This is an interesting question, because the answer has been in constant flux since April of 2010. The week before Christmas I revisited my list of current responsibilities.

So here it is, in no particular order:

Help Missionaries serving with NTM:

• designing, editing, proofing, and printing of ministry updates
• designing prayer cards and business cards
• publishing e-news bulletins for Canadian missionaries with NTM
• oversee the development of internal manuals, reimbursement forms, etc

Preparing a New Website

• coordinating the content for a new public-facing NTM website
• planning a campus blog for our new website
• researching companies to help with online donations

Promoting NTM on Canadian Radio

• Oversee the mailing of promotional CDs to 70+ radio stations across Canada
• Oversee followup calls to each of the radio stations

Assist in Mobilization Co-ordination

• Setup and implement salesforce.com
• Oversee the design of new literature and DVDs for promoting NTM, such as Awayo
• Ensure that representatives across Canada have the literature and DVDs they need to be successful
• Help plan how to best follow-up with Canadians who have gone to NTM’s Bible colleges or otherwise been involved with NTM in the past
• Oversee the designing of new retractable banners for our representatives

Helping donors/churches know the impact they are having

• Oversee the thanking of donors to the operations and development funds, both through written notes and phone calls
• Develop a welcome package for first time donors to NTM of Canada
• Continue to develop a “support report” service for churches and donors asking for an update on their missionary’s financial needs

Help with NTM’s social networking efforts internationally

• Oversee the NTM international twitter account, which includes:
  • Daily tweets
  • Thank new followers and engage
  • Listen for mentions of our ministry and engage

Oversee the Canadian version of the NTM@work

• Fine-tune the content of  NTM@work magazine for Canadian donors
• Oversee the printing and mailing across Canada

Teach in the Missionary Training Centre

• I help teach a module/class on “Ministry Partnership Development”. This class is about building and maintaining a team that will pray for you and support you financially. Everyone within NTM has to raise their own support.

I am sure there are things that I do that are not coming to mind right now. And there are things I have taken off my list, such as coaching  graduates of the Missionary Training Centre as they raise their support. I can’t do it all. Technically this list falls into two separate departments: Communications and Media, and Mobilization. The more I get a handle on what my new ministry is, the more my work blends together into “promoting what God is doing in tribal missions across Canada.”

I am thrilled that I don’t have to do this all alone. This last fall I had two interns, and two mom’s (Angie being one of them) helping as they could as well. One of the things on my personal prayer list is a full-time graphic designer, and a full-time administrative aid. Do you know anyone who may be interested in volunteering for a year or two?

Trip to Florida

I know it wasn’t fair to leave Angie back in Canada with the kids while I gallivanted down to warmer weather, but at least I thought of her, right?

My trip to Florida wasn’t entirely for pleasure. Well, it wasn’t for pleasure at all really. I don’t think many people find pleasure in driving two days to Florida only to turn around a couple days later and drive 22 hours straight, straight back to the frozen north!

I went to Florida with two other guys from the NTMC home office for a week of meetings. My head hurt so much from all the thinking, planning, talking, strategizing, philosophizing… But do you know the real benefit of our trip? The relationships. I have been working long-distance with a number of co-workers in the NTM USA home office, but had never met them. This trip took our relationships to a whole new level—friendship.

I got to see how my counter-parts in the US office do what I do in Canada, only on a much larger scale. I got to sit in on planning meetings for a new website. I got to talk about how to use Facebook and Twitter for the furtherance of the Gospel to places it has never been before. Exciting things, at least to me!

Thanks for your prayers for safety. And our meetings wouldn’t have been the success they were without your prayers. Thank you!

Teaching in the Missionary Training Centre

I could really use your prayers this week. On top of maintaining my responsibilities in the office this week, I am teaching 3 mornings in the Missionary Training Centre. I am going to be talking about “Partnership Development”, also known as “deputation”, “home assignment” or “support raising”.

There are a lot of great tools out there for staying in touch with supporters. So many in fact, that all of us missionaries that have to raise our own support can forget about the greatest tool of all—prayer!

Please pray that I keep everything in balance. It is really easy to focus on our part and forget about God’s part in providing for us.

Thanks again for your part in our ministry. We couldn’t be a part of the team reaching lost tribal people with the Gospel without your prayers, support and encouragement!

PRAY WITH US:

• That all 4 of us would stay healthy
  
• For Jason as he continues to work on the Lauje New Testament
  
• For Angie who now has to cook gluten free meals for Jason
• For Jason as he drives to Owen Sound each week for a night class
  
• For Angie as she helps plan a ladies retreat
• For Jason as he teaches about “Partnership Development” aka “support raising”
• That we as a couple would be a God-honouring example to our girls and others in our circles

Jason for the 4 of us.

I enjoyed walking on the lakefront to bookend each day.

Extremely cold temperatures had turned all the grass from it's typical green.

The weather was PERFECT!

Mark is Jason's counterpart in the US HQ

Last week I had the privilege of visiting our co-workers in the NTM USA Headquarters. I didn’t bring my camera, so here are some pictures that Karl (one of two other guys on this road trip) took.

Both Karl and I are relatively new to the NTMC Headquarters, so this trip was primarily a chance to build relationships with our counterparts in the NTM USA home office.

One reason for going sooner than later is the redesign of the NTM.org website. The Communications Department in the USA is working on plans for a complete redesign, so myself and two others from the NTMC homeoffice drove down to find out how we can be a blessing in this project.

That’s right, we drove. Going down we drove to Columbia and stayed there for the night. Coming back we felt a little bit more adventuresome and drove through the night to surprise our wives. I was reminded once again that surprises can backfire.

Before going home I stopped for flowers and chocolates. Once home, I found myself locked out and Angie and the girls GONE! So much for surprising her. Luckily she wasn’t far. I went to work and had a friend call her and have her come to the NTMC office. Angie just assumed I had ordered flowers. Nope, no flowers at the head office—just me. Delena was the most surprised. The first thing she said was “I thought you were in Florida!”

CanadaHelps.org facilitates online donations for NTMC

One thing I love about my ministry with NTM of Canada is that there are always more “firsts”.

Yesterday I enjoyed my first “webinar“.  This “Gearing up for the giving season” webinar was put on my a charity called CanadaHelps.org. CanadaHelps is handling online donations for those who want to support the ministries and missionaries of NTMC. On our “GIVE” page you can see the “DONATE NOW” button.

It was pretty neat to sit in on a web-conference. I got to hear the presenters and see them point out things in their PowerPoint with their mouse. All  of us who “attended” could type questions which they answered “on the air”.