legal docs

Team Member Regulations

1. Forgotten Children Ministries’ mission is to rescue the forgotten and abandoned street children of Honduras. This includes encountering these children on the streets of the cities and providing them with food, shelter, clothing and medical attention in the short term. It also involves nurturing, discipling, educating and training them in the long term. FCM also has a primary focus on the evangelism of the people of Honduras. This includes people on the streets and in the villages where we serve. We also work to build up the local church and encourage the believers to grow strong in their faith. The goal of your team will be to help fulfill this purpose.

2. One of the most important aspects of team preparation is to realize that while we have our plans and our agendas, it is vital for each team and each team member to be flexible and willing to lay them down when God directs and leads in ways that are different from our plans. You must come with a surrendered servant heart in order to be effective on the mission field.

3. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. It is a “third world” country and different from the United States in many ways. The call to go on a short-term mission trip is a call to surrender and sacrifice. It is each team member’s responsibility to appreciate, accept and adapt to the Honduran culture. There is a one-hour time difference
March – November.

4. Each team will be responsible for booking and purchasing their airline tickets for their trip. The cost of the trip is $835 (including insurance) and if your church decides to pay your insurance the price is $800. A $100 non-refundable deposit is included in the total cost. The exit fee is included in the airfare. If this should change, we will contact the team captain.

5. Each team member must complete the Application Form and sign the appropriate fields in the Team Member Packet. The Team leader must have ALL paperwork along with the amount of $835 per person in our office NO LATER THAN THIRTY DAYS before the team’s departure date.

6. There are two meals on the team’s travel days that are not covered by FCM. Each team member should be prepared to pay $5-10 for these two meals.

7. All team members MUST have a passport to travel to Honduras and the passport must have at least six months left before the expiration date. You will not be allowed to travel if there is less than six months before your passport expires.

8. FCM will provide each team member with a FCM t-shirt. This is included in the cost of the trip. The appropriate size should be marked on the application.

9. FCM teams will be required to have insurance for all team members. This can be purchased through FCM or your local church. FCM’s coverage cost is $5 per day per person for the maximum amount of coverage somewhere other than FCM. It is your responsibility to make sure your coverage is adequate. In a medical emergency, Honduran Medical facilities require cash payment up front. This can be between $3000 and $5000. FCM will pay the cash payment with the understanding that the sending church will reimburse FCM within thirty days and the sending church will be reimbursed by the insurance company.

10. FCM teams average 20 members. Teams serving with FCM must have a minimum of 12 team members. Any teams with more than 25 members MUST get permission through direct communication with FCM’s office in Birmingham.

11. Teams can be made up of people ranging from teenagers to senior adults. Parents can take their children with the understanding that they are responsible for their supervision. The minimum age for children with parents is 10 years of age. Children may come with a grandparent but a notarized letter of permission is required by FCM and it is the parents’ responsibility to complete ALL requirements of the government and the airlines. (You must be 18 years of age or older to be able to come alone on an FCM trip.) Anyone under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian on the trip with them.

12. Teams working with FCM can be Evangelism, Medical/Evangelism, Construction/Evangelism, Youth/Evangelism, Sports/Evangelism, Food Ministry/Evangelism and or Prayer Walking teams. Our teams minister in the villages of Honduras, with the children in the village of Monte Redondo, at Grace Farm, and the Girls Shelter.

13. All plans for your trip to Honduras must be made with our U.S. office and not with our missionaries or staff or translators. All teams must get approval from the U.S. office before taking items such as toys, clothes, shoes, music, CD’s DVD’s or MP3Players and any other items to be given out to children or staff. Also, all items must be approved by US. Office that are being used in the team’s ministry.

14. Teams will be provided with translators. FCM determines which translators are used. Returning teams may request particular translators, but it is FCM’s decision as to who we use. Also, the focus of our ministry is on the homeless street children. Inappropriate relationships with translators will not be permitted. Communication between team members and translators concerning FCM’s ministry operation in Honduras is strictly prohibited. While we recognize that the team members form friendships with translators, it is highly inappropriate and unacceptable for team members and translators to discuss, make plans, or share information relating to anything about FCM’s ministry. Failure to respect this guideline will seriously jeopardize both the team members and translator’s service with FCM.

15. FCM desires that each team member have the freedom to hear from the Holy Spirit. Often team members are moved to give financially to our Honduran staff, translators and others as the week progresses. It is very important that team members allow FCM’s North American representative with the team to guide and provide information as to how this should be done. Many team members experience deep emotions during their week in Honduras and our desire is that decisions be made wisely and also in a way that doesn’t cause problems among our Honduran staff. One suggestion is that a team may give a love offering to our staff at the end of the week and it would be divided equally among all of them.

16. Each team will have a team captain who will work with FCM’s U.S. office and North American representative. While FCM appreciates mission teams led by married couples, the husband will be recognized as the team leader and will be responsible for team decisions on the field in Honduras.

Team Member Behavioral Guidelines

No body piercings except for women’s earrings are permitted. Men will not be allowed to wear earrings. Tattoos are one of the main marks of the Honduran gang members. We ask that all tattoos be covered if possible and for certain, not shown with a sense of pride.

The use and/or purchase of all tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and illegal drugs is prohibited. Foul language, vulgar slang and off-colored jokes will not be permitted.

Dress is generally casual with modesty always being the guide. Teams will attend one or two worship services in a local church. Slacks and a shirt for men and a modest dress or slacks and dress blouse for women are appropriate. Ladies may wear capris (note: NO gym shorts are permitted). Jeans, t-shirts, scrubs for medical teams and casual wear are all acceptable. However, t-shirts must not have inappropriate messages or logos. Preachers should wear a dress shirt and tie when preaching.

You will be provided with three meals a day by FCM. It is important that each team member show respect by being on time for the meal time prayers.

All team members are required to be in their rooms at 10:00 each night. Lights must be turned off by 11:00. It is very important to respect the needs of each team member and getting proper rest is absolutely vital to having a beneficial week. Any exceptions must be cleared with the team leader and FCM’s North American representative.

All team members are subject to the decisions made by the team leader and FCM representative. Any changes to travel plans, such as staying extra days in Honduras, must be approved by the leadership of FCM before the team departure date.

Anyone joining a mission team who has a felony conviction must share this with your team leader before completing the team application form. The team leader must share this information with FCM and a decision will be made concerning the person’s eligibility. All team members are subject to background checks.

Initiating or becoming involved in inappropriate personal relationships with other team members, staff, translators or someone you meet, will not be allowed. This type of distraction can affect the whole team and can be used by Satan to thwart the purposes and blessings of God for the team.

Team members must refrain from showing excessive affection to the older boys (13 years and older) in the ministry. At no time is holding hands, kissing on the cheek or having arms around any of our older boys permitted. Team members are also prohibited from being alone with any boy in the ministry, even with a translator. All one on one conversations must take place in open areas within sight of other team members and FCM staff. First violation of this guideline will result in a warning. A second violation will result in loss of the privilege of serving with a team in Honduras.

Giving money directly to any child in the ministry is strictly prohibited. Giving money directly to translators, staff members or any person to whom we minister is prohibited. This can create resentment and cause confusion. Opportunities to give will be made available but must be done through the direction of FCM’s representative on the field. Also, bringing gifts from a sponsor or giving any material gifts directly to the children is prohibited. Anyone, including sponsors, desiring to give anything directly to a child must have that cleared in advance by the FCM office in Birmingham or through our field director, Bryan Arthur.

As our older boys and girls enter high school and college they have access to the internet and cell phones. Calling or receiving calls from any boy or girl in the ministry is prohibited. emailing the boys and girls directly is prohibited. Emails may be sent to boys and girls through our main office ([email protected]). All letters and cards sent to the boys and girls are screened and inappropriate letters will not be given to them. Violation of this guideline will result in the loss of the privilege of serving with a mission team in Honduras.

NOTE
These guidelines were approved by the Board of Directors of FCM and are to be understood as very serious with real consequences. The leadership of FCM reserves the right to decline any application for team membership or deny any participation of a team member on the field for any reason, including, but not limited to, theological differences or personal behavior deemed incompatible with its ministry and/or testimony.

Acknowledgement, Assumption, & Release

I understand that I am applying to serve under the auspices of Forgotten Children Ministries. I also understand that my purpose is to help fulfill the goals and ministry that God has given to FCM. My role will be as a servant and I will submit to the authority of my team leader, FCM’s North American representative and the Honduran leadership. I have read the regulations and guidelines and I accept them and agree to abide by them at any point I am under the care of FCM. I understand that FCM will make the final decision concerning my becoming a member of a short-term mission team.

I, the undersigned, wish to participate in a short-term mission project in Honduras conducted under the auspices of Forgotten Children Ministries (“FCM”). By signing this form, I acknowledge
(1) that travel to and in the country of Honduras involves hazards not customarily encountered when traveling in the United States. (2) Medical facilities in Honduras are substandard and that should a medical emergency develop during my trip, it is unlikely that I will receive medical care in Honduras equivalent to that available in the United States. (3) Working conditions in Honduras are often inferior to conditions in the United States. (4) FCM does not carry insurance against any of the risk I may encounter in Honduras.

Despite the foregoing, it is my desire to participate in the work in Honduras and I knowingly assume the risks that are involved and release FCM, its employees and agents, from any liability for injury, damage or harm, which may occur to my person or property while traveling in connection with Forgotten Children Ministries or otherwise participating with Forgotten Children Ministries now or at any point in the future.

I affirm that I am eighteen (18) years of age or older, or the parent/guardian of the participant if under eighteen years of age and that this agreement is binding on me and my executor, administrators and heirs. I give FCM and its representative(s) with me on any such trip authority to request and authorize medical and/or hospital treatment for my benefit in the event of any injury or sickness sustained by me while on such ministry activity, including, without limitation, while traveling to and from any foreign country. I agree to pay for all such treatment and to reimburse FCM for all costs and expenses incurred by FCM with respect to such treatment.

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PO Box 36399
Birmingham, AL 35236
205 864 0176

 

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PO Box 36399
Birmingham, AL 35236
205 573 4797

 
 
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