E-Connected Archive - July 2011
WHAT'S IN YOUR SUITCASE?
When we are travelling to the ends of the earth there are so many things that need to be squeezed into our bulging suitcases. Mosquito repellent, thermal underwear and diarrhoea tablets jostle for place with that must-read book and a special gift for a new friend. Yet being equipped for the journey is so much more than the careful packing of a suitcase.
How do we help people go from London to Lahore, or from Cardiff to Cairo? How can we journey well with people so they are fully equipped for the task that lies ahead? |
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Once people have started on their journey to the field we come alongside them and their church leaders to help them find all they will need to get there. At Frontiers our focus is on life-long learning for life-long ministry. It’s certainly not ‘one size fits all’. We know that each person is unique and is being prepared by God for the tasks He has created them for. We also know that the most significant learning takes place when we are asking the right questions. Often, we don’t know all the questions until we actually start doing the job. This is why we place huge emphasis on ongoing coaching, training and mentoring when people actually get to the field.
Yet there are still lots of ways that we can help people gear up for effective, fruitful work overseas while they are still here. We encourage everyone preparing for the field to identify someone, ideally from their local church, to be their personal mentor throughout the journey. Together we identify areas for growth and come up with a plan to address these in the context of this mentoring relationship. This ongoing equipping process will include regular meetings, with a chance to discuss areas for growth in spiritual maturity, character and ministry experience.
Just as most of us don’t need to use mosquito nets in England, there are some skills and experience that are unique to working amongst Muslims overseas. These include understanding how to share the gospel in a very different culture, how to teach the Word of God to people who can’t yet read or write, or ways to work well on a tightly knit yet culturally very diverse team. We host a number of training courses every year to begin to equip our workers in these areas as well recommending excellent books, talks and courses run by those who have ‘been there and done it’.
“We are a community that seeks to love God with BOTH our hearts AND our minds. Our quest is continually, “How can we do it better?” We are determined to be learners till the day we meet our Lord face to face. For that reason we believe in training before people go and when they get there” Greg Livingstone, Founder - Frontiers.