New InternOrientation Guide

Table of Contents- A Letter From the Staff..........................................................................................3- Your Commitment to the Staff and the Church.....................................................4- Our Commitment to You.......................................................................................6- The Work Flow

o Conduct....................................................................................................7o h2o Sundays.............................................................................................7o LifeGroup.................................................................................................7o Campus Outreach and Evangelism...........................................................8o PIT/WIT....................................................................................................8o Management Times.................................................................................8o Specific Job Roles.....................................................................................8o Flexibility..................................................................................................8o Taking a Sabbath Rest..............................................................................9o Discipleship…………………………………………………………………………………………….9o (Intern Job Description Template)..........................................................10

- The Office............................................................................................................11- Using Church Funds.............................................................................................12- Web Resources...................................................................................................13- Emergency Contact Information.........................................................................14- Your Finance Options as an Intern

o Unpaid Internship...................................................................................15o Paid Internship Through Support-Raising

Raising Support Through h2o...............................................15-16- Appendix A. – Support-Raising............................................................................17- Appendix B. – Self-Proprietor Tax Information...................................................24-

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We’re glad you’re here.We are so excited that you have chosen to join our family and team as an intern! We know that new situations and job roles can be stressful and overwhelming at times, but we hope that this manual will help provide some peace by providing some details about the inner workings of h2o, along with some bits of advice to help you enjoy and thrive in your intern experience.

We want you to know that we’re here to help. We want your internship with h2o to be the best possible, and to give you a taste of vocational ministry. As you are starting your internship, you may find yourself going a hundred miles an hour, getting caught up in all the awesome things that God is doing around you, with you, and through you. Or, you may find that it’s not exactly what you expected. Either way, if you need help with anything, please ask for it! The pastors and staff are here to be your family – to encourage you, to explain things to you, and to walk the path of ministry with you. We hope that this manual will help answer a lot of your questions, but if you have others, please ask another staff member or a pastor. We want this experience to encourage you, train you, and give you a glimpse of what full-time ministry looks like.

Lastly, thank you! We feel completely blessed to have you helping out with the church; you are a true answer to prayers. As you will soon see, there is a ton of work and effort that goes into running h2o, making it what it is, and moving it forward to continue to reach students here at BGSU. With each new school year comes nine whole months worth of opportunities to work hard and reach BGSU for Christ. With this, your help is so valuable to us. Thanks again for your help and we are so excited to work with you!

Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Staff Team

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Your Commitment to the Staff and the ChurchBefore we delve into your specific expectations and job roles, here’s what we expect you to commit to as an h2o intern:

Section 1: Commitment to Mission/Vision of h2o Church:

o College Church: One thing that has remained consistent about h2o BG over the last 25 years is that we have always been a college-focused church. While we do reach out to the community at large with our CityGroups, our focus has always been the campus of Bowling Green State University. We have always believed, and continue to believe, that reaching college students with the Gospel is one of the most strategic ways to change the world for Christ. People come to college from all over the nation and all over the world with the hope and expectation to grow and learn in many different aspects of life. However, studies by the Barna Group show that most students “put Christianity on the shelf” during their college years. Thus, we believe our calling is two-fold. One, we seek to connect with students who already have a relationship with Christ, solidify that relationship outside of their parents’ house, and get them serving the Kingdom. Two, we seek to introduce Christ to those who do not know Him. Whether the students at h2o are continuing a relationship with Christ started at home, or have met Him here at college, we then in essence get to send equipped missionaries for Christ all over the nation and world when they graduate. What an opportunity!

o Church Planting: Being a college-focused church, we have a sending component built into our church. Our congregation is consistently made up of young, transient, and often adventurous men and women. We believe the best way to glorify God with the church He has given us is to have a continual focus on planting churches, specifically college-focused churches. If we have to make a decision between growing our congregation larger or planting a new church, we will pursue church planting if we have the leadership and servants to do so. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." In order to fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus has charged us with, we must have a strategic way of going and making disciples. We believe that church planting is the small way God has given us to be part of His plan to redeem the world for Christ.

Section 2: Commitment to Team and Leadership of h2o

o To be under the authority of a Manager: In 1 Peter 2:13, the Apostle Peter says, “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men...” h2o interns are all under authority and kept accountable for their work and hours. All h2o interns are appointed a Manager that helps them fulfill the requirements of their internship.

o To be under the authority of the Pastoral Team: In 1 Peter 5:1-5, the Apostle Peter says, "Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care...." In addition to a Manager, h2o interns are lead and held accountable by h2o’s team of pastors. As h2o’s Pastoral Team leads the church, it seeks counsel and input from its staff, interns, and congregation. Ultimately, h2o looks to the

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pastors to lead the church. Although consensus among h2o’s pastors, staff, interns, and congregation is the goal, the Pastoral Team will not always be able to or desire to please everyone. As such, a unity under the pastors' direction is key for staff, interns, and all members of h2o.

o Biblical Conflict Resolution: Living out Matthew 18, Jesus’ guide to discipline and conflict resolution, is crucial for the people of God. This includes pastors, supervisors, staff, other interns, and church members. A great tool of the enemy is to divide our church, especially our staff and interns. God tells us in Matthew 18:15, "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you." For the glory of God in this church, we must be committed to Biblical conflict resolution. We all benefit and grow from sharpening one another. Proverbs 27:17 affirms, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Our young church needs to have healthy disagreements and loving relationship. Dealing with hurts and differences in a timely and healthy manner is a requirement for staff and interns. Harbored negative feelings, unresolved hurt, gossip, or judging from a distance will not be acceptable. This motivates all of us to not only be good teammates with, but also faithful Christ-followers in all of our present and future relationships.

Section 3: Commitment to Personal Growth and Professional Development

o Personal Devotion to Christ: Before anything else, it goes without question that all of us should be fully devoted to Christ. Our schedules should have time blocked out for prayer, worship, and/or reading of the Word, as well as anything else we need to mature in our relationship with the Lord.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:1-2“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”— 2 Peter 1:2-11

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o Character Development/Accountability: In addition to our personal spiritual devotion to Christ, it is vitally important for us as God’s servants to be challenged by other men and women who will be committed to our growth as Christians. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Management meetings will certainly have an element of this to them, but our desire for you is to have other relationships (with staff members, interns, and others) that will encourage this discipline. Without consistent, intimate fellowship with others that are pursuing the Lord, we can feel disconnected from the body of Christ. In Galatians 6:1-2 Paul tells us, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Our Commitment to YouAs a staff team, we commit to live out 1 Peter 5—

o Seeking God and qualified counsel for the direction and vision of the church: As we seek to “be shepherds of God's flock that is under [our] care" (1 Peter 5:1-5), we desire to pray, seek God, and seek counsel to make godly decisions for you and for our whole church.

o Leading in plurality with the team of pastors and campus directors that the church appoints: “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). Not only do we commit to lead as a team, but we commit to stay in contact with Collegiate Church Network (CCN) and h2o Network (h2oN) directors and pastors. These national leaders and pastors from around the state and nation give us counsel, encouragement, and accountability that allow us to make wise choices decisions for the church.

o Humbly listening to concerns and problems that interns have with our leadership or church decisions: "...not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3). As leaders, we are not immune to weakness and errors, so we humbly seek to grow together with you and desire to hear concerns that you have. We want to hear about problems and work together to find solutions. Ultimately, we are here to serve. "Be shepherds of God's flock...not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve” (1 Peter 5:2).

o Create a healthy working environment for our staff, interns, and student leaders: We desire to create a healthy, godly working environment for all of our church leaders. We care about your spiritual, emotional, relational, and financial needs. We commit to helping you in all of these areas to the best of our ability. We also recognize that there are times in many of our lives where outside input is needed in a more specialized form. Therefore, if an intern desires professional counseling and needs assistance financially or practically, we commit to helping in these ways.

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The Work FlowCONDUCTAs an h2o Intern, we expect you to:

Life a life in accordance with your identity in Christ Live and do ministry in accordance with the h2o Vision and Statement of Faith Show signs of growth in your Christian walk Pursue accountability and discipleship relationships with pastors, staff, interns, and others. Submit to the authority of your Manager Submit to pastoral authority Commit to Biblical conflict resolution and church discipline (Matthew 18) if necessary Be at all h2o events at the appointed time, unless a request to miss is made and granted by your

manager Attend weekly staff meetings Be flexible and able to complete work without direct supervision Take part in h2o Sundays, LifeGroups, scheduled events, and perform other job roles Maintain good standing with Bowling Green State University (if you are a student)

A significant lapse in any of these areas may cause the h2o staff to consider ending your internship.

h2o SUNDAYS

h2o Sunday services are one of the main events in the life of h2o Church, held at 11:00 and 5:45 in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union Ballroom. The manpower needed to get a Sunday service up and running is massive! h2o interns will be responsible for acting as a support member for some aspect of Sundays—Production, Media, Décor, Prayer, Setup, or Greeting. What you do on Sunday will be determined by you and your manager based on both need and gifting. When you are asked to be there will depend on your support role, but will be between 8-10AM.

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LIFEGROUPSAs an h2o intern, one of your primary responsibilities is to help plan, lead, and facilitate a LifeGroup. LifeGroups are the life blood of our church—there students engage with the teaching they heard on Sunday and apply it to their lives, while welcoming in both Christians and non-Christians alike. We expect most interns to step up to a leadership role in their LifeGroup, leading their LifeGroup Core, developing activities and discussion questions, and facilitating LifeGroups. You will be expected conduct a LifeGroup planning meeting once per week with your Core, and to arrive at your LifeGroup venue at 8:30PM each Thursday, ready to start at 9. There is $100 in funding available per semester for your LifeGroup; funds are accessed via reimbursement (see Finance section for more details).

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CAMPUS OUTREACH AND EVANGELISMWe seek to have all leaders in h2o have a heart to reach those who do not know Christ. This can happen on a variety of levels from very informal to more formal. We want to equip you to share your faith and then see you grow in your desire to share Jesus with others.

A key responsibility of some interns (especially those who are also Student Missionaries with NAMB) will be to engage students with the Gospel of Christ each week. Campus Outreach takes place weekly usually on Tuesday and Thursday. Students meet together in the Union’s Falcon’s Nest across from Outtakes. They pray together, pair off, and engage students in the Union and around campus in spiritual conversations. Interns will be expected to participate in at least one Campus Outreach time per week in a supporting leadership role, and may be expected to lead Campus Outreach times.

PIT/WITOn the first and third Thursday’s of the month the male leaders of h2o meet for PIT (Pastors in Training), the second and forth Thursday’s of the month the women leaders of h2o meet for WIT (Women in Training). This time is specifically designed to raise up leaders and build into you as an individual, with a special emphasis on theological training, ministry skills, and character development. We see this as a very valuable time and all interns are required to attend these equipping times. Coming to this bi-weekly meeting is required and you must seek approval of your supervisor before missing.

MANAGEMENT TIMESManagement times are a key time for helping you to have a successful internship. This time will serve to make sure you are understanding and functioning well in your specific role and help you to connect with other interns and staff. Coming to this bi-weekly meeting is required and you must seek approval of your supervisor before missing. It is important for you to be on time and to be prepared, both to give input and to keep track of roles and responsibilities you have for upcoming responsibilities.

SPECIFIC JOB ROLESWhile all interns will take part in the areas of our church previously mentioned, each intern will be given a Job Description Sheet similar to the template on the next page. Interns will work on this with their managers to formulate specific job roles that serve the needs of the church and utilize individual talents and giftings.

FLEXIBILITYThere is a lot of flexibility in your internship. This requires you to do two things. The first is: dream! We want you to do something that you are excited about. We want you to brainstorm ideas in which we can engage the community of BGSU more effectively. Overall, we want to give you freedom to do ministry in ways that you think are exciting and effective. Please use your free time well and get your ideas approved by your managers before starting to implement them.

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The other requirement is for you yourself to be flexible. There will be many times where you are delegated administrative tasks or other sundry tasks to free up staff members to give attention to their job roles. Part of working at h2o is being able to be flexible and do work that you aren’t always expecting.

TAKING A SABBATH RESTOn the other hand, ministry is a taxing job, and the needs of the world never end, so if you wait to take a day off until there are no needs out there, you will never get one. We want to keep you refreshed in the ministry “game” and your internship, which means you need to learn to rest. On your day off, it is appropriate and good to ignore your phone and email, to tell people you are not available to meet, and to simply do what refreshes you. This is also considered to be one of your requirements if you are a full-time intern or staff with h2o.

DISCIPLESHIPWe are all about multiplication at h2o. Our desire is that even while you are learning a skill you are seeking to teach others about it. Interns will be expected to be intentionally building into other students. You will be encouraged to come up with creative ways to do discipleship: one-on-one meetings, group discipleship, going and doing ministry together, etc.

When you think about discipleship think Teach, Grow, Reach Who am I Teaching specific ministry skills in my realm of responsibility? Who am I helping to Grow as a disciple? Who am I seeking to Reach with the gospel?

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Intern Job Description Template

Joe Intern

Intern // Creative Design, life group, operations // 20hrs

h2o Mission:

Our mission is to:

Engage the campus of Bowling Green State University Inform people of the gospel of Christ Inspire our community to live like Jesus and change the world.

Ministry Focus:

1. Creative Design To work closely with Director of Creative Designs and create design for each h2o

Sunday series as well as new ad for any upcoming h2o event.

2. Life Group Leader Will lead University LifeGroup. Including weekly planning times, discipling/building into

core members and following up group members.

3. Operations Will work with the h2o director of operations to enter data, register events, and help with

advertising distribution.

Individual goals / objectives:

1. Creating design for every h2o Sunday service series and every event this semester and start of the summer [May]

2. Replace yourself as a LifeGroup Leader. [May]3. Raise $2000 in support to fund your internship [May]

All intern goals/ objectives:

1. Think Teach, Grow, Reach Who am I Teaching specific ministry skills in my realm of responsibility? Who am I helping to Grow as a disciple? Who am I seeking to Reach with the gospel?

2. Share faith at least every other week for the whole semester (campus out-reach)

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Using the h2o OfficeMAIN ENTRY AND LOCK CODEThe h2o office is open to staff and interns 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 541 W. Wooster St. You're allowed to utilize this space and resources in whatever way it will serve you and your ministry. To gain access to the main door when locked, there is a key located on the ledge above the signs by the door. To enter the conference room on the second floor, there is a combination lock box on the door of the office. To gain entry, treat as you would a regular combination lock. The code is “GOD.” The key for the conference room door is inside of the lock box. This code is NOT to be given out to students unless authorized by your manager. Please make sure keys return to their appropriate places when you leave, and are not swapped.

OFFICE EQUIPMENTAny materials taken out of the office (books, videos, paper cutters, staplers, etc.) must be signed out on the dry erase board before use and signed back in after returned. These materials and resources are a great help for us all; please keep in good shape and available for everyone to use.

You are permitted to use the computer, copier, and color laser printer in the office for both ministry and personal use. For computer use, the password is “123”. For all ministry purposes, the copier and printer are free. However, if you are using the color laser printer for personal use (prayer letters, etc.), please contribute to the ink fund in the jar next to the printer. The copier is free of charge for making copies of prayer letters. For technical assistance for the printer and copier, contact Katy Townley or Jill Beebe.

LEAVING ITEMS AT THE OFFICEWe have limited space at the office and very little extra space to store people’s various personal or ministry items, even for short periods of time. As an intern, you will be provided with a place in the office to store whatever you may need. Once your space is filled, please do not store any additional items without approval from Bryan Wiles or Rob Warren.

LEAVING THE OFFICEWhen you are leaving the office, please take the time to gather all your personal belongings and any ministry items you are responsible for or have brought with you. We seek to keep the office clean, organized, and clutter free! If you’ve made any adjustments to the window heating/cooling unit, please return them to the way you found them. Unplug any space heaters that are plugged in, and turn off the coffee maker. Be sure to close all windows, turn off all lights, and lock all doors.

CLEANING THE OFFICE11

It’s our responsibility to keep the office clean. Office cleaning duties will likely rotate between staff and interns on a weekly basis. When it’s your turn, cleaning duties are listed on the side of the bookshelf. Please don’t neglect these when it’s your turn; no one wants a nasty bathroom.

Using Church FundsREIMBURSEMENTS

h2o will reimburse Interns for expenses paid by you on behalf of h2o (for example, if you spent $25 on Sunday Service communion or $40 for pizza for our staff interest meeting). These expenses need to be budgeted and pre-approved by Bryan Wiles or Rob Warren, and a reimbursement form must be properly filled out. (See Web Resources section for more details.) If not, you run the risk of not being receiving your reimbursement.

Procedures:

1. If the amount of the items is more than $75, you must obtain the written signature or email approval of Scott Townley or Bryan Wiles.

2. The form must be filled out as completely as possible with as much description as necessary to allow the finance team to allocate the amount to the proper expense category. For example, putting "food for h2o" is not enough but "Christmas party food and paper products for church party" would be fine.

3. The form must be signed and dated by the requestor, signed and dated by the approving pastor(s), and placed in the reimbursement inbox, the top inbox in the h2o office copy room. These forms will not be processed without signatures.

4. Detailed receipts must be included with the request. h2o will not reimburse expenses for alcohol, tobacco products, fireworks, anything creating a potential liability, etc.

5. A reimbursement form must be submitted no later than 60 days after the date the expense was paid.

Important Note: With h2o reimbursements, just because there is a budget for an item does not mean that you are authorized to spend it. If you do not get prior approval, it may not be reimbursed.

h2o CREDIT CARDThe church credit card is for use only by permission of one of the pastors or Scott Townley, it can only be used for purchases above $75. When using the credit card, you must submit a detailed receipt from the purchase. Details should include: date, ministry name, name of user, purpose, place of purchase.

Web Resources

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Our website, h2ochurch.com, houses many helpful/important documents and resources for our staff and interns. To access these materials, go to the h2o website, click the “Resources” tab, and then select “Staff.” You will then be asked for a password which is, “Romans8:1”

Please refer to this section of the website for more information on:

- h2o phone list- Staff calendar- Staff requirements- Reimbursement forms/handbook- MTD materials- Ministry materials (baptism guide, etc.)- LifeGroup materials- Advertising and logos

Through the website, you can also obtain an h2o e-mail address. Use of this e-mail address is not mandatory; it is made to serve you. For more information, contact Jill Beebe (419.575.4421—jill.beebe@h2ochurch.com).

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Emergency Contact InformationSTAFF DIRECTORY

Bryan Wiles 419.575.1045 wiles.bryan@gmail.com Rob Warren 440.773.4012 rob.warren82@gmail.com Matt Pardi 419.494.9640 pardipardi@juno.com Lauren Ballard 419.344.5622 lauren.vest23@gmail.com Jill Beebe 419.575.4421 jill.beebe@h2ochurch.com Sarah Burchfield 614.769.5907 sarah.burchfield@gcmweb.org Kees Groenewegen 513.203.2065 kees.cgroen@gmail.com Chelsea Groenewegen 810.623.3136 chelsea.gwegen@gmail.com Emily Haye 419.575.8741 emily.haye@gcmweb.org Todd Schlereth 419.688.9972 todd.schlereth@gmail.com Paul Standinger 419.740.1085 paul.standinger@gcmweb.org Wendy Standinger 419.789.0725 wendy.standinger@gcmweb.org Scott Townley 405.249.7161 scott.katy.townley@gmail.com Katy Townley 405.488.7771 katyt@bgsu.edu

OFFICE EMERGENCIES

Bryan Wiles 419.575.1045 wiles.bryan@gmail.com Rob Warren 440.773.4012 rob.warren82@gmail.com

WEBSITE/EMAIL PROBLEMS

Bryan Wiles 419.575.1045 wiles.bryan@gmail.com Jill Beebe 419.575.4421 jill.beebe@h2ochurch.com

COUNSELING & MENTAL HEALTH Paul Standinger 419.740.1085 paul.standinger@gcmweb.org

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Your Finance Options as an InternIt is important for you to know going in that h2o cannot provide salary, insurance, or any other traditional benefits to its Interns. Due to its unique demographic of college students, h2o Church does not receive enough money to provide salaries to its staff or interns. There are a few ways this can work out for you as an Intern:

UNPAID INTERNSHIPThis is the simplest option, and would mean that you would receive no salary from your internship role. You will want to consider your living arrangements, expenses, and financial needs before choosing this option. You will either need to have your needs met through an outside source (parents, savings, etc.) or take part-time work to support yourself during your internship.

PAID INTERNSHIP THROUGH SUPPORT-RAISING (INDEPENDENT MINISTER)The route that many use to ensure their needs will be met during their internship is to raise support. This involves asking people in your life and/or people that you have networked with for both spiritual and financial support so that you can do the ministry God has called you to unhindered. The practice of support-raising is Biblical; Nehemiah, a Jewish cupbearer in King Artaxerxes’ court, prayerfully considered and executed a request to the king for resources to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. God blessed his efforts and the King agreed (Nehemiah 1:1-9). The Apostle Paul is a great advocate of a preacher being worth his wages, and in Philippians 4:17, he points out another benefit of support-raising: “Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.” Support-raising not only meets your needs, but blesses the givers!

Raising Support through h2o

The ProcessThis involves sending letters and/or making phone calls to potential giving partners, and asking them to direct gifts to h2o on your behalf. Upon receiving enough funds, h2o will give you a paycheck. Before starting this process you must be approved by Bryan Wiles or Scott Townley. In order to do this we will offer a short informal training courses provided by h2o; and the h2o staff are always available to help you. Contact Bryan Wiles (wiles.bryan@gmail.com) or Jill Beebe (jill.beebe@h2ochurch.com) for access to additional resources on h2ochurch.com under the “Resources” tab.

Your Employment StatusLegally, you are considered to be a “sole proprietior.” This means that you are an independent entity charging h2o for a service rendered, are not employed by h2o in the government’s eyes. This means a few important things for you:

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1. h2o does not withhold taxes from your paycheck. You are still legally liable to pay taxes on any money earned over the amount of $400. h2o furnishes the IRS with Form 1099 by law, which means the IRS knows you’ve earned the money, and will take action if taxes are not paid. Making sure any quarterly tax payments are paid on time (if applicable), and ensuring that your tax return is filled out properly is an involved process. There is a tax guide provided at the end of this packet to help you fill out your tax return properly; please look over it as you consider support-raising through h2o. You should be prepared to carefully read and carry out the instructions in that guide and on the IRS website, or to hire a tax professional.

2. h2o is unable to provide insurance benefits. You should arrange to have insurance through your parents’ plan, your spouse’s plan, through the University, or through an independent plan.

Cost Considerations

1. You will have no costs for support-raising training.2. h2o will charge a 3% administrative fee on handling your incoming support checks.3. Private insurance plan, if applicable.4. You will need to withhold your own taxes or plan to pay at once with your tax return.

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Appendix A. – Support-RaisingBecause David knew that all the world's wealth ultimately belonged to God, he boldly challenged others to channel their resources toward building a physical testimony to the Lord, a temple. As you raise your sponsorship funds for your internship, you will be channeling the resources of God's people toward building a human testimony, a witness for Christ.

Introduction and Vision

In a unique way, God has chosen to use college-age men and women throughout history as the driving force behind the expansion of His church. The great awakenings of past centuries—which were the seed-beds of missionary expansion—usually began as students gathered to pray. As students experienced personal and corporate spiritual renewal, they invariably came away with a burning desire to help evangelize the world in their generation.

One such student mission thrust was the Student Volunteer Movement (SVM). In the latter part of the 19th century, the SVM saw over 30,000 students, the “cream” of an entire generation of American society, sail for foreign mission fields. Those who stayed behind were no less instrumental in the movement's success as they bore the responsibility of underwriting the costs of those who went. The torch has now been passed to you and to a new generation of Christian college students. You have accepted the challenge of helping reach the world for Christ by deciding to join h2o Church in its mission to reach BGSU for Jesus Christ. One of your responsibilities in accepting this challenge is to communicate Christ's cause through h2o to others.

As “Christ's ambassador” (2 Corinthians 5:20), you are in a unique position to invite others to invest financially in His cause. As you offer individuals the chance to support h2o in funding your internship, you will be giving them the unparalleled opportunity of investing in eternity (Matthew 6:19-21). King David gave Israel such an opportunity when he challenged the people to underwrite the cost of building a temple for the Lord. “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly. 'But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand'“ (1 Chronicles 29:2).

The fund raising strategy outlined here can be your key to achieving the goal of funding your internship. It can be summarized in four words:

Namestorm, Write, Call, Thank You

As you place your trust in God and carefully implement each of these four steps, you will see success!

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1.) Namestorm

Start by developing an initial list of potential sponsors. As with brainstorming, in namestorming, there is one cardinal rule—anything goes. No name is unqualified. Just mentally erase any clouds of doubt from your mind and let there be “blue sky.” Don't decide for an individual whether or not they are interested. If you limit yourself to those you feel will or can give, you may be presumptuously excluding them from God’s call for them to contribute to His mission! You will need to prioritize who to contact first, but for now, don't disqualify anyone!

Using this technique, one student organization in Oregon “namestormed” an average of 118 names each, as part of a sponsorship drive. Several students in the group came up with more than 200 names each.

You may be thinking you could never generate more than a handful of names, but research has shown the average individual has a personal network of at least 400 friends and acquaintances. So, you could easily be disqualifying those God wants to sponsor h2o on your behalf. For instance, you've probably had at least a dozen teachers alone. If you've ever had a toothache or a cavity, you know a dentist. If you've ever been sick, you’ve probably been to a doctor. As you think about your hometown’s business district, no doubt the cleaner's, the bakery, the hardware store, and numerous other sources of contacts come to mind.

As you namestorm, associate various professions, businesses, and places for any friends and acquaintances they bring to mind. To aid you, we have provided 90 thought provokers in the following list. Take plenty of time—an hour or more—to mull over these categories. Push yourself—see if you can come up with at least 200 names!

1. Parents2. Brothers3. Sisters4. Labor union representative5. Former employers6. Former customers7. Relatives8. Friends of parents9. Accountants10. Former salesman11. Architects12. Avon lady13. Florist14. Mailman15. Missionary societies

16. Banker17. Parents' employers18. Parents' associates19. Former high school teachers20. Former college professors21. Sorority sisters22. Fraternity brothers23. High school/college friends24. Dentist25. Dentist's nurse26. Doctor leaders27. Doctor's nurse28. Dermatologist budget committee29. Dermatologist's nurse30. Service station manager

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31. Kiwanis Club32. Hospital personnel33. Rotary Club34. Community leaders35. Milkman36. Family attorney37. Christian entrepreneur/business groups38. Beautician39. Barber40. Church friends41. Policemen42. Foundations43. Wedding lists44. Garbage collector45. Neighbors spiritually46. Neighbors at former residence47. Shoe salesman48. Editor of local paper49. Butcher50. Baker51. Advertising agencies52. TV/radio station53. Bottling companies54. Printers55. Plumber56. Servicemen57. Tax men58. Retired people59. Christian bookstore60. Insurance salesmen61. Morticians62. Bank presidents63. Coach64. Teammates65. Realtors66. Veterinarian67. Grocery store68. Apartment manager69. Real estate agent70. Dog clipper71. Civic clubs72. Mayor or other civic

73. Church missionary74. Sunday school classes75. Church directories76. Pastors77. Downtown businesses78. Military personnel79. Bible studies80. Christmas card lists81. Chamber of Commerce82. People you have led to Christ83. Referrals84. Telephone directory85. Office building directory86. Engineers87. Farmers88. Eye doctor89. h2o staff members90. Those who have influenced you

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After taking an hour or so for free-wheeling “namestorming,” label each contact either “T” for top priority, “M” for medium priority, or “L” for low priority. These designations refer to your evaluation of how likely they are to give. Start by contacting your top priority people first, then work through your medium, and then your low priority people.

2.) WriteYou can see much success by hand-writing a personal letter presenting your needs and then making a personal phone call to ask potential sponsors to join your team. Using such a strategy, a group of students from another organization developed more than $60,000 in sponsorship funds for their airfare and conference costs for a spring break evangelism project in Florida.

While it will be best to send a handwritten note to each contact, if you come up with 200 names, you may need to personally write to just your priority group—say 25 to 50 people. Then you may need to type a general letter and have 175 copies made at a printer to send to the rest of your list. (Contact Bryan Wiles or another h2o staff member for sample support letters). The following are items that all support letters should include:

1. Give your letter a specific date.

2. Your greeting should be handwritten (unless you normally type your correspondence) and to a person—not “Dear Friend!”

3. Acknowledge your relationship with the reader. What can you say that will help the person identify with you? Refer to your last visit or letter, business concerns, sports interests, known struggles, hobbies, etc., to help him say, “I know who you are!”

4. Bring your reader up to date on what you're doing.

5. Educate your reader. Explain what your internship is, its purpose, why you have decided to participate, and what you hope to accomplish.

6. Explain your need. The purpose of your letter is to give your reader an opportunity to help. Make sure you explain exactly what you need.

7. Involve your reader by asking him for specific action, based on the needs you have shared. This can include challenging him to cover part or all of the cost of the internship, stating the deadline you need the money, and sharing benefits to you and to the reader as the need is met. Specific action includes not only your request, but also your commitment to follow up by telephone.

8. Acknowledge your relationship again with an emphasis on thanks, appreciation, gratitude, partnership and commitment. This ties your opening acknowledgement to your request.

9. Close the letter and sign it.

10. Add a “P.S.” Commit yourself to a specific action you will be taking. Example: “I'll be calling you on November 30th if I don't hear from you by then. I look forward to hearing from you then.” If you are sending a printed letter, hand write your P.S.

11. Emphasize the text. Use parentheses and underlining to emphasize the most important parts of your letter, i.e. your needs, your request, and the time and date you will call them for a decision. If you are sending a printed letter, do this by hand in a contrasting color of ink.

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12. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped return envelope for a quick and easy response, and a giving slip. (Be sure to personalize the slip with your own name, contact information, and financial goal.) Research shows that the easier you make it, the higher the response rate will be. So, make sure to include these critical elements.

Things to Avoid When Writing Support Letters:

1. Never apologize for writing or calling a person whom you wish to involve in helping you meet a need.

You are providing them with an opportunity to be involved in a spiritual ministry through their resources. Remember, the giver needs to give far more than any person or cause needs to receive a gift. “Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account” (Philippians 4:17). When you apologize, you end up appearing to be a beggar rather than a child of the King!

2. Never ask for a general amount, with no time frame in which to take action.

You should challenge people to give a specific gift, or at least give them a specific range. Never ask less than a specific challenge of $30, $50, $100. If people want to support you but can't give at least $30, they will let you know and not be offended by your request.

3. Never use jargon, acronyms, or “Christian-ese” without first explaining what you mean.

Especially if you sending support letters to non-Christians or people who are not familiar with your ministry, your goal is clarity. Avoid or explain jargon, always spell out acronyms the first time they are mentioned, and avoid or explain Christian words or figures of speech (e.g. “born again,” sanctification).

3.) CallThe degree of your success in the letter-writing strategy depends on your follow-up phone call. The follow-up phone call is critical for three reasons:

1. Most people suffer from “Information Overload.” Consequently, mail is easy to ignore or forget.2. Your time frame. You have a lot of money to raise in a short period of time. A follow-up phone

call will help you get decisions as quickly as possible.3. Courtesy to sponsors. Many people will want to help you, but won't unless you call to answer

any questions and to get their decision. Your phone call takes the burden of response off them and puts it on you.

How to Have a Follow-Up Phone ConversationBe sure to establish a specific time to get their decision during the conversation. When you call, ask directly for a response. Then, be quiet. Let the person respond. Talking more at this point will distract them from making a decision. If, when you call, your contact has not made a decision, set another time to call within a day or two.

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1. Introduce yourself.“Hello, Mr. ________. This is _______ calling. How are you?” Let him respond. Take a few moments to establish rapport, but be brief.

2. Explain your plans. “As I mentioned in my letter, I am planning to begin an internship with h2o…..”

3. Share what you hope to see God do as a result of your time.4. Be very specific to ask for a definite response.

“In my letter, I mentioned that I'm in the process of developing a support team to help fund my internship. I asked you to consider becoming a sponsor through giving $50. How has God led you in this regard?” Then, be quiet. Let him respond. Talking more at this point will distract them from making a decision. If an individual decides to sponsor h2o on your behalf, arrange a time to stop by and pick up their check; if they live out of town, ask them to mail it to h2o in the self-addressed, stamped envelope you sent them. If you arrange to have the sponsor send you a check and it doesn't come, you will need to follow up with a phone call. If the individual has not reached a decision, arrange another time to call, within a day or two. Important Note: Your sponsor's check must be made payable to h2o Church. The check should not be made out to you.

4.) Thank YouSend a thank-you note the same day you receive his decision. Be sure to keep a record of this so you'll know to whom you've sent one, and to avoid sending two to the same person. This thank-you letter is an important part of developing a relationship with your sponsor. This should be a personal, handwritten letter.

Do not print or photocopy a form letter. Always include something personal in your note to show specifically how you and Christ's cause has been benefited by their generosity. You owe them a good thank you note.

Sample Thank-You Note[Date]

Dear [Sponsor's Name],

Thank you for your decision to sponsor h2o on my behalf for my internship. Your prayers and finances are greatly appreciated. Your investment will have far reaching results as I help reach people for Christ on the campus of Bowling Green State University.

Please join me in praying that God would continually deepen my commitment to the cause of Christ.

Your prayers are most important. Thanks again for your gracious help.

Sincerely,[Your Signature]

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How to Get Additional Contacts

After getting a person's decision, always ask them to refer you to other people who might like to invest.

1. You will have raised all the money you can, when you run out of people to talk to. However, you can continue to add names to your list of potential sponsors. Ask everyone you contact to give you names and telephone numbers of people they know that might be interested in your internship.

2. Who to ask for additional contacts: Ask everyone you contact. Both those that join your sponsorship team and those that are unable will want to help you add to your team.

3. When to ask for additional contacts: Don't ask anyone for contacts until they have first made a decision about joining your sponsorship team. If you don't wait, your request for referrals will distract them from making their decision. BUT, do ask everyone at the time they give you their decision, whether their decision is ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ If you get a decision on the phone, you will ask for contacts, right then, over the phone.

4. How to ask for additional contacts:

a. Get your pencil out and ready to write.

b. Say: “Mr. ________, I need your help in still another way. You can help me complete my support team by giving me the names of other people that you know that I may contact.”

c. Lead the conversation by mentioning potential categories (i.e., “What are the names of some friends or business acquaintances you know; possibly you know some people from church.”) Ask him to get out his church, office, and any club directories he has. When he starts to slow down, probe his memory by mentioning other categories of people you think he may know. Use the categories listed in the “Namestorming” section.

d. Avoid saying, “Do you know anyone” or “Can you tell me the names of...,” but say, “What are the names...” and “I need to know....”

e. Assure the individual that his friends may not be able to help financially but they can help with prayers and other referrals. This gives the individual more freedom to refer you to others.

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Appendix B. – Sole Proprietor Tax InformationWhile h2o considers its interns under the oversight of its pastors and staff, interns raising support through h2o are viewed as sole proprietors by the government for tax purposes. Basically, you are considered a one-man business that hires out your work for h2o. This means that:

- h2o will NOT withhold income tax for any payments made to interns.- In addition to withholding the portion of tax employees are responsible for, interns will also be

responsible for withholding employment tax usually paid by employers- Interns will receive a 1099-MISC from h2o by January 31st for tax purposes, NOT a W-2- If you have received more than $400 from an h2o check, you are required to fill out a tax return.

These details mean you may need to make quarterly payments to the IRS, you will need an Employer Identification Number, and the tax forms you need to fill out are different.

Quarterly Payments

If certain requirements are met, sole proprietors are required to make quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS. Failure to do so may (but does not always) result in the IRS assessing a penalty. You can use IRS Form 1040-ES – Estimated Tax for Individuals, to assess whether or not you meet these requirements, what amount these payments would be, and their payment due dates. Payments can be made regardless of whether or not they are required; they are accounted for on your tax return and will be returned if overpaid.

Employer Identification Number

Since you are technically a sole proprietor, you will need to file for an Employer Identification Number (EIN), to include on your form for paying employment tax. The process is completed online and is painless, but must be completed at least two weeks in advance of filing your tax returns if you want to file electronically.

Forms to Fill Out for Your Tax Return

- For federal tax returns, interns will be required to file:o The “long” IRS Form 1040 (NOT 1040-EZ)o Schedule C-EZ – Net Profit From Business (Unless an intern has the extreme misfortune

of accruing more business expenses than their paycheck [!!!], in which case Schedule C (NOT EZ) is required)

o Schedule-SE – Self-Employment Taxo A copy of any W-2s from previous employment during the year, h2o’s 1099-MISC, and

1099-R or 1099-G if applicable- For Ohio tax returns, interns will be required to file:

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o Form IT-1040EZ or Form IT-1040, depending on the circumstances (Likely EZ)o Form SD-100 – School District Tax, if the intern lives within the limits of Bowling Green

City Schoolso A copy of any tax document that lists state tax withheld

The extra work involved in handling these added tax returns is significant, and hiring a tax professional may very well be a good idea if you don’t feel comfortable preparing all this yourself.

IRS Links1040-ES – Estimated Tax for Individuals: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdfEIN Online Application: https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jspIRS eFile Options: http://www.irs.gov/Filing IRS Form 1040: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040.pdfInstructions for Form 1040: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040.pdfSchedule C-EZ: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sce.pdfInstructions for Schedule C-EZ: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sc.pdfSchedule-SE: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sse.pdf Instructions for Schedule-SE: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sse.pdfOhio Department of Taxation iFile: http://www.tax.ohio.gov/ohio_individual/individual/filefaster.aspx

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