This web-based matching service is designed to serve both your organization and prospective candidates. Depending on how you take advantage of the powerful matching features offered here, your agency will be able to locate and contact those people who find your agency's vision and theatre of operation very compelling.
Ministry Responsibility
Each partner ministry is given a password-protected area. It is the responsibility of each partner agency to:
1) Enter a profile of your organization that is accurate and defensible. For example, if your agency does not normally use health care workers, do not claim that you do. A claim made merely for purposes of connect- ing with people will not serve you nor site users well.
2) Take the initiative to communicate your vision to candidates with a high-touch approach. Introducing potential candidates to you via the web site profiles is the completed task of the Finishers Project. You must do the recruiting. Everyone Jesus called, He called by eye contact. For best results, you must make personal contact. Simply forwarding literature by mail to each match will not likely serve a candidate nor your organization well.
3) Provide feedback as to how this web site - the information, the challenge, and the utility of this web engine - serves your organization. We listen to feedback. The Finishers Project is an open-handed ministry. We are anxious to improve the functionality of this web site to serve your organization and individual users better.
Key Contact Person
The choice of a "Key Contact" person for your organization is important. The email address for the Key Contact will be given to people who inquire about your organization. This address will also be used to send notices that new matches have appeared on the web site. If this becomes too much for one person, it is suggested that a generic mailbox be assigned (such as opportunities@myagency.org) that is accessible to any that are authorized to assist in recruiting.
Editing "Service Information"
On this form you will provide information about your organization - the vision, the regions of the world served, the length of assignments regularly offered (a few weeks, summer, full time, etc), a description of short-term and vision trips offered, and languages that might be useful.
You are responsible for the information in your profile being useful and accurate.
Editing "Ministry Preferences"
On this form you will provide information about the topes of ministries that your agency facilitates. This is used for matching purposes. These categories were taken from the Urbana list. If there are some missing or others that would be helpful to add, let us know.
You are responsible for this information being useful and accurate. Do not check boxes for ministry opportunities that leaders and regional recruiters in your organization would not recognize as being genuine opportunities offered by your agency.
Other Site Maintenance
As a partner, your organization is responsible for keeping the contact information accurate and notifying Finishers Project of any changes. You may add a logo on your information page, if you so desire.
The Rate algorithm is calculated by adding 20 points each for at least one match in five areas: Ministry Preference, Spouse Ministry Preference, Location Preference, Language and Length of Service. Thus, the ratings are at discreet levels of 100, 80, 60, 40 and 20 percent. This rating is highly imperfect, so use your own judgement liberally.
Order of Names
Names appear in the New Listings area and other folders are listed in order by percentage rating. Those with the same rate appear in alphabetical order by last name.
Name
Clicking on the hyperlink in the Name column will transfer to the individual's Personal Profile for viewing.
Email
Clicking on the Email address will allow you to send an email message directly to the individual if your computer is set up to do that. Not all people have access to email; thus, an address is not provided. They have most likely used another's computer to submit their Personal Profile.
Contact
This checkbox is simply an indication to you that this person has been contacted. It is a visual reminder to you that further follow up may be appropriate on your part. No action occurs from this web site when the Contact box is checked. After altering any of the Remind or Contact checks, click Update Contact/Remind so the web engine makes permanent note of the change.
Remind
This box will be filled anytime someone enters their name on the web site and there is a match. After you have reviewed the listing, the name can be Moved to: the Saved or Non-Active list. After altering any of the Remind or Contact checks, click Update Contact/Remind so the web engine makes permanent note of the change.
Note:
If any name in the Remind category is checked, periodic email notes will be sent to the key contact email address as assigned on the contact page for your agency.
Upon clicking a name link in the Name column, an individual's Personal Profile is displayed. If the entry is from a married couple, the profile of the person entering the information is displayed. This could be male or female. A link to the spouse's profile is available only from the page of the primary person.
Spouse Profile
The only way you can know if a name represents a couple is to view the individual profile. If married, a spouse's name will be given. Clicking the link on the spouse name will display information unique to the spouse, i.e., birth year and ministry preferences.
Missing Information
(Primary Person)
Certain fields will be missing if that field on an individual's profile is left blank. This includes information for:
Email address
Phone numbers and best time to call
Children and Grandchildren
Retirement and Available years
Time Commitment
Language
Financial Status
Church Attending
Denomination
Interested in selected agencies
Comments
Missing Information
(Person and Spouse)
Certain fields will be missing if that field on an individual's profile or a spouse's profile is left blank. This includes information for:
Divorce, and if divorced, Divorce Year
Earned Degree
Occupation
Formal Training
Informal Training
Profile Entry Date
The Personal Profiles are date stamped with the date of first entry and appear at the bottom of the profile. If a profile is modified by the user or by the Finishers Project office, that modification date appears just below the original entry date. If a user deletes their form, then re-enters it, the date of re-submission will appear.
This button transfers names that are "Selected" to the area indicated in the pulldown box immediately to the right of the "Move to:" button.
The choices are:
New Listings Area Saved Area Non Active Area Short-Term Area Long-Term Area N America Area Other Area
Selected
A Selected checkbox appears in front of each name. When checked, these names are Moved to a new area (see list above) or are "Deleted" depending on the action chosen.
New Listings
This area is where new matches will appear. They can be Deleted, kept on your New Listings page or moved to one of your other areas. It is recommended that your New Listings area be emptied each week so that only the newest matches appear each week.
Additional Folders
Additional folders, or areas, have been set up to help you organize your matches. They are: Saved, Non-Active, Short-Term, Long-Term, N America, and Other. To move matches to another area, check the "Selected" box to the left of the name(s), then select the folder in the dropdown box loacted to the right of "Move To". The "Move To" button only acts on those names that have the "Selected box checked.
Note:
A utility has been added to the "Saved" area that allows you to download to an excel spreadsheet for your data base. Please be aware that it is a strict violation of the terms of ministry partnership to use any contacts from the Finishers Project website for the purposes of fund raising.
"Delete" Button
Note:
The "Delete" button only acts on those names that have the "Selected" box checked to the left of the name.
After modifying the Contact and/or Remind checkboxes in the columns on the right, the "Update Contact/Remind" button is used to tell the server to remember the settings. If this button is not used, the Contact/Remind selections will return to their previous settings.
Note:
"Update Contact/Remind" button acts on all names regardless of whether the "Selected" box to the left of the name is checked.
This page allows for a quick selection by one criteria only.
Last Name
This choice will find and display all those in the database with the Last Name beginning within your chosen alphabet range .
Region of Ministry
This selection is to search for people who have indicated an interest in serving in the selected "Region of the World". Those who have indicated "No Preference" will not be displayed.
Time (Length of Service)
This selection is to search for those who have indicated the length of time they expect to serve initially. No other criteria is applied.
Language
Search here for those who have indicated a working knowledge of a particular language. This is a new field and is not populated with choices from entries before June 2001.
Desired Ministry Type
A selection here allows a search of those who have indicated some expertise in the chosen ministry area. This search is limited to only one area of interest chosen by you. Most will have selected other areas as well which you will be able to view on their profile sheet.
Note: We are open to adding more ministry areas; please let us know if there are other types of ministries that would be useful to include in this list.
If any part of the first or last name is added here, all those with any part of their name that match the selected string of letters will be shown on the response page.
Boolean Logic
"AND" searches mandate that users must meet all criteria specified "OR" searches mandate that users meet only one of the criteria specified.
The logic that has been used for the Advanced Search feature is AND for all categories and OR within a category. Example: If you select GA and FL under State, 1940-49 and 1950-59 under Age, and Single and Married under Marital Status, the search will find those living either in Georgia OR Florida AND those born 1940-49 OR 1950-59, AND those who are either Single OR Married.
Training
People who have indicated formal Bible training or the equivalent to 1 year of Bible training will be selected. Other criteria may be selected to narrow the search.
State
Some agencies draw predominately from their surrounding states. This section allows for that option. No selection in this category will provide you with names of people from all states as sell as those from other countries who have submitted their profiles on the website.
Age and Martial Status
These selections are relatively self-explanatory. However, note that selecting "Search those that indicate they have never been divorced" will show individuals who have not been divorced but may be married to a spouse who has been divorced. By making no selection in these categories the age or marital status is not considered in narrowing a search.
Citizenship
There are actually two fields - one for the primary person, and another for the spouse.
Unfortunately, this option was not available before March 2002 so the first 1800 entries in our dat base will not have made a selection in this field.
Financial Situation
Use great wisdom here. This information is requested to assist in evaluating a candidate. There is a common misconception that most "finisher"-age candidates are self-supporting. Our research shows that only about one-in-five meet this criteria in the general population.
