I have appreciated all those who have written me in the last month asking for suggestions for learning for their 2021 Individual Growth Plan (IGP). It is gratifying to see how our members have embraced intentional lifelong learning.

But once you have created your Annual Ministry Plan and your IGP, how do you track your progress? Many of you have used the template that we have provided in the AMP/IGP Guide. There is nothing wrong with recording your ministry and learning goals on a piece of paper or on a Word document on your computer. What if we forget to look at the IGP document (or forget where we stored it!). As we begin to use Microsoft 365 apps more and more in our work, you might want to track your goals there.

I have switched to tracking both my IGP and my AMP on Microsoft Planner. Planner is an app in MS 365 (free for SEND members) and is an easy way to organize tasks and team projects. Open MS Planner in your browser, login to your send.org account, and create a new plan. Mine is called “Ken's Goals.” Then in this plan, I create a “bucket” for my 2021 IGP and another bucket for my 2021 AMP. I enter each goal as a task in the appropriate bucket. For my IGP goals, I enter the actual learning activity that I want to do (in the third column of the template). I assign these tasks to myself and set the due date for each one. You can then share your plan with your accountability partner and/or your team leader by adding them as a member to this plan.

Now I can access these goals in my “Ken's Goals” plan on Microsoft Teams by clicking on “Tasks by Planner and To Do” in the far left-hand column. If you don't see this icon, click on the three dots. You can use this place to record your personal To-Do tasks and your team assignments as well. All of your to-do's, IGP goals and ministry goals are now seen on one page. They are all listed in order of the due date. You can also install Planner on your phone and track your goals that way.
Whenever you complete a goal on your IGP or your AMP, you can mark it as complete, and it will move to the bottom of the list or be hidden. By opening each goal, you can add notes of explanation about the goal (improvements you want to see) and then add comments from your learning (lessons learned) as you go through the year.

For more training about how you use the Tasks app in Teams, go to this website.

Gary Ridley facilitated this online course at two different times during 2020. Living on Mission in Times of Crisis is a 12-day online course designed to address five key elements that are critical to how we move forward as spirit-led believers as opposed to those who are driven by fear, anxiety, hopelessness, etc. The pandemic is not yet over, so if you are interested in learning with fellow cross-cultural workers on this topic, please contact Gary at gridley@send.org

In 2020, SEND U staff started 7 different learning communities (LC). These are small groups of 3-5 people that meet online each week for an hour. They share about what they are learning as disciples of Jesus from the Word and then what they are learning about making disciples where they live and work.

In 2021, we want to start several more such learning communities. All of our MOP 202V participants will be assigned to a LC. But learning communities are not just for new missionaries or even for just cross-cultural missionaries. Sending office staff are welcome to join as well. We would recommend that you look for a learning community that is meeting in your general time zone, so that it will be easier to find a common time to meet.
• Gary Ridley is wanting to start a LC for SEND retirees. Write Gary at gridley@send.org if you would like to join.
• Contact Ken Guenther (kguenther@send.org) if you would like to be part of a learning community in your part of the world.

In the last while, SEND U has received a number of requests from senior missionaries and SEND leaders to attend (or listen in) to Member Orientation Program. We were not expecting this, but it does make sense. MOP has changed a lot since we went through it. In fact, 35 years ago when I went through pre-field training, there was no MOP, just Candidate School. Now we are being expected to lead and mentor younger missionaries who have received training that we never received.

So, no, MOP is NOT just for new people. Now that we are providing MOP training in an online format, it is also more feasible for those on the field to participate. If you would like to attend some of the MOP training in 2021, please let Marcie or me know. I would recommend that you first go to the SEND U wiki and look at the different types of MOP (MOP 201, 202, 202V) and at the MOP curriculum. Then let me know what topics you would like to learn about and during which MOP you would be available.

• Feb 3 - March 8 - Discipleship: Growing Mature Followers of Jesus - This online course is designed to assist you in developing necessary attitudes, skills and knowledge to be effective in disciple-making as key to establishing healthy, relevant, reproducing churches. Facilitated by World Team missionaries.
• Feb. 10 - Understanding SharePoint in the World of Teams - Facilitated by Brad McIlwain of Solertiae.
  o Meeting Bridge #1 10 AM ET (Click here)
  o Meeting Bridge #2 10 PM ET (Click here)
• Feb. 17-24, 2021 - Contextualization and Culture Study- An 8-day online course (5-7 hours) addresses foundational concepts of contextualization and its importance for effective ministry. It underlines contextualization’s inseparable link to purposeful culture study.
• Feb. 22 - April 3, 2021 - MOP 202V- A 6-week Member Orientation Program to be done by videoconferencing for those who did not go through the mini-MOP in March 2020. This orientation course is required of all long-term members of SEND.
• March 24-31 - Language Reboot- a one-week online course designed to help you improve your language learning process. For those who have already been in a language learning program for at least 6 months. Facilitated by Mark Morgenstern.
• April 12-19 - Learning Culture through Purposeful Observation- a one-week CIT Next online course designed to help you as a new missionary or cross-cultural worker to begin to put into practice your culture-learning skills. The course asks you to make an investment of 4-6 hours of learning time. All SEND long-term members are asked to take this course about 6 months after arriving on the field.
• April 26 - May 3 - Animism and Folk Religion-This eight-day, collaborative, online course will give you an introduction to animism and folk religion so that you can better minister to those who follow these beliefs. Facilitated by Gary Ridley

All these can be found on the SEND U Training Events page on the SEND U wiki.