Culture shock, conflict, family struggles, burnout…
The list of challenges goes on.
Maybe you feel underprepared and unsure how to continue? Maybe you’re just worn out and need some fresh encouragement or support, or seeking answers on a specific issue?
You’ve come to the right place.
Orientation
Moving to another culture is a massive change, so the orientation season is all about arranging practicalities, adjusting and settling in.
Adjustment
Culture shock is real – and it’s tricky. Prepare yourself for the messy reality of it.
Settled
Connection
Returning
A Sender’s Role
Any fieldworker needs a great team of friends, family and colleagues supporting them. You have a huge part to play in ensuring their success. Check out what you can do to ensure your fieldworkers thrive!
- What your fieldworker needs from you now is continued encouragement and moral support.
- Often they will experience a honeymoon period of adjustment, which quickly passes as they realise the enormity of the challenge ahead.
- Continue the connection, reminding them how much everybody is celebrating but also missing them. Send encouraging words.
- It would be excellent if key members of the sending church undertook some basic cross-cultural training so that they can understand what the field worker is experiencing.
- They will then be equipped to recognise symptoms of culture shock and be able to encourage your mission partner with the words: ‘this is normal!’
- Ensure they know they have permission to be honest about their struggles.
- What a blessing when you start to see your mission partner finding their place in the new culture and functioning more effectively in the language.
- It has been such a LONG process for them to get to this point, so be sure and celebrate this as a ‘win’.
- Even now the ground may be hard and ‘results’ may take a long while to see. It is the Lord who will produce fruit in His time, so encourage the field worker to remain firm in Him and to persevere.
- Beware of bathtub syndrome – where interest in the missionary from those at home is only high at the beginning or end of their journey.
- Though they may be ‘out of sight’ keep them in mind! Stay in regular contact.
- The church must be proactive in coming alongside their mission partners, even at a distance
- Whenever a mission partner returns home, make plans to give them a resounding welcome! Be eager to hear reports from them.
- Allow them a buffer after the initial welcome to have some decompression time.
- Arrange a good debrief with a trained person, even if they don’t think they need one! This is a key to healthy processing of their experiences on the field.
- See our post-field resources for more details on what is next.
Get Equipped
Thriving Across Borders
This course covers the major transitions that someone will make when crossing cultures. We delve into the typical transition points…
Caring for Third Culture Kids
Currently in development, this exciting new course is created by our Dean of Studies, Ben Gilbert. British by birth, raised in India, with time living in Sri Lanka and the Middle East – the TCK experience is familiar to Ben, who is excited to share personal experiences, research and helpful insights for both TCKs, and those caring for them to thrive across cultures. Sign up to be notified when the course is released!
Developing Leadership for Cross-Cultural Ministry
Mission thrives on cultivating leaders who embody the life and character of Jesus, the most effective figure in history who…
Building a Support Ecosystem
In this course, we examine the different dimensions of support that are needed for a successful cross-cultural experience or lifestyle….
Growing in Cultural Intelligence
The Antioch Factor
Know Thyself
This course explores the concept of understanding ourselves within the context of our own cultures. Before delving into how we…
The Antioch Factor
Ross Paterson presents a stark choice that no Christian or church can avoid making – whether we become a Jerusalem…
7 Ways to Drop Your Call
Ross examines the vital question of ‘what do we do once we have a calling?’ The enemy will be determined…
Transforming Slums with Nicola Neal
When Nicola and husband Simon were called out of a comfortable life into the poorest communities, they had no idea…
Global humility – church planting and serving in Istanbul with Andy McCullough
Having grown up in Cyprus, being married to Jessica – who is South African – and with four children who…
Podcast: Cross Cultural Mission Experiences That We Can Learn From Abraham
Abraham, the father of our faith and of cross cultural mission! Hi, this is Ross Paterson, I’d like to take…
Equipping Burundi with Onesphore Manirakiza
Onesphore is the Burundian National Director of Great Lakes Outreach: greatlakesoutreach.org In this interview, Onesphore shares the story of his birth into…
Where the Holy Spirit is Free to Work
Ross explores the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, posing the question; ‘is there any area of our…
JO Fraser’s Challenge to us today
Listen to these lessons from the life of one of Ross’ missionary heroes, JO Fraser. An excerpt from Ross’ blog…
Are you a grumpy, happy or both?
Ross looks at two different kinds of believers – happies and grumpies – or are you both? Listen and analyse…
Waiting for God – James 5: 7-11
Ross Paterson’s sermon recorded for the pacesetters at Hinghwa Methodist Church, Singapore In this sermon, Ross examines James 5: 7 –…
Tackling Tough Topics with Elizabeth Trotter
Elizabeth and her husband Jonathan were missionaries to Cambodia. They returned to America during Covid lockdown in a sudden and…
Sharing from Ross: Thought for the day
Thought for the day: How important is the Bible to me? Acts 11:26 says: “So for a whole year Barnabas…
Hudson Taylor’s Two Burdens
“Hudson Taylor was wracked with doubt: he worried about sending men and women unprotected into the interior; at the same…
The Unlikely Impact of William Carey
“Young man, sit down! When God pleases to convert those who have never heard of Jesus Christ, He’ll do it…
St Patrick – The Early Missionary
Today, March 17th, is St Patrick’s Day. Patrick was an early missionary with a very unusual life, one that has…
“I never signed up for this…”
…and how to deal with it. Cross-cultural missionaries have families, who experience difficult emotions as a result of their loved…
Eric Liddell: A Scotsman Surrendered To God
Eric Henry Liddell (1902-1945) is best known as one of the heroes of the Oscar-winning film “Chariots of Fire”. The…
James Gilmour – God Hadn’t Called Him To Stay Home.
Having written recently about the lives of some of the New Testament colleagues of the apostle Paul, it’s easy to…
Rufus Anderson – Radical Missionary Thinker
It would be profitable in some ways for every prospective missionary to be shut in a room with Rufus Anderson…
Quiet Time 2: Should we follow a fixed structure?
This is the second in a 3-part series: Quiet Time 1: Importance of Quiet Time with God Quiet Time 2:…
Article 7 – Part 6 of the Serampore Agreement
Carey’s original important summary of article 7: A real missionary becomes in a sense a father to his people. If…