FAQS "REQUEST FOR HELP"

WHO CAN REQUEST HELP?

• Any entity associated with the churches of Christ (i.e. congregations, Christian colleges, children’s home, or youth camps). These entities must be directly under the control of an eldership, or a board of directors, or is primarily staffed by members of the Church of Christ.
• Although all requests for help are considered, the focus is on conducting sojourns for entities with a membership of 150 or less.

HOW DOES AN ENTITY REQUEST HELP?

• Complete the ”Request for Help” form on the website or contact the Sojourner office to request additional information. The Request for Help form will be received by the Sojourner office after it is submitted. A person will contact the entity if additional information is needed.

WHAT INFORMATION DO I NEED TO SUBMIT TO THE SOJOURNER OFFICE?

• The Request for Help form must be as complete as possible. It should contain:
  • The name, address and phone number(s) of the location requesting help.
  • Name, address, and phone number(s) of a contact person.
  • Type of work being requested (be specific as possible).
  • Date(s) the work is needed (first, second and third choices if possible).
  • Availability and type of RV parking facilities (on premises, at members’ homes, other). Also consider any size limitations for RV’s. Some RV’s are quite large and need extra space.
  • Signature of person in authority.
  • Signed waiver of liability.

HOW MANY REQUESTS FOR HELP CAN AN ENTITITY HAVE IN ONE YEAR?

• Each entity is normally limited to one request for help per year. Exceptions can be made depending on the needs of the entity and availability of Sojourners.

HOW LONG DOES A SOJOURN LAST?

• The length of the sojourn is determined by the purpose and goals of the sojourn. Generally sojourns are two weeks in length but may exceed this as needed.

WHEN DO I TURN IN MY "REQUEST FOR HELP" FORM?

• All requests for the following year must be received in the Sojourner Office on or before September 1. All requests received after the September 1 deadline may be processed as time permits.

DO WE PAY FOR THE SOJOURNERS TO COME TO OUR ENTITY?

• No, the Sojourners pay their own way to serve the entity. No fee is charged nor accepted for our services. However, it is expected that necessary materials for the sojourn are provided by the entity requesting help.

HOW DOES AN ENTITY KNOW THAT THE REQUEST HAS BEEN FILLED?

• If for some reason the sojourn is not eligible or there is insufficient information about the request for help, the entity will be contacted.
  Every year during the Sojourner workshops (October and February) the Sojourners plan/choose their sojourns for the next year. Once a Sojourner Team Leader selects a proposed sojourn, he will contact the entity for additional information as needed and to confirm the sojourn. At that time, the Team Leader begins to build the team for the sojourn. The Team Leader will also maintain contact with the entity.

CAN I MAKE AN EMERGENCY REQUEST?

• Requests for help during special situations (i.e. emergency disaster relief, short notice requests) will be considered on a case-by-case basis.