MUT SMILE PROJECT [A Project of Missionary Upholders Trust - MUT] GUIDE LINES FOR OPERATION INTRODUCTION: This Scheme is introduced to help families of Christian workers to meet some of their common unmet need, especially in times of death of the worker. It works beyond all limitations and differences between organisations, regions, languages, denominations and ministries and aims to bring unity and oneness. While each Member Organisation contributes only a tiny sum on behalf of each of its Christian workers, the joint effort results in a sizable amount that will help a Christian worker s family facing calamity. OBJECTIVES: 1. To provide Bereavement Relief to the family of a deceased Member. 2. To provide assistance to meet some of the unmet needs of member Christian workers. 3. To encourage the spirit of mutual concern and oneness among Christian workers from various missions / churches / institutions / associations and to enable the missionary community to help itself. 4. To provide a common platform to mobilise prayer support and comforting communications within the missionary fraternity for the family of the deceased Member Christian worker. 5. To explore providing further support as and when they are found to be desirable and feasible. ELIGIBILITY: 1. Every Christian worker of a registered Christian mission-oriented organisation involved in evangelism, drawing individual monthly gross income of Rs. 15,000 /-* or less, is eligible to join this Scheme through the Member Organisation. (* subject to review once in every 2 years.).. 2. Spouse of a Member Christian worker is also eligible to join this Scheme if he/she is not holding a secular job. Guidelines for Operation 1/5
3. Age for admission: 18 years and above with an upper limit of 55 years. This Scheme is not applicable after the age of 65 years / retirement of the Christian worker. However, retired Christian workers can continue till they attain 65 years, provided the Member Organisation agrees to contribute/ remit contributions on their behalf towards this Scheme. 4. Only those organisations having a minimum number of 10 applicant Christian workers shall be eligible to join this Scheme. 5. Enrolment shall be made against declaration in the forms prescribed (MS-05, MS-06), together with the enrolment fees for each Christian worker by the Member Organisations. GUIDELINES FOR OPERATION: 1. Organisations which intend to join the MUT SMILE Project shall send an application on its letterhead along with Data Sheet on the organisation (MS-03), two letters of recommendation (MS-04) from IMA, EFI or existing member missions/organisations of MUT, and supporting documents as mentioned in MS-03. The application will be scrutinised by the MUT SMILE Administrative Committee which shall inform the applicant organisation on the result. 2. On selection for admission the organisation shall pay a non-refundable enrolment fee of Rs. 50/- for each Christian worker. This will form the corpus of the MUT SMILE Project. The organisation shall be considered as a full member only after this payment. Member organisations may now send nomination details (MS-5) for each Christian worker and family details (MS-06). 3. Member organisations will send Rs. 10 per month per Christian worker to MUT SMILE towards Bereavement Relief. 4. When any Christian worker covered under this Scheme dies, his / her Member Organisation intimates MUT SMILE within 10 days, and MUT SMILE will flash the same to all Member Organisations within 10 days of receipt of this intimation. MUT SMILE will authorise the concerned member organisation to disburse Rs. 5000 to the nominee of the deceased Christian worker to meet the funeral expenses. MUT SMILE will then send Rs. 1,10,000 (Rupees one lakh and ten thousand) to the nominee of the deceased Christian worker as Bereavement Relief. MUT SMILE will also reimburse the member organisation towards the above amount of Rs. 5000 towards funeral expenses. 5. Full details about the deceased Christian worker s life and work, along his / her photograph and a copy of the death certificate, and details of bereaved family members along with contact address will also be furnished by the Member Organisation within 30 days from death, for information and prayers by fellow workers. MUT SMILE will circulate these details within 30 days of receipt to all the Member Organisations. 6. Member Organisations may send in requests for the use of the MUT rest house facilities by their Christian workers and their families, and for participation in the training Guidelines for Operation 2/5
programmes organised by MUT for the member Christian workers. 7. Member Organisations are the vital links between their Christian workers and MUT SMILE in all the activities listed above, and will take direct responsibility for sending the Bereavement Relief contributions for their Members. Member Organisations will also keep MUT SMILE informed about the status of its member Christian workers regarding leaving or joining the organisation. It may be noted that only member Christian workers currently working in the member organisation and those whose names are in the list available at the time with MUT SMILE will be eligible for the benefits under this Project. DELISTING: Since the successful operation of this Scheme rests mainly with the positive and active role to be played by the Member Organisations (along with MUT SMILE), the following steps will be resorted to, in the unlikely event of recurrent lapses on their part, which may affect the Christian workers of fellow organisations: A. Member Organisations which have not sent the amounts to MUT SMILE as per above stipulation, will be reminded periodically by MUT SMILE. B. Member Organisations, which have not sent the dues on behalf of their Christian workers for more than 3 months, will be given a final reminder. If they do not comply with this within the next 30 days, their names will be reviewed by the MUT SMILE Administrative Committee for removal from membership of the MUT SMILE Scheme. C. Re-entry of such defaulting Member Organisations will be considered by the MUT SMILE Administrative Committee only on payment of the outstanding dues for the lapsed period, along with a re-entry fee calculated @ Rs.50 /- per Member Christian worker. D. No Bereavement Relief claim is tenable for Members of such Member Organisations during the period from the date of delisting, to the date of re-enrolment. Christian workers of Member Organisations become Members of this Scheme from the date of receipt of their applications forwarded by their Organisation along with enrolment fees received at MUT SMILE. Withdrawal from this Scheme by a Member Organisation will become effective from the date of receipt of intimation by the Member Organisation at MUT SMILE, without any further liability on the part of MUT SMILE. Guidelines for Operation 3/5
ASSURANCE: 1. The Nominee (person nominated by the deceased Member Christian worker) is assured of a total sum of Rs. 1,10,000 /-, if the Member dies while in service. This amount will be paid as a deposit under Post Office Monthly Income Scheme or a Fixed Deposit for a period of 1 year, in any Nationalised Bank / Scheduled Bank (preferably with a Branch at Bangalore), chosen by the Nominee. The Nominee has the option to avail of the Finance Management Assistance provided by MUT SMILE for such investments. 2. In addition, a funeral assistance amount of Rs. 5,000/- drawn from contributions of MUT SMILE donors will be paid immediately on receipt of death intimation at MUT SMILE. 3. The bereaved family is assured of prayer support from fellow Christian workers and Friends of MUT. ADMINISTRATION: The MUT SMILE Scheme operates through a MUT SMILE Administrative Committee consisting of members representing MUT, Member Organisations and supporters. While nominating the Members of the Administrative Committee, care will be taken to see that each individual meets the following requirements: A. S/he should have a born - again experience. B. Believes in prayer and has a concern for missions in India and for the unreached people groups in India. C. Is actively involved in the support of the missionary movement in India, raising prayer and finance support. D. Possesses biblical values and believes in functioning beyond caste, region, language, and church denominational differences. The term of each Committee Member will be 3 years which can be extended by a maximum of one more consecutive term. One third of members will step down every year. The Committee Members will elect the Office Bearers, viz., Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The MUT SMILE Administrative Committee will meet at least once in three months. All major / policy decisions of this Committee will be referred to MUT Board for its approval. The MUT SMILE Administrative Committee is responsible for the following: A. Admission / delisting / readmission of Member Organisations. B. Decision on eligibility of Christian workers of a Member Organisation to join the project. C. Receipt and disbursement of funds. Guidelines for Operation 4/5
D. Administration of the office including appointment of office staff. E. Communications with the Member Organisations / new organisations seeking admission / IMA / EFI. F. Management of the administrative expenses within the budget approved by MUT. G. Recommend enhancement of MUT SMILE fee and the benefit amount for decision by MUT. H. Decisions in case of dispute related to the operation of MUT SMILE Project. I. Maintenance of all records and subjecting them for inspection and audit as directed by MUT. FINANCIAL POLICIES: 1. The MUT SMILE bank account shall be operated from Bangalore. The signatories will be the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer of the Scheme. Any two of the signatories will operate the account. 2. The account statement shall be presented to the Administrative Committee during every meeting. 3. The contributions collected from Member Organisations against death of a Member Christian worker will be used only for payment of assurance amounts to the Nominees of the deceased Member Christian worker. 4. The auditing of accounts shall be carried out by the MUT auditor and incorporated with MUT account. 5. The audited statement of MUT SMILE shall be furnished to all Member Organisations for their information. 6. Travel expenses incurred by Administrative Committee Members to attend its meetings will be reimbursed by MUT SMILE to the extent of II class sleeper train. For further information please contact: Pastor Robert D Roza, Missionary Upholders Trust SMILE C/o Hope Ministries, # 865, Kammanahalli Main Road, Bangalore 560033 Tel. 080-25472738/65592777 Email. mutsmile@airtelmail.in Guidelines for Operation 5/5