Discerning and pursuing your calling can be a confusing process.
It may be long or short. However our hope is that, by the time you leave, both you and your support team will be prepared to keep you there for the long haul!
Calling
If you feel any kind of calling to work cross-culturally, we suggest seeking early endorsement from the leadership in your local church. Our calling mini-course will help you!
Confirming
Take time to process and test the calling. Don’t do this alone! Look to your church, loved ones, and other trusted voices.
Equipping
Practically prepare for the road ahead. We strongly advise taking cross-cultural training. Our own Crossing Cultures 101 courses will give you key foundations.
Resourcing
Commissioning
Leaving is a process, not a single event. How are you preparing for a smooth transition? We’d advise building a RAFT and ensuring everything practical is ticked off.
On-Field
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!
- A church should establish a discernment process for anybody who may feel a call to work cross-culturally.
- The call needs to be tested, and the candidate’s maturity and readiness need to be assessed
- The church’s role is critical – sadly many missionaries who end up leaving prematurely for preventable reasons should never have gone in the first place!
- Give opportunities for the candidate to learn by serving and leading in the church.
- Ensure good mentoring is in place for the candidate. Make use of people with prior cross-cultural or mission experience.
- Consider mentoring for practical skills such as financial management or pastoral care.
- This is a season of practically preparing for the road ahead
- Choices need to be made about an agency or a process for training and equipping. Ideally, the church leaders would walk alongside the candidate through this.
- We strongly recommend the raising of personal support teams by the candidate and the church’s backing in that endeavour would be important.
- If the church endorses, hopefully they will also partner with the pre-field missionary in the matter of financial support.
- Clarify the level of support required with the field worker and consider how the church can support through the process of fundraising beyond providing money.
- Remember it is much easier for others, particularly those in authority in the church, to advocate for their financial support than for the candidate to do that on their own behalf!
- Read Acts 13. You will see that this is more than just a rousing send-off, with a ‘goodbye’, at the end. The sense of still belonging, even when serving at the other end of the world, is so important.
- Maintaining that connection through thick and thin might make all the difference between success and failure.
- Encourage the field worker to maintain the connection to the church – and make sure you do too!
- See our on-field resources for more details on what is next.
Start Your Journey
Here are some useful materials for you
Calling – Who? What? Why?
In the church, there exists a widespread misconception that only “exceptional Christians” receive a “proper” calling from God. The truth,…
Growing in Cultural Intelligence
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!
The Antioch Factor
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…
Cross-cultural marriage
The Antioch Factor
Ross Paterson presents a stark choice that no Christian or church can avoid making – whether we become a Jerusalem…
Thriving Across Borders
This course covers the major transitions that someone will make when crossing cultures. We delve into the typical transition points…
Finding Treasure in all the Bible – 2 Kings 15
Loren Cunningham (1935-2023) became the first missionary to go to every nation in the world with the last country visited…
A Heart for the Unreached with Dr Mary Ho
Dr Mary Ho serves as the International Executive Leader of All Nations International, a global Christian missions organization. In this current…
Joseph #4: The Lies of Joseph’s Brothers
In this 4th teaching on the life of Joseph, Ross discusses the lies of Joseph’s brothers that they lived with…
Working from a Place of Rest
FieldPartner was proud to host this event with Tony Horsfall. ‘Working From a Place of Rest’ asked the important question:…
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…
Protected: Interview with James Goss
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Deported from China with Greg and Lisa
For security reasons, we can’t show you Greg and Lisa’s faces. But they have a story that is well-worth hearing….
The Privilege of Being a Sending Church
Guest Blog by Michael Prest from UFM. I wonder what springs to mind when we think of sending and supporting mission…
Mission Kid to Pioneer with Brad Thurston
Check out Globe Mission here. See our other partners. A fascinating interview with Brad Thurston, one of the early collaborators…
Hannah #1: Four bad and one good path
Ross talks about Hannah in 1 Sam 1.
A Missionary Hero With A Traumatised Heart
Wilhelmina “Minnie” Vautrin (1886-1941) was an American missionary in China for 28 years, working as an educator and for a…
Loren Cunningham – The Man Who Deregulated Christian Missions
Loren Cunningham (1935-2023) became the first missionary to go to every nation in the world with the last country visited…
Resolution Number 3 – Pray For An Unreached People Group
The third of Chuck Lawless’ ten New Year’s Resolutions, all of which relate to cross-cultural mission, says: “I will learn…
George Stott – A One-Legged Scottish Missionary to China
George Stott (1835-1889) was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China with the China Inland Mission. When Stott arrived in…
What Cross-Cultural Couples Wish They Knew Before Saying “I Do”
The hidden challenges in cross-cultural relationships Cross-cultural marriages are often celebrated for their richness and diversity, but behind the beauty…
Lessons we can learn from the life of Joseph (Part 5 & 6)
Cross-cultural lessons from the life of Joseph: #5 – FQ (The ‘Forgiveness’ quotient). Joseph forgave his brothers in spite…
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…
A Missionary With A Different Vision
William A.P. Martin, 丁韪良 , (1827-1916), was an American missionary who served for 62 years in China between 1850 and…
J.O. Fraser – Two Men On A Journey.
Below are some notes to accompany my sharing in the video clip on our Facebook Page, speaking of a common…
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…