What?
1. What is the vision of Nehemiah Teams?
We have a vision to mobilize this next generation to finish the Great Commission in this generation. Nehemiah Teams is not the end. It is a means to the end. We want to involve students in the harvest now short-term and help them become World Christians so that they give up their small ambitions to be fully a part of God's agenda for all nations.
2. What are others saying about Nehemiah Teams? Student ministers, pastors, and students
The young people I know who have gone to an unreached people group through Nehemiah Teams have all come back changed. If you want your young people to be discipled and learn how to plant churches, Nehemiah Teams is the best program I know of. -Mark S., IMB worker
Nehemiah Teams is exceptional! It makes today's youth more aware of and participate in God's Kingdom building. After Nehemiah Teams training, our youth realized how desperately the world needs more missionaries. -Pastor Rolly Delgado, Davao International Baptist Church, Davao City, Philippines
Nehemiah Teams have truly been an asset to our ministry with the Waray-Waray by going to the areas where we cannot get to. It has made it possible for the gospel to be shared in places that otherwise we would not be able to reach for another year or more. The willingness of the team members to endure hardship and stay in remote villages is an inspiration and a challenge to us. -Carl & Suzie M, IMB workers, Waray Waray people group, Philippines
If you are looking to be a part of a mission team that will stretch you and teach you what it means to be a followed of Christ, Nehemiah Teams might be for YOU. Several years ago, Mississippi State university sent students to the Philippines to be a part of Nehemiah Teams. They shard about traveling to villages that had not been exposed to the Gospel. The work was hard and the weather was HOT, but the joy of serving Christ through these teams far outweighed any inconveniences! Since that first group served, we have continued to have students want to be part of Nehemiah teams, several serving more than one year. It is a program that consistently provides good supervision and training. Consider Nehemiah Tams only if you are ready to hit the ground running and make an impact for the Kingdom! -Michael Ball, Baptist Student Union, Mississippi State University
Nehemiah Teams provides an invaluable platform for using students to reach the nations. The dual focus of discipleship and ministry enables the students to grow deep spiritually and reach deeply into the darkness. I have hosted Nehemiah Teams the past 2 years and plan on continuing to use students in this program for the forseeable future. -JT, Go Teach International
Nehemiah Teams are always a great experience for our students. We really appreciate the thoughtful planning and preparation for each summer-- we always trust that our students will be taken care of and will have a life-changing experience as a part of Nehemiah Teams. -Beverly Parrish, Mississippi Baptist Student Missions
Students appointed to serve on Nehemiah Teams can expect vigorous work, intense Bible study and personal discipleship, and meaning ministry in God's kingdom. A Nehemiah Teams student in an integral part of evangelizing and making disciples of other tribes, nations, and tongues. Serving on a Nehemiah Team is an unforgettable experience offering endless possibilities for sharing the gospel with others and growing in one's own walk with Jesus Christ! -Morris Baker, BSU Campus Minister, The University of Mississippi
Nehemiah Teams has provided me with a means of confirming my call to missions. As a member I have been challenged by both current and past missionaries to know that it is possible to fulfill the Great Commission in this generation, and to have a desire to take the Gospel to all the nations. Nehemiah Teams is not just another summer mission trip. You will be a missionary serving and advancing the Kingdom of God.
If doesn't matter if you are young as long as you are willing to be used by God. Nehemiah Teams ignited by vision and mission in life and it helped me to be mature enough to deal with different kinds of people.
Nehemiah Teams opened my eyes to God's worldwide love and His worldwide plan. I grew in my walk with the Lord, loved reading and discussing biographies of mission heroes, and gained confidence in sharing the gospel, especially with international students living on my campus. My experience was so good, I went back for a second summer!
I have learned that mission work isn't always fun... but it's not about me... it's about making His name known. I also learned it is a command to go, not a suggestion.
I've changed a lot. I can't go back and just be a normal Christian anymore. I have to be a World Christian. I know that I am changed and now I am going to be held to a higher level of accountability... whether I like it or not.
He has given me a hunger to read and memorize His word. He has helped me to see that I am called to obedience in every aspect of missions.
God has given me focus and a single mind on what needs to be done and we are all called to do it.
The special "call" is to stay home because the need is greater in other places.
When I read about George Mueller that he was very poor, but he cared for over 2000 orphans, I finally realized that money is not a hindrance for God. if God can use him, God can use me, a poor Filipino farmer.
Through Nehemiah Teams I experienced God in a radically new way. I was thrown out of my comfort zone, and in that, my eyes were opened and I was able to see the power of the Holy Spirit. Nehemiah Teams is extreme Christian living. It offers a chance to die to yourself, desires, and conveniences in order to bring glory to God through telling others about Jesus. Having the opportunity to serve God and minister to Filipinos is a landmark in my Christian life.
3. What have other teams done in the past?
See journal entries & pictures from 2009 teams on our blog:
www.nehemiahteams.blogspot.com
4. What is the difference in going with a Nehemiah Team rather than just going? What can I expect?
Other than we are just the best, (I am joking. I really am quite humble. Just ask me when you arrive) there are some things we have tried to put together to make sure this short-term experience is the best for the one you are partnering with as well as for you and your team.
Adult. When you arrive we are going to treat you like an adult. We are not going to hold your hand or baby-sit you. (I bet you're feeling really relieved about right now...) You would be surprised how many field personnel (and some of your parents) think that students can't make it on their own.
We also want you to know that this trip ain't about you. It is about going to those who need Jesus and need you. We work hard to put teams in places of great need.
Spiritual Growth. We want you to grow spiritually while you are on the field. You will be provided with some discipleship materials that you will work through during the summer. Some of this will be on your own, but if you are on a team (most of you are), you will read & talk about stuff together. You will be memorizing 26 verses. Only the really unspiritual complain about this one! Part of the reading you will be doing is an attempt on our part to make this short-term trip more than just a short-term trip. We have you read & discuss many articles dealing with what it means to be a World Christian. The call of God and the needs of the world will be put before you many times during the summer. Some of you will not like this because you have already told God what you want to do with you life. You are just hoping God will "bless your plans."
Pack light. We are asking you to pack light. Ok... we are telling you to pack light. This is not a suggestion. Packing list is not only for practical reasons, but to help in breaking our addiction to things. Our American-consumerism-materialistic-Christianity is really just a bunch of crap! We show up with more stuff in our bag that some people have in their whole house (rural area of Philippines, Indonesia, etc.)
Here are some website to check out about packing light:
www.backpackeurope.com/packing/tip
Tune in. I just read an article by Richard Foster. if you haven't read his book, Celebration of Discipline, you need to. Anyway, he says, "We now have a Christian entertainment industry that is masquerading as worship." Because worship is "more than a song," and because iPods get lost or stolen, we want you to leave them at home or turn them in to your supervisor when you arrive. It is amazing what we begin to hear when the music fades. Foster also says that we are afflicted with a "hurry sickness." We hope you can slow down this summer... turn off your music... tune in your ears... learn to live in community... and see God's hand at work in you & through you.
5. What about my safety?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions, not so much by students, but by parents. We understand. We are parents too. We have 3 children. We, as parents, think about issues that haven’t even been considered by our children. I think back on some things I did when I was 14 or 15. My best friend and I were nearly killed in a sledding accident. (Duh… we didn’t think about the issue of having to stop at the bottom of the hill.) Our security was shaken on September 11, 2001. We learned in that moment that no place in our world is safe. We have developed what some psychologists call risk-lock. We are afraid to the point that this fear causes us to lose touch with reality. Click on the link below to read more about risk-lock.
6. As a parent, what if I can't contact my child every day?
Students will not have their personal cell phones with them. Either a national team member or national partner will have a cell phone that can be used to stay in contact with the local supervisor. Most teams will have internet access. However, their usage will be limited to 2 hours during their day off each week. It's our desire that they be disconnected from the internet so they can be connected with people around them... the thousands of lost people as well as their team mates & national partners.