To best view our site, we recommend the newest versions of Firefox for the PC and Camino for the Mac.
Q: Will I be able to get in touch with my child during Real Ministry
Immersion (RMI)?
A: During La Vida and the Mexico City portions of the trip, it will be hard to
reach your child. However, there will not ever be a time that it would be impossible.
The Director is always available by phone and in the event of an emergency can make
arrangements for contact. While on the campus at Gordon-Conwell contact is reasonably
easy.
Q: What about students with health issues? Can they still participate with
the
La Vida component of RMI?
A: Each accepted student has to submit a certified physical examination form
from his/her own physician. This form will include a description of the program and
will require that the physician sign off on the student's ability to participate.
Questions and concerns will be addressed on a case by case basis. Keep in mind however,
that for most people, this program is completely achievable.
Q: Who pays for this program?
A: Each student contributes a certain amount toward the cost of the program
($700). This contribution
may be provided by the participating student, by the church, through fundraising
or through some combination of the above. The Lilly
Endowment partially funds the remaining portion of the program expenses.
Each student must provide his/her own transportation to and from Gordon-Conwell at the beginning and end of RMI. We encourage the local church body to support the youth they are sending in covering this cost.
Q: How long is this program?
A: The RMI experience lasts for 30 days.
Q: Will I be able to go home during RMI if I live nearby Gordon-Conwell?
A: The goal of the RMI experience is to create an intentional community. Therefore,
all students will be required to remain with the program for its entire duration.
Exceptions will be made for all participants in the case of extreme sicknesses, family
illnesses or other unforeseen emergencies.
Q: Can I drive myself to the RMI experience?
A: For the safety of you as students and safety for us as an institution, you
will not be permitted to bring a car to the RMI program. Again, this is for the purpose
of fostering community and encouraging as much interaction as possible among all the
students. Also, the Gordon College campus stays very busy during the summer resulting
in frequently overflowing parking lots.
Q: How old do I have to be to participate?
A: You must be entering your senior year of high school the fall after participating
in the RMI experience; so all applicants should be juniors.
Q: Who pays for this program?
A: Each student contributes a certain amount toward the cost of the program
($700).
This contribution may be provided by the participating student, by the church,
through
fundraising
or through some combination of the above. The Lilly
Endowment partially funds the remaining portion of the program expenses.
Each student must provide his/her own transportation to and from Gordon-Conwell at the beginning and end of RMI. We encourage the local church body to support the youth they are sending in covering this cost.
Q: How can I identify a Compass student?
A: We've outlined some important characteristics we feel Compass students
should have. Click here to learn
how to identify a Compass Student.
Q: What is RMI and how am I involved in it?
A: RMI stands for Real Ministry Immersion. It is a 27-day intense, communal
experience for high school students between their junior and senior year.
For
more information on what this involves, click here.
Your role as a pastor means you identify a student you feel would contribute
and benefit from this experience, and you will also be responsible for mentoring
this student over the next three years of their life. You will be asked to
help the student fill out the application form and if your student is accepted,
you
should plan to meet with them two or three times before the beginning of the
RMI. Finally, there should be a special service to commission your youth before
he or she participates in the RMI.
Q: If I am a male pastor, can I nominate a female student?
A: A male pastor is more than welcome to inform a female student about the program.
However, we strongly suggest that students be nominated and mentored by a leader of
the same sex.
Q: Who pays for this program?
A: Each student contributes a certain amount toward the cost of the program
($700). This contribution
may be provided by the participating student, by the church, through fundraising
or through some combination of the above. The Lilly
Endowment partially funds the remaining portion of the program expenses.
Each student must provide his/her own transportation to and from Gordon-Conwell at the beginning and end of RMI. We encourage the local church body to support the youth they are sending in covering this cost.
Q: What kind of commitment must I be willing to make and what if I am not able
to do so?
A: The crucial element of the Compass program is the ongoing mentoring, which
takes place with the Student and Pastor (person who nominates them) for three
years
after the RMI program. This entails constant communication and meeting between
the
mentor and protégé -in this case, yourself and the student you
are nominating. If you are not able or unwilling to make this commitment, we
ask that you find someone
else in your congregation who you feel could adequately handle this commitment
(elders, lay persons, associate pastors, etc.) We ask that you send us this
person's information
and if possible, they should write a letter of recommendation stating in that
letter
their commitment to this student.
Please let us know how we can make this page better for you. Click here to leave suggestions or feedback.
If you were unable to find something or were just frustrated with the page let us know. Or, if you found something incorrect or broken let us know. We will be unable to respond directly to your request but we will read each of them.