One of the ways to head off conflilct on a mission project is to establish some basic relational precepts in advance. Keep these, preserve the unity in your group, and you’ll be able to focus on ministry and spiritual growth.
1.
Sandwich
rule: Criticism is difficult to receive. Sandwich it between 2 compliments.
2.
Grace principle:
Treat others as you would want to be treated.
3.
Sundown principle:
Settle conflicts before the day is over.
4.
Romance: No
pairing off. Come to your leaders when
you have feelings. No tolerance.
5.
Accepting others:
We unconditionally accept one another and so bring praise to God. “My job is to work on
me.”
6.
Temptation:
Protect yourself from darts – flee it and confess it.
7.
Peacemaking process: Take the log out, Go to your brother, Take a
witness.
8.
Servant leadership:
We are all leaders in one area or another. Lead by serving.
9.
Edification:
Ephesians 4:29
10.
Patience:
Things move more slowly overseas.
When they do, it’s an opportunity to learn patience!
It may help to see that sometimes “minimizing risk on a mission project” and “relationship guidelines on mission projects” merges together in the spiritual realm. Once, on a Bible smuggling mission during the Iron Curtain days, we were getting all kinds of unwanted exposure and attention…’seemed impossible to make our contact. The Lord spoke “unresolved conflict.” I immediately drove to a secluded spot and we got all out in the open and taken care of. We went back into town and all went smoothly and successfully. I guess this addresses more the risk to the actual mission (vs. personal risks) that comes by unresolved conflict. I learned that God takes this pretty seriously!
great insight
Bueno
Hi my name is Sam Kiggundu from Uganda, I hapened to land on your website where you talked about short time missions, which I have been doing for along time with teams from UK & USA, I have had a prblem with team members that come to the mission feiled with there defrences which affect the efectiveness of our missions, I thank you for having talked about it and i am going to use your adivce in my ministry. thanks and may God bless you and keep you on His busness.
Sam Kiggundu( Uganda)
you are welcome, Sam.