General policy

  Furlough is generally required for international employees. There are main purposes for it:

  1. Strengthening ministry financial support with individuals and churches by visiting and casting vision to ministry partners.
  2. Promoting international ministry needs.
  3. Physical, emotional, and spiritual rejuvenation, time with family, and reconnection with American culture.


Furlough is required in order to personally connect with ministry partners and maintain healthy financial support. 

The furlough time provided to international missionaries is six weeks per year of field ministry. Many find the healthiest frequency to be every two years (so typical furloughs are three months in duration). On a typical three-month home service leave, 8-10 weeks will normally be spent strengthening ministry support with individuals and churches and promoting the international ministry (MTD and recruiting). The remaining month may be divided among travel and vacation time for personal recuperation or spiritual preparation for the missionary and his/her family. Travel to and from the field is included in the furlough. The duration and frequency of furlough may be adjusted in coordination with the missionary's supervisor. No more than three years between furloughs will be allowed. First-term missionaries may be required to serve two years before a furlough in order to acclimate with their ministry culture. 

Frequency and duration



PTO during furlough

During furlough years, international missionaries are entitled to a minimum of 20 days of PTO (four calendar weeks), even if their tenure with Reliant would normally allow for only 15 days. These extra days are intended to support travel and adjustment needs during furlough. Common practice of most missionaries is to use 2-4 weeks of that PTO allowance during the 3-month furlough period. If missionaries would like to use their furlough PTO at another point in the year, they may coordinate with their local supervisors and shorten their home stays in correlation to that PTO. PTO days may be spent at the location of the missionary's choice. In the event an international employee does not take home-service leave, he or she should follow the policy in PTO.

Furlough approval

International employees must consult with their supervisors to determine an appropriate time for furlough in order to minimize disruptions to the ministry. Consideration will be given to families with school-age children who desire to coordinate their home service with school breaks. All furlough requests must be approved by a supervisor at least one month prior to the home-service departure date; however, Reliant recommends that furloughs are scheduled at least six months in advance. 

MTD review

In preparing for furlough, international employees should conduct a thorough review of their MTD statuses three months prior to departure and write a strategic plan for doing ministry team development while in the States. Employees may consult with their supervisors and MTD coaches for specific advice and direction about support strategies and a plan for their home-service leaves. A written copy of the MTD furlough plan and goals must be given to the supervisor and emailed or faxed to the International Liaison at Reliant at least one month prior to departure. International employees are responsible to raise the total amount of funds determined by Reliant to cover the salary and expenses required for their position.

Notify Reliant of arrival in the U.S.

International missionaries should confirm their arrivals in the U.S. within the first week of their returns to the United States on furlough. This can be done by email or phone. As an employer, Reliant is required to know that an employee is working within the U.S. Missionaries should inform the International Liaison of their travel plans and MTD goals. International employees are also strongly encouraged to visit the Reliant office in Orlando, Florida, during their home-service leave in order to strengthen relationships with the office staff.

Furlough expenses

Employee expenses incurred during the work portion of home-service leave are considered ministry expenses and are eligible for reimbursement according to Reliant's reimbursement policies. Such expenses may typically include employee airfare to and from the United States, transportation costs incurred while performing MTD, housing and food expenses (see Per Diem - U.S.). Some expenses incurred during home service (such as those for family members not employed by Reliant) may be considered taxable according to Reliant's reimbursement policies. Expenses incurred during the vacation portion of home-service leave are considered personal expenses and are not eligible for reimbursement.


Professional debrief

International missionaries are requested to schedule a professional debrief with the Missionary Resources Team during their furloughs. This is best done between the second and fourth week of furlough. It lasts approximately 90 minutes. The professional debrief allows the missionary to inform the Reliant team about successes, challenges and needs they experienced during their prior term. 


Forms to Complete

The furlough form and the travel notification form must be completed with all expected travel.




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See also: Travel Assistance insurance for ACE International Travel Assistance information

Are you a part of a country that has a totalization agreement? If you are a missionary in one of the countries listed in the Furlough Request, you may need to plan a 6-month exit from the host country every 5 years to comply with the agreement, Please contact hr@reliant.org if you have questions. 



Questions to help prepare for furlough

MTD

  • What is my MTD goal while stateside? How much do I hope to raise in (ex. recurring gifts?)
  • Are there MTD supplies I need to order prior to my arrival in the US?
  • What advance work can I do to set up appointments? Consider setting aside several evenings per week for the month prior to arrival for setting appointments. 
  • See Guide for Returning to Full-Time MTD and Returning to Full-Time MTD Resources 

  • Tips:

    • Begin thinking about MTD and your furlough about 6 months prior. Take those 6 months to "scrub" your Reliant donor data.
    • About 1-2 months prior begin planning and making contact to schedule appointments while stateside. 
    • Consider multiple communication tools, such as Skype, Facebook, Twitter, texting, email, etc. See Using Communications Media in MTD for more details.
    • Consider asking existing donors to increase their giving. 
    • Consider asking existing donors for help with transportation and housing. 

Personal

  • What are my housing and transportation plans?
  • Have I scheduled time for relaxation and refreshment? 
  • Some retreat centers are free to missionaries if you reserve them in advance. See Free Retreat Centers for more details. This is a great opportunity for your family to get away and do something relaxing for free.
  • Are there any specific areas I need to be praying through while on furlough?
  • What are my expectations when I come back with family and friends?
  • What is realistic?
  • Consider reading these Re-Entry Resources

Reliant Office

  • Consider visiting the Reliant office and schedule that visit prior to your furlough. Reliant Staff meetings are Tuesdays at 9am and the team loves to hear from our missionaries in those meetings.
  • Do I have specific questions for the Reliant office to bring up during my professional debrief? 

Sending Church

  • Are there any areas of concern that I need to discuss with my sending pastor/church?
  • What tools or support might I need from my sending church?
  • Do I feel I have a good level of support and/or communication from my sending church? 
  • What other support would I like to see?