Transitions are tough.
Post-transition can be even tougher.
Whether you’re returning home temporarily or permanently, equipping yourself for the process will make a such a difference, and prepare you for whatever is next.
Re-entry
Whether returning home temporarily or permanently, you need to be prepared for a season of transition – and all the challenges that brings!
Debrief
We strongly recommend a debrief, even informally, as a way of processing your time spent in another cultures.
New Season
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!
- Please don’t view the missionary’s return as an event, but rather as a process that may be difficult for them.
- Reverse culture shock (or ‘re-entry stress’) can be as difficult, or even harder, for returnees to navigate than the original culture was! Often that is because it is unexpected.
- Be prepared to love and welcome the returnee home, even if they appear ‘difficult’ as they struggle with this phase.
- An ‘end-of-term’ debrief may have been given by their agency while still on the field, but a ‘returning home debrief’, around 6 weeks after the return may also be a welcome addition.
- This could be an informal, open-ended question, ‘interview’ style to allow the returning field worker to process their thoughts and feelings.
- A debrief can be useful, even for a temporary trip home to address issues that may be under the surface.
- Returning field workers will have experienced and learnt a vast amount, more than can be summarised in a mid-service update interview or a polite question over coffee after a service!
- A perceived lack of interest in this may lead to feelings of disappointment or offence for the returning field worker.
- Consider how you can communicate that their story and experiences matter, and how you can allow them to share them in an unpressured environment. Ensure the worker’s PACTeam is on hand to spend time with and support them.
- This may feel like a repeat of the pre-field sending out, but making the effort to mark the occasion and commission a returning fieldworker will ensure they feel supported.
- Be sure to surround them with prayer and encouragement.
- Commit to keeping engaged with them and track how they are doing over the early weeks especially. Make sure their PACTeam does not disband too soon – not until they are fully settled back and re-integrated in the community.
- A new season of belonging and of continuing service is what we should hope for when a mission partner returns home for good.
- Support them practically as they settle back in.
- Consider how you can involve this returning field worker in the church’s life – they have a wealth of experience and wisdom they can contribute!
Get Equipped
Here are some useful materials for whichever stage you are in
The Antioch Factor
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…
Calling – Who? What? Why?
In the church, there exists a widespread misconception that only “exceptional Christians” receive a “proper” calling from God. The truth,…
Know Thyself
This course explores the concept of understanding ourselves within the context of our own cultures. Before delving into how we…
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…
The Antioch Factor
Ross Paterson presents a stark choice that no Christian or church can avoid making – whether we become a Jerusalem…
Zechariah gets a second chance | Luke 1
Ross shares from in Luke 1 about Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and stresses that our God is…
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…
The Syro Phoenician woman
This sermon is by Ross Paterson on the Syro Phoenician woman from Matthew 15. Explore more sermons on our YouTube Channel.
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…
Addressing the Gaps with Henry & Betsy
Henry and Betsy are key partners with us in FieldPartner. In this interview they share their experiences of coming to…
Get Ready to be Shaken
Ross looks at what the Bible says about the end of the world, and how the Bible tells us to…
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…
Interview with Jennifer Bishop
Christine sits down for an interview with our own team member Jennifer Bishop. Jennifer grew up in Burundi and…
Interview with Ross & Christine Paterson
Enjoy the wisdom and inspiration of over a century combined missions experience, as we sit down with our founders, Ross…
Radical Prayer with Katie Chen
Scroll down for podcast options! < After being baptised at only 5 years old, Katie felt a clear calling…
The Orphan Who Gave to Mission.
Nettie McCormick had a less than ideal start to life. Born Nancy Maria Fowler in 1835, her father, Melzar Fowler,…
The Struggle – Adoniram Jason – Pt 1
Adoniram Judson (1788-1850) was an American missionary who served in Burma (Myanmar) for almost forty years. When Judson began his…
The Beauty of Collaboration
I recently received an update from a soon-to-be partner and found that they were starting to offer online options for…
Seven Lessons From The Life of Lilias Trotter
I previously wrote about Lilias Trotter. This remarkable sister merits a second look, because there are important, even success-defining, lessons for…
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…
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…
Introducing The Antioch Factor
5 talks of The Antioch Factor In these 5 talks Ross shares his life’s message. He shares concerning what the…
When My Own Abilities Aren’t Enough – Thoughts on Mark 16:15
I stood trembling in front of the gathered assembly in Ludwigshafen. It was the summer of 1978, and I was…
Paul’s New Year ‘Resolutions’!
Philippians 4:10-23 contains two wonderful challenges for 2023! 1. Challenge #1 for 2023. Paul had learned the secret of contentment….
J.O Fraser – The Respect Factor
In this week’s sharing, which you can find on our Facebook page, I pointed to three areas where J.O. Fraser,…
