Getting Started
Email addresses, website bio, and more...a myriad of steps to getting started. We will guide you through them, don’t despair!
Setting up Accounts
Your JV HR Rep has emailed you all the information you need to set up your JV Google email address, Google Shared Drive, SOLA financial portal access (see your donations and JV account balance), JV Communication Center, JV Hub, JV Human Resource site, and the JV Prayer Room. It is important to get your JV email address set up because that is the one everyone will be using to contact you.
If you are having trouble accessing any of these sites, let your JV HR Rep know right away.
Initial Steps before Raising Support
Bio
Other than your budget, working on your picture and bio for the JV website is one of the first items you will want to work on. Having you listed on the JV website will assist people in learning more about you and your ministry, along with validating your service with JV. The JV website bio also provides the opportunity for donors to give online by credit card or through their bank.
Follow the guidelines listed in the JV Website Bio & Picture Instructions.
You can start raising support before your support letter is ready!
Support Letter
Your support letter provides a great opportunity to tell your story about how God led you to become a JV missionary and the great need for you to serve in your particular country. JV is here to help you accomplish this goal. All support letters are designed by the JV Communications team, and the end result will be a high-quality letter.
But it will first start with you! You should write your support letter draft in a Google doc set up by your JV HR Rep. Let her know when you have finished writing the letter and she will start the editing process for you (editing the story content and then grammar & design).
During the editing process, we suggest you gather the high-resolution pictures you want to include in the letter so you will be ready to place the order once your letter has been approved.
Click here to find the Support Letter Guidelines and Support Letter Sample. Both of these can be found in your personal JV Google Shared Folder.
Bootcamp
Everyone needs help in knowing how to develop a spiritually healthy, vision-driven approach to funding their ministry. JV uses a course called “Bootcamp” by Support Raising Solutions to help you accomplish this goal. In the course, you will learn the biblical basis for support raising and how to develop a healthy and vibrant support team that will be a long-lasting part of your ministry. Your JV Ministry Partner Development coaches will discuss the details of this course and the timing of when to register.
Click here to find out more about Bootcamp.
Required reading - The God Ask
MIT Kit
Because JV believes in you and wants to help you get started, we will send you a Premium MIT (Missionary in Training) Kit at a $200 discount. This is JV’s gift to you! The MIT Kit includes high-quality professional JV materials like your support letter, prayer card, response slips, envelopes, brochures, etc. All of these will greatly assist you in your support raising venture.
Once you have completed the support letter editing process, your letter has received official approval, and you have your pictures ready, you may place your order for the MIT Kit on the JV Communication Center. Printing will usually be done in the United States and the cost will be billed directly to your JV ministry account. We understand you may not have sufficient funds in your account yet, but realize this may be necessary in order to start raising support. This is the only reason your account may have a negative balance for a short period of time.
At this time you will also place your order for your prayer card and response slips to send with your support letter. The Prayer Card/Response Slip Picture Guidelines and the Prayer Card Samples will be of great assistance in making sure these items are ready to be ordered.
Here is a link to a listing of what is included in the MIT Kit and a link to the JV Communication Center to place your MIT Kit order (use the Sign in with Google).
Financial Matters and Systems
Budget
You have received a copy of your budget. We ask that you take some time to look it over and gather any questions you may have. Your JV HR Rep and country uplink will discuss it with you to make sure everything is in order. Upon receiving final approval, you will know how much support you will need to raise.
To help you get familiar with the budget, here is a brief explanation of the different sections:
- Personal – This section is what will be used to determine your estimated salary.
- Ministry – The items listed in this section are the ministry expenses you will incur and need to raise support to cover.
- Outgoing – The first three lines refer to your training/support raising expenses. The other items are what you will need to get you set-up overseas. Shipping, setup, and vehicle are considered personal expenses that are subject to payroll tax. We have estimated how much that will be.
- Totals to Raise -
- Total Monthly Needed - is the amount that needs to be raised for your personal and ministry needs.
- Total Outgoing – is the total one-time funds to raise.
It is also important to understand that the amounts listed in columns C, D & E are the standards we use for determining your personal budget amounts listed in columns G.
If you have any questions, be sure to ask. We want you to understand this budget and be able to know how to explain your financial needs to potential members of your support team.
ExpenseWire
JV uses ExpenseWire as our online ministry expense reimbursement system. You may choose to pay for some support raising expenses with personal funds, but you may want to be reimbursed for larger ministry expenses like training costs, flights for training, support raising travel, etc. Your JV HR Rep will set up a time for training on the ExpenseWire system.
Chapter 5 of the JV Staff Handbook will provide basic details associated with ministry expense policies and procedures. In addition, the Expenses - Ministry or Personal will provide a quick guide when wondering what is considered a ministry expense.
SOLA
Are you wondering how you will know what donations are received toward your ministry or how to check your JV account status? SOLA is a secure place where you will find this and much more about your JV financial information! You can also access this site through the JV Hub.
Your JV HR Rep will provide basic training on SOLA, and we also provide Sola Tutorial Videos for additional information on navigating the system.
If you have any questions, be sure to contact your JV HR Rep.
HRM
JV uses the OrangeHRM system for our human resource information. When logging in, it is easiest to use the Google login option, alleviating the need to remember a password. We all have enough passwords to remember!
Annual reviews, vacation requests, and the JV Directory are found on this site. To learn more about how to navigate the HRM system, please watch the JV Orange HRM tutorial videos.
JV Prayer Room
What is the Prayer Room
We hope you have already joined us in the JV Prayer Room. It has been exciting to see how many of our staff, supporters, and other individuals around the world join us in praying for the ministry of Josiah Venture. To enter the Prayer Room, use the Prayer Room link above, click on My Account, and log in with your JV Google login. Please let your ministry partner team know this is available for them too.
Contributing to the Prayer Room
Once you have your bio/picture posted on the JV website, you may begin adding your prayer requests for the Prayer Room. To enter your prayer focus and personal prayer requests just go to the JV website, sign in as a Staff Member (JV Google option), click on My Account and choose Prayer Room Entries. Click on the links provided for additional instructions.
Please be sure to enter your requests so people around the world can be praying for you!
Thinking of Leaving
We know you are just getting started with JV, but may already be thinking of how you can prepare to make a move overseas and what you should take with you, and what should be left behind. That can seem like an undaunting task! We recommend you first read the JV Pre-Field Handbook. Then you may want to start thinking of categorizing your things as to what you want to “take”, “sell”, or “give away.” More will be said about shipping later in the Departing section, but it may be helpful to read the To Ship or Not to Ship, Pre-Field Preparation, and Preparation for Departure Checklist to help you think ahead to what you will need to work in the future in order to be prepared once you have raised your support.
