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
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!
Calling – Who? What? Why?
In the church, there exists a widespread misconception that only “exceptional Christians” receive a “proper” calling from God. The truth,…
The Antioch Factor
Ross Paterson presents a stark choice that no Christian or church can avoid making – whether we become a Jerusalem…
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….
Thriving Across Borders
This course covers the major transitions that someone will make when crossing cultures. We delve into the typical transition points…
Growing in Cultural Intelligence
Know Thyself
This course explores the concept of understanding ourselves within the context of our own cultures. Before delving into how we…
Cross cultural marriage with Samuel Renling
We had the chance to sit down with Samuel and hear a little about his cross-cultural story. Hailing from rural…
Joseph #3: Learning in God’s School of Faithfulness
In this third talk on the life of Joseph, Ross looks at Joseph through the lens of three vital principles…
Prayer and Fasting – Choice or Mandate?
Ross discusses a difficult question – is fasting (as a part of prayer) an option or a necessity today?
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…
Quiet time 3: Elements of a Quiet Time
his is the final post in a 3-part series: Quiet Time 1: Importance of Quiet Time with God Quiet Time…
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…
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…
Overcoming Challenges with Alan and Jan Kilpatrick
Alan and Jan Kilpatrick have lived a wide-ranging and varied life in ministry and mission, most recently serving in Mozambique….
Hebrews 11: Are we walking in faith?
Ross looks at 4 keys to faith taken from the heroes of the faith described in Hebrews 11.
Joseph #6: Joseph and His Choices
In this 6th talk on the life of Joseph, Ross discusses the relationship between Joseph’s choice to avoid immorality and…
Article 7 – Part 2 of the Serampore Agreement
What happens after they believe in Jesus? Here we see the extraordinary level of care that Carey and his colleagues…
Mildred Cable Was Not Alone In China…
Mildred Cable’s remarkable story (see my blog about her) is not complete without mentioning the two sisters with whom she…
Chinese Missionaries to Europe?
ChinaSource recently commented that “despite Europe’s historical legacy as an active sender of missionaries, Europe nowadays should be considered as…
What does it take to send a missionary?
How can we support a person who has a burden for cross-cultural mission? The Called Individual The Pastor What Should…
A Marriage Made in Heaven? Adoniram Judson – Pt 2
Read Part 1 – The Struggle Following God’s powerful intervention in his life (see previous post) Adoniram Judson surrendered to…
Lilias Trotter – A Remarkable Missionary
Until recently, I had never heard of Lilias Trotter. She is a hidden but amazing person, like many missionaries. I…
Walter Medhurst – The First Generation
Walter Henry Medhurst (1796-1857), was an English Congregationalist missionary to China. He was one of the early translators of the…
The World on Our Doorstep
Not everybody is able to go on short-term mission trips to immerse themselves in a cross-cultural experience. But that doesn’t…
What should Christian discipleship mean to us?
Contents What is a disciple? ‘No Man is an Island’ Step-by-step Thoughts for reflection What is a disciple? In…
A Blind Girl At Her Door: Emma Ekvall
Emma Ekvall, 1870-1952, was a Swedish missionary to China. Reading ChinaSource’s article on her life written by Ray Smith, her…
