Research

On-Site Research: Checklist

The following checklist may assist you with the process of successfully leading a research journey. Start with a good plan, maintain flexibility and a sense of humor, and submit to God as He leads you through every step.

• Decision Phase: 6-12 months prior to team departure
• Begin praying for wisdom and direction for the expedition.
• Choose a destination and a people.
• Begin to research the site selected using area libraries and other available resources, like the Brigada Network on the Internet. (See Information<> Sources for details.)
• Submit the idea to your church leadership for their input and approval. Explain the potential costs and benefits of an unreached people data-gathering expedition. Present possible follow-up ideas.
• Initiate relationships with key individuals working with your targeted people, both nationals and expatriate Christians. Be sure to remember security precautions in all of your communications.
• Establish a preliminary budget. Check with two or three different travel agencies in order to negotiate the best price.
• Begin the promotion process. Communicate in a variety of ways to those who might be interested in going, as well as to the sponsoring church or fellowship.
• Initiate an application process for those seeking to go on the expedition.
• If at all possible, schedule a pre-trip for the team leader (and another member of the team) to make any arrangements on-site. Consider housing, meals, research opportunities, and transportation for your team. See the list of questions to ask on-site workers in Chapter 3 of the Life Changing Encouunters training manual. Get a local map and phrase list.

• Preparation and Training Phase: 3-6 months prior to team departure
• Your church leadership and team leader should select a team based on the applications you have received. Discuss issues that may need policies.
• In cooperation with others who have applicable experience, develop a training plan for the team, including meeting dates before departure.
• Invite speakers from inside and outside your church to participate. Invite others, not on your team, who will benefit from the training.
• Assign and distribute reading assignments and materials to each member.
• Plan ways to include the entire church body in this endeavor now and after you return. How can small groups be involved?
• Meet with your church leadership to plan dates for presenting the trip to the church. Include a promotional date, a commissioning date, and a date to report to the whole congregation upon your return.
• Schedule fund-raising events and deadlines. This schedule should correspond with required payments for airline tickets and other costs. Provide team members with information on raising financial and prayer support. Schedule a support-raising kick-off meeting.
• Make the travel arrangements. Airfare will consume the majority of your overall budget, so plan well!
• Ensure that each team member has a valid passport. Make two copies of the front page of each passport. Keep one at home and take one on the trip. Include everyone's passport numbers on a master list for emergencies. Passports must be in hand before applying for visas.
• Secure required visas and determine airport taxes.
• Form a consensus about ministry goals with your team. Formulate a written mission statement and team covenant.
• Delegate various team responsibilities: research manager, photographer, treasurer, worship leader. Assign one or two team members to carry a first-aid kit.
• Encourage team members to find and read historical or cultural information about the people and site you'll be visiting.
• Schedule meetings with key national Christians and expatriate workers focused on your target people to brief the team before you leave or when you are on-site. Confirm potential meetings with those on-site via fax, e-mail, or phone if necessary. Remember security precautions in all of your communications.
• Create tools to help the home team and church pray effectively.
• Make prayerwalking Bible-verse flip cards.
• Take the team to a restaurant to eat food similar to what you'll eat on-site.

• Deployment Phase: up to 3 months before departure
• Purchase tickets (if you haven't already done so).
• Confirm on-site housing arrangements and costs.
• Develop your on-site daily schedule. Be careful to provide enough time to travel between interviews. Try to allow for time each day to debrief as a team, sharing insights and experiences from the day.
• Schedule home prayerwalking events with your church.
• Present the team to the congregation for prayer to send them out. Prepare a map and itinerary as visual aids.
• Ensure each member has home-team prayer partners. Schedule a meeting for the team and home-team to come together for worship, prayer and sharing.
• Compile emergency contact lists: leave a list of your in-country contacts with key people at home; take emergency contact information for each team member with you on your trip. Have a contingency plan ready to cover the possibility of major changes in travel plans.
• Communicate important details regarding the travel itinerary, especially any last-minute schedule changes.

• Departure and On-Site Phase:
• Provide an orientation for the team in the destination city or nearby. Plan for a day to adjust to the new environment and review the team mission statement. Urge team members to journal and share their insights along the way.
• If possible, communicate with your home church while you are on-site. Plan on sending one or two faxes/emails or calling a key contact while you are away to provide prayer fuel and updates.
• Complete the project. Continue to welcome feedback and coaching from nationals and expatriate workers along the way.
• Debrief with the team prior to departing from the city or region. Review what God has taught each team member and help everyone consolidate their experiences. Help team members develop a "report" to give upon their return.

• Debriefing Phase:
• Debrief the team when you return home. See how team members plan to process their experience once they are back in their routine.
• Evaluate the experience. Have each team member complete an evaluation form to provide feedback on the entire experience.
• Have the team research manager gather and compile the team's research and photographs. Offer to share research reports with the network or others committed to the people.  AD2000<> & Beyond Movement will forward research on to pertinent agencies.
• Report to the congregation. Allow the team's experience to impact the whole congregation. This gives everyone a part in seeing the Kingdom established among your target people.
• The team leadership should document what was learned about leadership, both personal lessons and insights.
• Ask team members how each will be a good steward of the research trip. What next steps will you take? When will you take them?
• Two weeks after debriefing, team members should check in with one another about their next steps.

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