Venturer Program

This past spring, the Venturer Program, an opportunity for mission service of six months to two years, was introduced as a CoMissioner ministry of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board and Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia.

Provisions

The basic provisions for all Venturers are:

• assistance in interpreting God’s call on the individual’s life and an appropriate response to that call;
• development of a position for service including job description and supervision;
• living arrangements;
• assistance with travel to and from the place of service;
• medical insurance during the term of service;
• and a network for accountability, nurture and council.

Funding

Funding for Venturers’ expenses takes three basic forms:

• Venturers who serve in positions that are closely aligned with mission partnerships and strategies of the VBMB and WMUV may receive expenses and a small stipend from the VBMB
• Another form Venturer service may take is for the ministry partner on the field to provide the necessary financial resources.
• Lastly, Venturers serving in some placements will be asked to provide for their own expenses from fund-raising or from personal fixed income (i.e. retirement). Individuals who serve in positions that are to be self-funded will be offered assistance in training and accounting for fund-raising.

Qualifications

Qualifications for service as a Venturer are as follows:

• Demonstrate a lifestyle of faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior and to the will of God as basic to all of life.
• Demonstrate a commitment to and involvement in a local church congregation. This church should be related to the Baptist General Association of Virginia or to one of its partnering unions of churches.
• Demonstrate a level of personal maturity and health—physical, mental, emotional and spiritual—commensurate to service in the intended field of service.
• Demonstrate a willingness to live and serve for six (6) months to two (2) years as a volunteer independent contractor related to the VBMB, receiving only basic living needs and, in some cases, a modest stipend.
• Demonstrate a sense of appreciation and respect for the diversity of cultures with whom Virginia Baptists serve. Further, agree to follow a missiology that values the autonomy of ministry partners and the primacy of their visions for God-called mission.
• Agree to be accountable to a field supervisor and to the Coordinator of the Venturer Program, handling differences of opinion with openness, respect and professionalism.
• Be at least 18 years of age.

Specific opportunities for service as a Venturer will be announced in the coming weeks.

Those with interest should contact Terry Raines at 800.ALL.BGAV Ext. 7322.