Mobile Missions Connection: Venturer

Venturer

ven·tur·er (noun): 1. one who ventures 
a voyage to a place where a need has 
been identified. 2. one who undertakes 
a project of mission and service as 
part of a venture or as an adventure.

Venturers are individuals at least eighteen years of age who serve in hands-on mission roles for a period of six months to two years.

The Venturer Program provides opportunities for longer-term mission service in local and global settings. Requests for Venturers originate with our ministry partners who have specific needs. Individuals’ exploration toward Venturer service can begin by reviewing these requests or by describing to our staff their sense of call.

Who are our Venturers and where are they serving?

	RUSSELL AMES: Door of Hope and Touch Life Centre, South Africa Read Russell's blog Download the March 2008 Newsletter
	SARA HUBBLE: Door of Hope, South Africa Read Sara’s blog Read the latest e-mail from Sara! dated August 12, 2008 View photos and stories of some of the children at Door of Hope
	RICK AND MELISSA KESTERSON: Committee for Plaquemines Recovery, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana View the Committee for Plaquemines Recovery webpage
	BRUCE AND ERIN LEPOINT: Committee for Plaquemines Recovery, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana View the Committee for Plaquemines Recovery webpage
	CECIL AND RUTH McKINNEY: Nove Zamky, Slovakia Read the latest information from the McKinney’s Download their October newsletter Download their November newsletter Download their February newsletter Download their March newsletter Download their April newsletter Download their May newsletter
	BOB AND CELIA MUNSON: Baguio, Philippines Read Dakilang Pagibig Ministries' Q3 2008 newsletter View the webpage for Dakilang Pagibig Ministries
	JAMIE SUE NANCE: Vienna, Austria
	KIM PETERSEN: Precious Children’s Home, India View Kim's website
	ERIC REIBER: Anne Arundel College, Maryland
	CAROL SEELEY: Touch Life Centre, South Africa Read Carol’s blog
	DENNIS STROLE AND NANCY BELL-STROLE: Nutshell Camp and Conference Center, Jamaica
	LAURA TUTERAL: Precious Children’s Home, India Read Laura’s blog
	NIC AND APRIL UEBEL: Baptist Campus Ministries on the campus of Virginia Tech, Virginia

Venturers who have completed their time of service:

	AMY DOUGLAS: Harvard University and Hope Fellowship Baptist Church, Massachusetts
	AARON GEORGE: CrossTown Ministries, Newport News, Virginia
	DREAMA MONTRIEF: Lovosice Baptist Church, Czech Republic
	MEGAN REDD: Cornell University and Ithaca Baptist Church, New York
	SHELLY WEBB: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts
	AMBER WILLIAMS: Touch Life Centre, South Africa Read Amber’s blog
	PAUL WILLIAMS: James Madison University, Virginia

How do I become a Venturer?

The first step for those interested in service as a Venturer is to complete an application package.

To apply, a person must be at least eighteen years of age and meet other qualifications for service.

Once an applicant has submitted an application, he or she will be scheduled for an interview with the Venturer Advisory Committee. Upon recommendation and endorsement by the Committee, the application will be given to the executive directors of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board and Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia for review. Pending approval by the two executive directors, the applicant’s file will be sent to the prospective field supervisor for final approval.

Once all parties have approved and accepted placement, the Venturer will be scheduled for an orientation and commissioning.

Depending upon the specific position, a Venturer’s funding may come from one or more sources:

Venturers may receive some funding from Virginia Baptist Mission Board and/or Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia sources.
Venturers may raise their own support from churches, friends, family, and other sources.
Venturers may enter into partnership with ministries that have funding but seek personnel to meet strategic needs in their overall programs.

For Venturer qualifications, applications, or more information on available positions, contact Nichole Bulls or Terry Raines at 800.ALL.BGAV (255.2428).

Here is a list of placement request that the VBMB currently has (this list is constantly being updated with new requests):

English as a Second Language among youth, college students, and adults in Macau
Church leadership at Galilee Baptist Church in Belize City, Belize
Worship leadership and community outreach among the Native Americans living on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota
Assistance with orphaned children living at the Precious Children’s Home in India
English teacher in Belize
English as a Second Language in China working with a Chinese college or university
English as a Second Language in China working with Amity Foundation

Venturers are currently responding to a wide array of requests spanning from the university campuses of Harvard, MIT, Cornell, and James Madison University all the way to the South Asian nation of the Philippines. Their tasks are equally varied, from teaching English as a second language in the Czech Republic to offering leadership training for pastors throughout the Caribbean. Venturers are about the Lord’s business, responding to God’s call and the needs of our world.

The Virginia Baptist Mission Board needs additional Venturers to:

teach English as a second language in various countries.
provide church and worship leadership in different mission settings.
minister to orphaned children.