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
Thriving Across Borders
This course covers the major transitions that someone will make when crossing cultures. We delve into the typical transition points…
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…
The Antioch Factor
Ross Paterson presents a stark choice that no Christian or church can avoid making – whether we become a Jerusalem…
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!
Miracles and Mission with David and Joyce Lamb
We were privileged to interview two legends in the Kingdom—David and Joyce Lamb. Their stories of divine provision, angelic encounters,…
Interview with Jennifer Bishop
Christine sits down for an interview with our own team member Jennifer Bishop. Jennifer grew up in Burundi and…
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…
The Missionary Time Forgot?
In our interview with our former co-worker in China, Bev Gigney, she shared a poignant story about losing a close friend…
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 –…
Don’t forget your fieldworker with Bev Gigney
Bev Gigney founded a children’s home called Dove’s Wings during her years serving in China, having had a clear…
Obedience & Family on the Field with Grant & Jean
Grant and Jean are missionaries from South Africa. In this interview, they share their journey leading to mission work in…
Blessed or Buried to Bless? | John 12
Ross looks at John 12:20-25 to discuss a secret to God’s blessing flowing through us to others, with two unusual…
Nations on the Doorstep with Peter Askew
Peter Askew serves cross-culturally in the north of England! His title is “Operations Manager for the Antioch Network Manchester”, an…
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….
Mother of Chinese House Church: Marie Monsen
Marie Monsen (1878-1962) was a Norwegian missionary who served in China between 1901 and 1932. Her life is an amazing…
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…
Article 4 of the Serampore Agreement
The original version: Fourthly. It becomes us to watch all opportunities of doing good. A missionary would be highly culpable…
A Single Seed Or Much Fruit?
I have recently shared two posts about a couple from Sweden, David and Svea Flood, who in 1921 went to the Congo (then the Belgian Congo,…
Resolution #4 – Make Friends with Those From Other Places And Cultures
Today we come to the fourth of Chuck Lawless’ ten New Year’s Resolutions that are intended to help us grow…
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…
John Nevius. He Also Got It Right!
John Livingston Nevius (1829-1893) was an American Presbyterian missionary to China during the nineteenth century. The story of how he…
Brad’s 23 keys To Being A healthy Cross Cultural Missionary
How to be a Healthy Cross Cultural Missionary? Here are some keys I’ve picked up over the years of being…
Your Choice – The Comparison Game Or A Unique Destiny – Easter Week Pt 12
This is part of our Easter week series from Ross Paterson’s daily devotional Facebook post. Like our page to keep up with…
D. E. Hoste: The Cambridge Seven’s Odd Man Out
D. E. Hoste (Dixon Edward Hoste, 1861-1946) was the odd man out amongst the Cambridge Seven. He was included in the…