‘We asked some of our workers on the field how being in a team has impacted their ministry and lives’

MY TEAM MY FAMILY

I’ve often reflected that my team is my on-field family.  They’re the people I want to share news with, good or bad, because I know they’re interested in and aware of what’s happening in my life, as I am of theirs.  We pray together, plan together, celebrate together – and mourn together. 

When I was faced with the news that after 5 months of pregnancy our baby had died, there were many people we turned to, both in our host country and our home country.  There was an instinct to rush to the loving arms of family in England; the fact that I’m part of a team meant I didn’t have to leave the place I’m called to, to do that.  Being part of a team kept me on the field at this crisis time, where I could also share both my mourning, and my comfort and hope from the Lord, with the people to whom I’m called to witness. 

Paige in W. Asia

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I GAVE YOU A TEAM

I was becoming more and more exhausted as a team leader trying to keep up with everything, so I took a one-day retreat and cried out to God telling him how overwhelmed I was. After a while it seemed like He was saying simply, “I gave you a team, Jonno.” He was stating the obvious but as I listened relief flooded my heart.

As I started to write down the various tasks I do people came to mind who could take some of the load from me. The next time our team met together, I shared what I had been going through and what the Lord had done on my retreat. They enthusiastically started filling important roles that were actually strengths for them and weaknesses for me. The diversity of gifts on that team provided the kind of skill sets that were needed for different aspects and stages of our church-planting effort.

Soon God gave us the privilege of seeing the young churches begin to blossom.

Jonathan in Central Asia.