Information and Help
General information
Information for Fulltime Christian Workers
Information for Volunteers
General Information
Features
What is TheGEOnction.net?
What is a Fulltime Christian Worker?
What is a Volunteer?
What is a partner organization?
Features
TheGEOnction.net offers the following features:
Database Search. When volunteers register, they provide information on their skills. Fulltime Christian Workers can search the database for the skills they need.
Quick Search. A Quick Search can be done on keywords. Use the drop-down select boxes to select keywords of interest. Use the 'OR' connector to find members with EITHER skill (longer list). Use the 'AND' connector to find members with BOTH skills (shorter list).
Advanced Search. Advanced search allows more database filtering. First, list skills of interest. Other filters can be used to locate members who are professionals or experts, who agree with GEO's Statement of Faith, who are in a specific locale, who are of a particular age, or who have been 'Verified' by GEO. There is also an option to search a volunteer's text résumé. A link to available keywords and other search terms is provided for reference, though Advanced Search is not limited to keywords.
Profile. Your registration profile can be viewed and updated at any time. If your email address changes, please contact GEO.
Contact. You can use the form provided to contact GEO with requests, suggestions, and other feedback.
Local and/or International Availability. Members may choose to make their skills available to international workers or to only their local organization (if registered through that organization).
What is TheGEOnction.net?
TheGEOnction.net is an online service for matching a need for expertise with volunteers able to meet that need. By agreeing to "Share What You Know", volunteers provide valuable information to Fulltime Christian Workers ministering to developing communities of people. This sort of volunteer work is done from home - normally by email or telephone - and involves a commitment of 10 to 15 minutes now and then.
What is a Fulltime Christian Worker?
For our purposes, a fulltime Christian worker is a missionary or humanitarian aid provider working fulltime, normally in a cross-cultural setting. TheGEOnction.net assists these workers by providing information needed to develop healthy communities.
What is a volunteer?
Volunteers are craftsmen, hobbyists, artisans, professionals, and students with expertise in some area that might be helpful to a Fulltime Christian Worker. Skills that help with agriculture, water, or health. Skills that could be used by the poor to earn an income. Skills useful for communication and relationship-building. And skills to help workers in their daily lives. Volunteers simply offer to share what they already know.
What is a partner organization?
A partner organization registers volunteers from within its own membership. Soon, TheGEOnction.net will provide partner organizations tools for searching the skills of their own members for local ministry. At the same time, volunteers who register through a partner organization are available to member Fulltime Christian Workers.
Information for Fulltime Christian Workers
What is a 'Verified' member?
How does the system work?
How involved will a volunteer become?
Can this service be used for recruiting or for raising financial support?
What is a 'Verified' member?
When a Fulltime Christian Worker joins, you join as an 'Unverified' member. Unverified members can search the database and use the forum boards. For security reasons, only Verified members may email volunteers directly from Search results. Unverified members can be networked to volunteers by contacting Global Economic Outreach. GEO will make the introductions. To become a verified member, download the verification package and send it to GEO for review. Likewise, a 'Verified' volunteer is one who has provided GEO with a package of information for review. Verified volunteers have no additional privileges in the database, but verification may provide you with some additional confidence regarding their beliefs and skill level. The fact that a member is 'Verified' only means GEO has received a package of information from that member. It does not mean GEO has done a thorough background check on the member or that we endorse the member.
How does the system work?
Suppose you are working with a people group and you are trying to build relationships and improve quality of life. You see a need, but don't have the expertise to meet that need. Use this database to find volunteers with the expertise you are lacking. While you understand the culture and are developing the relationships, use our volunteers to your advantage. Just search the database on keywords. If you are a verified member, you will be able to send an email to the members found by your search. Explain your project and the information you need. When the volunteers receive your email, they can reply to you, beginning a ministry partnership. If you are not a verified member, contact GEO and we will work to make the introductions for you.
How involved will a volunteer become?
This depends on the volunteer, the need, and the way things unfold. Some volunteers may help only by email or telephone. Some may help coordinate services from home. In still other cases, you both may find it necessary and desirable for the volunteer to travel to your location.
Can this service be used for recruiting or for raising financial support?
Under no circumstances should TheGEOnction.net be used for these purposes. This service is intended for sharing information only. Please report any abuses to GEO.
Information for Volunteers
What is a 'Verified' member?
What skills are needed? What should I list?
What information is needed?
Can this service be used for recruiting or for raising financial support?
What is a 'Verified' member?
When members first join, they are 'Unverified'. Verification for volunteers involves downloading a package from this site and sending it to GEO for review. Verification gives Fulltime Christian Workers some additional confidence in your abilities and beliefs. 'Verified' Fulltime Christian Workers are given the ability to email volunteers directly from the database (though they do not ever see your name, email address, or other contact information).
What skills are needed? What should I list?
All kinds of skills are needed. Workers located in remote areas have questions on almost any subject. Please focus on the subject you know most about; the thing that you could train someone else to do. This is more helpful than listing everything you have a little knowledge about. But do not make the mistake of thinking your area of special expertise is insignificant. Needlepoint, auto mechanics, environmental engineering, doll-making, computer repair -- all are valuable topics!
What information is needed?
When you join as a volunteer, you will complete a form asking for basic contact information (which can be accessed only by GEO and your organization, if you registered through a partner organization). We also ask for a list of keywords and some descriptive text. The keywords are very important and are the backbone of our database. List keywords that describe your primary expertise -- any word or combination of two or three words that someone can search on to find you. We suggest you start by looking at the words already in the database and use those, then add to them if necessary. New keywords will be added to the list automatically (after review by a GEO moderator). The text description is not searched but can be used by other members to get a more complete picture of your expertise. Use this area to add specifics and details about your knowledge and experience. It's like a resumé. CAUTION: This field is viewable by all members. Do not include any information you do not want made public (name, phone number, email address, etc.).
Can this service be used for recruiting or for raising financial support?
Under no circumstances should TheGEOnction.net be used for these purposes. This service is intended for sharing information only. Anyone abusing the service in this way will be blocked from its use in the future. Having said that, we share your desire for volunteers to become involved however the Lord leads. Once a relationship has been established and a volunteer has been involved in your project, it would not be inappropriate to invite him or her to join your team in the field or financially. Just no telespamming please.
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