do you (the sponsor) have for me?