MOP is a training program of the International Office of SEND International and is required for all members of SEND prior to their departure for their field of service. Appointees are qualified to attend the Member Orientation Program once they have reached 66% of their monthly financial support requirements.

The curriculum and objectives of MOP are established by SEND U, SEND's training department. Regardless of whether the MOP is held in North America or Asia, the instruction is all in English.

Intro to MOP

The Member Orientation Program training begins with a 5-week online module. This course takes 5-6 hours per week of work, if English is your first language. It always precedes MOP onsite, and generally starts about 6-7 weeks prior to MOP onsite so that the participants finish about a week before they need to travel. See the syllabus for the online course here.

SEND U conducts a 2-week onsite Member Orientation Program two times a year in two different locations.

• The MOP in North America is held every summer. It has normally been held in July. This MOP is intended primarily for those appointees coming from North America (USA and Canada), Europe and Latin America.

• The MOP in Asia has been conducted in Quezon City, Philippines. The curriculum and objectives are almost identical to the MOP in the USA, although the majority of the facilitators are from Asia or have served in Asia as SEND missionaries. The MOP in Asia was initially intended for appointees from Asia who might have difficulty getting to North America. But through the years, a sizeable percentage of the participants have come from other sending areas outside of Asia. The handouts, schedules, announcements and other relevant information for MOPs held in Asia can be found here on the SEND U wiki.

MOP+ is a one-week online course on participant observation that builds on the very basic ethnography training that we provide at MOP online and MOP onsite. Since MOP+ happens after the missionary has arrived in their new culture, this course encourages practical application of cultural learning principles studied earlier in MOP. Participants receive an email reminder to take the course about 6 months after they arrive on the field. The course takes about 4-6 hours of work sometime during the first year on the field.

MOP-up is MOP under pressure and is a review of what was taught in MOP onsite and a self-assessment by the participant, looking at how well they have been able to implement the principles learned in the pre-field training. MOP-up is a 3-month assignment made by the field leadership, at a time when the new missionary has been on the field for about 2 years (or after 1 year if no language learning is required). During these 3 months, MOP-up is estimated to take about 2-3 hours/week and involves 6 coaching calls to help people review MOP. Lisa Redell works with the field leader to determine the right timing for MOP-up, and then she chooses a coach to help the first-term missionary through the MOP-up review. See more information about MOP-up on this wiki page.

MOP exists to equip missionary appointees and their children for effective transition into fruitful intercultural ministry with SEND International. To accomplish this purpose SEND seeks to:

• foster the participant’s commitment to the regular practice of nurturing one’s relationship with God
• deepen the participant’s understanding of SEND’s values and mission statement
• equip the participant to address the challenges they and/or their family will face in a cross-cultural context
• introduce the participant to ministry strategies and skills needed in cross-cultural ministry

See this wiki page.

MOP Training Topics and Objectives

• found on this wiki page
• as a Word document on the SEND U SharePoint site

• July 5 – 17, 2020 > Farmington, Michigan (Tentative)

• April 19 - May 1, 2020 > Quezon City, Philippines (Cancelled)
• March 19, 24, 26 & 31 mini-MOP by Zoom
• August 19-30, 2019 > Kansas City (Crossworld/Avant mission headquarters)
• July 8-20, 2018, Farmington (with Safety & Security Training beginning on July 5)
• July 9-21, 2017 in Farmington, Michigan
• February 26 - March 10, 2017 > Quezon City, Philippines
• July 10-22, 2016 in Farmington, Michigan
• Feb 7-19, 2016 in Farmington, Michigan
• July 5-17, 2015 in Farmington, Michigan
• February 8-20, 2015 in Quezon City, Philippines
• July 6-18, 2014 in Farmington, Michigan
• Feb 16-28, 2014 in Farmington, Michigan
• July 8-19, 2013 in Farmington, Michigan
• January 14-25, 2013 in Quezon City, Philippines (handout can be found here)
• January 2012 in Quezon City, Philippines

This reading must be completed before the missionary leaves for the field. There are two parts to the MOP reading list:

• General reading list (for all MOP participants)
• Field-required reading list - Field specific reading is to be completed by appointees before their first departure for the field. From the list provided appointees should complete a minimum of 400 pages of reading. See Individual country reading lists