TEAM Christian Missions Blog

Exploring cross-cultural ministry around the globe.
1
Together for the Gospel: Praying for Asia
2
Walking the Path Together
3
A Year of War: 5 Ways to Pray for Ukraine
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From Home Office to Mission Field: A Lesson in God Dependence
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Defined by Christ: A Call to Prayer
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Sunrise on a New Beginning
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January Prayer Focus: Anti-Trafficking Ministry Around the World
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From Mission Field to Missionary Force
9
Looking Back on Stories from 2022: God’s Work Continues
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December Prayer Focus: Pray for TEAM, Behind the Scenes!

Together for the Gospel: Praying for Asia

Three boys on a motorcycle.
Over half the world’s population lives within a 2,500 mile radius of Yuxi, a city in southern China. For this month’s Prayer Focus, please join us in praying for Gospel reach in Asia.

With concerns over aerial surveillance, military aid to Russia, and increasing tensions with Taiwan, it seems that China is constantly in the news. Asia as a whole remains largely in the throes of economic upheaval caused by supply-chain disruptions and other aftershocks of the pandemic.  And yet the Gospel spreads. Christianity grew twice as fast as the general population in Asia during the 20th century, and that trend continues in the 21st. According to sources cited in this article from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, Christians now make up 8.2% of people living in Asia.   How can we, as the global…

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Walking the Path Together

Missionary man with local villagers.
Deep generosity prompted local believers to invite TEAM into a partnership to provide better access to a Gospel training center.

In this series of TEAM Ministry Updates, we’re sharing stories that highlight each of TEAM’s defining values. The following narrative is shared by a TEAM Asia global worker as an example of the value of “Church Focus.”  As the motorbike bumped and slid over a rough and muddy track, I was doing my best to contain my emotions. On one hand, I was partially terrified of falling off and being injured in a very remote part of southeast Asia with medical help at least a half day away. Simultaneously, I was excited. This trip was the culmination of several years…

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A Year of War: 5 Ways to Pray for Ukraine

This guide to prayer was written by a TEAM global worker who is serving on the “frontlines” of ministry to Ukrainian people.  It’s hard to believe that this week marks a full year since Russia invaded Ukraine. No doubt you’ve likely heard heartbreaking stories of millions fleeing for safety, fathers separated from their families, horrific massacres of civilians, and utter desolation in cities. How can we as the global body of Christ respond to such suffering and grief? The biggest way is by bearing the burdens of Ukrainians this week as we mark a year of pain and a year…

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From Home Office to Mission Field: A Lesson in God Dependence

Gooding Family
Doug and Becca Gooding and their children, Nathan, Jonah, Tirzah, and Sam have answered God’s call to serve in a unique way.

  Over the next several months of TEAM Ministry Updates, we’ll be sharing stories that highlight each of TEAM’s defining values. Today we’d like to introduce you to the Gooding family. Their journey toward overseas ministry in Japan is marked by the value of “God Dependence.” Here is their story. Meet the Goodings In missions organizations like TEAM, it’s quite common for global workers to transition from a ministry post overseas to a position with the organization’s home office. It’s not as common for the opposite to be true. But our God has a wonderful way of revealing His plan…

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Defined by Christ: A Call to Prayer

What defines you? In 2023, it’s a popular question. We all seem to be trying to wrap our minds around the question of identity – that which defines us. As followers of Jesus, we want our identity to be rooted in Christ. To that end, TEAM, as an organization with many members, has defining values that anchor us.   But it’s important that these values aren’t just platitudes that we post on a webpage and then go about our business. For these concepts to truly define us as missional workers and as disciples of Jesus, they need to be lived out…

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Sunrise on a New Beginning

Sunshine through the city buildings in Italy.
“Alba” in Italian means “Sunrise.” And that’s just what the Alba Safe House and Recovery Program in Italy is all about…the sun rising on a brighter day for women in need of a new start.

For many of us, when we think of Italy, we envision the breathtaking architecture, stunning landscapes, and incredible food. But what we may not know is that Italy is also home to a subculture that can be cruel to the weak and vulnerable.   Prostitution is legal in Italy, and the infrastructure for social services is sparse, even for its own citizens. For these reasons among others, Italy is an epicenter for sex trafficking. The result is a sea of women, many of them foreigners in a country far from their own. They are trapped in the sex industry but…

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January Prayer Focus: Anti-Trafficking Ministry Around the World

Girl looking straight ahead.
"What was broken in relationship can only be healed in relationship." These words are the hallmark for TEAM’s anti-trafficking ministries.

According to the Human Trafficking Hotline, there are over 40 million victims of trafficking worldwide. TEAM is acutely aware of the global crisis of sex trafficking and we thank God for opening doors to anti-trafficking ministry opportunities in various regions.  For this month’s Prayer Focus, we invite you to join us in praying for anti-trafficking ministries and those they serve in these specific ways:  1. PRAY for global workers to find and connect with those in need in a post-COVID climate.  In many areas, especially in places where prostitution is legal, it was relatively straightforward prior to the pandemic to…

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From Mission Field to Missionary Force

Man speaking at a missions conference.
Today’s cross-cultural missions are marked by a movement “from everywhere, to everywhere.”

The auditorium of Iglesia Impacto in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, was filled to the brim as volunteers buzzed around the room handing out booklets and TEAM pens. The event was promoted as a kind of “Missions 101” for Latin American believers eager to learn more about global, cross-cultural missions.   Planned and coordinated by TEAM Mobilization Director, David Puerto, the global missions training was conducted entirely in Spanish and spoke to the very heart of the Latin American church and its desire to embrace God’s global mission.  Initially, around 60 people were expected to attend the event. When 120 registered and 150 showed…

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Looking Back on Stories from 2022: God’s Work Continues

As 2022 draws to a close, all of us here at TEAM are so grateful for the many things God has done in our midst throughout the world. We wish that we could share EVERY story from TEAM’s 500+ global workers and their ministries! But even though we can’t (think how tired my typing fingers would be!), it is our joy and blessing to feature one story each month in our Ministry Updates.  For December, we thought you might enjoy hearing some Ministry Update….updates! Here are some new reports from the folks you “met” here on the blog throughout the…

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December Prayer Focus: Pray for TEAM, Behind the Scenes!

Group of TEAM staff at a retreat.
Missions organizations like TEAM include many folks who work behind the scenes to make cross-cultural work possible around the world.

Each month we invite you, our faithful TEAM friends, to pray for a specific aspect of cross-cultural missionary work. We are so grateful to you for covering TEAM’s 500+ global workers and their ministries in prayer each month.  Now as we approach a new year full of exciting challenges and opportunities ahead, we turn our attention to the other side of the missionary-sending coin…the folks that keep things running smoothly for our global workers serving around the world.  For the month of December, we invite you to lift up our “home office” staff as they prepare, equip and support our…

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