Facilitator Guide

EQUIP FACILITATOR GUIDE

Thank you for being willing to invest in an AIM appointee as part of their first stage of orientation!

The purpose of AIM is to serve the church of Jesus Christ in its responsibility to make disciples of the peoples of Africa as stated in Matthew 28:19-20: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”

AIM desires each one of its new appointees to be well prepared: prepared to maintain his/her own spiritual growth; prepared to adjust to cross cultural living and working situations; and prepared to live and minister in such a way as to bring others to the Lord Jesus Christ and build them up as members in the body of Christ, i.e, to make disciples of all nations.

As an Equip facilitator, you have the enormous privilege of walking alongside an appointee in the preparation process as they evaluate themselves, read, study, and take steps to grow or learn more where necessary. Your input, encouragement, assistance in goal setting, listening ear and accountability are incredibly valuable to that process.

A few resources have been included to help you better understand the process and your role as facilitator. Before beginning, please read through each page of Equip to get an overall feel for the program. Then you can go back and review specific pages in preparation for meeting with the appointee.

The Layout

Equip is divided into 2 main categories: Spiritual Fitness and Cross-Cultural Life, with subtopics under each of those. The focus is on helping the appointee to be spiritually prepared for the demands of life in Africa and to be aware of potential areas of miscommunication and challenges of living and ministering in a cross-cultural setting. Each topic of Equip includes either a practice or a set of questions to serve as a basis for your discussions. The questions are intended to be a springboard for helpful discussion rather than a ticklist to be completed, so please exercise freedom in this. Also included in Equip are the required reading for each appointee and options for meeting some of the AIM Bible requirements. Should the appointee choose any of the Bible requirement options, this will also become part of your discussions together.

The Process

The goals listed in each section are the minimum expectations that AIM has for every member. Because of the diverse backgrounds and life experiences of appointees (including exposure to missions and cross-cultural settings, spiritual practices, etc), the appointee may already meet at least some of those expectations. After discussion, you and the appointee (in consultation with the Mobilising office if needed) will decide which topics of Equip to focus on in order to best meet the appointee’s needs. On the facilitator report form, simply document your general reasons for omitting any sections.

Please note that the required reading is required for all appointees, no matter their background or experience. The reading is certainly not required for you, though it might be helpful if you are at least able to skim the chapters that you will be discussing before each meeting in order to provide more productive discussion and feedback.

Your Role

As a facilitator, you serve as a model and a trusted listener. You rely on the Holy Spirit to provide insight, change lives, and teach through the model and witness of another. You are a trustworthy spiritual guide, patient discipler, encouraging coach, Godly advisor, caring teacher and dependable pacesetter. A facilitator who is passionate about missions is a bridge to new experiences. (Adapted from ICEL Explore Mentor Handbook)

Because every appointee’s timetable for departure is different, you and the appointee will need to decide on a meeting schedule that accommodates both of you, as well as allowing adequate time to successfully work through each section. The appointee is accountable to you for completing the goals you set together.

Accountability

Using the Facilitator Report Form, you are accountable for reporting on progress at agreed times to the designated AIM representative overseeing the appointee’s preparation. Feel free to request advice or involve him/her in problem solving should the need arise.

A Useful Tool

While it is not required, please encourage the appointee to consider using the PDP (Personal Development Plan), a tool that provides structure for identifying strengths and weaknesses, setting goals, and making a plan for growth in various areas. It may be helpful for them in other areas of their life as well, not just Equip. PDP is designed to help them reach the goals they set and keep record of their progress along the way. It can be accessed through Sharepoint. If they don’t have a login for Sharepoint, they should contact their Mobilising Office.