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
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…
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…
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…
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….
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…
Joseph #5: Joseph and the Goodness of God
Ross shares in this 5th episode, Ross talks about how Joseph laid hold of the promises of God and saw…
Ignorance is NOT Bliss
We had a fantastic launch event! We are so excited for this next season of FieldPartner, to see more people…
Repurposing Your Experience with Geoff & Jackie Bishop
Geoff and Jackie Bishop were missionaries for many years in Burundi, central Africa. In this interview, they share the events…
Where Should We Go Next? | Acts 2
Ross shares how the early church responded to the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.
Announcing the Field Partner Podcast!
We’re excited to launch the Field Partner Podcast, the latest addition to our resources. Listen here Why have you started…
Love, Loss and Laughter in Asia
We’ve been longing to share the story of the amazing Rod and Ruthie Gilbert with you. From meeting whilst Rod…
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…
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.
The TCK Experience with Ruth Van Reken
Christine interviews Ruth Van Reken, member care expert and world-renowned co-author with Dave Pollock of bestseller ‘Third Culture Kids‘. Learn…
A Lost Missionary Treasure
I have been a missionary for over 50 years, yet I have only just come across an extraordinary document called…
“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…
Timothy And “The P/T Test”
Having written about Demas, John Mark and Silas over the past three weeks, there has to be one more missionary…
The Short Missionary Service of Nellie and Topsy Saunders.
In one sense, there is not a great deal to say about Eleanor (Nellie) and Elizabeth (Topsy) Saunders. Their missionary…
Preparing for Cross Cultural Missions
1. How is your walk with the Lord? how are you doing with the Lord? Often I think of a…
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…
Each Meeting Was An Awesome Encounter With God: Pearl Young
When I searched for Pearl Young on the internet, I found that there is very little information about her. That…
Resolution #10 – Me, A Missionary?
Finally, almost a quarter of the way through 2024, we come to the 10th and last cross-cultural mission related New…
She Pursued The Purposes Of God
Lillian Trasher (1887-1961) was born in Florida. But having heard God’s call to Egypt, she founded an orphanage which, at…
Two Cultures, One Suitcase: Where Do Cross-Cultural Couples Go?
Two Cultures, One Suitcase: Where Do Cross-Cultural Couples Go? For cross-cultural couples, planning a holiday often means balancing traditions, family…