May 2014 - TEAM Christian Missions Blog

6 Lessons from a New Missionary

From Chick-fil-a cravings to aching loneliness, a missionary's first months on the field are full of surprises. Photo by Robert Johnson / TEAM

May 27 2014

It has been six months since my wife, Jenny, and I boarded a plane in Chicago and moved to Guatemala City. Our lives have changed dramatically since then. In the last year, we both stepped away from full-time jobs, liquidated everything we owned, and said good-bye to the place we called home for the seven years. We left behind the best friends we have ever made. And we did so while Jenny was six months pregnant. It’s been a wild ride. We’ve learned a lot of lessons in six months about missionary life. Here are some of them. And we…

Millennials are changing the missions landscape and taking on challenges in ways previous generations have not.

May 20 2014

The highways of online media are strewn with attempts to explain millennials, my hard-to-pin-down generation that’s currently somewhere between the ages of 14 and 34 — and even that range is a little squishy. Churches, marketers and, yes, missions agencies, would love to know exactly what makes millennials tick. But most attempts to put us in a box fall short. Millennials — even millennial Christians — are not monolithic. They defy unifying definitions, aside from superficial observations (“Those millennials and their iPhones!”) that often apply as much to other generations as they do to 20-somethings. There is little doubt, however,…

We believe missions agencies should work together with local churches and national believers to advance the kingdom of God. Photo by Robert Johnson / TEAM

May 15 2014

We usually aim to be more informative than self-promotional on this blog. But occasionally, we do both at once. This follow-up to a recent post about how to choose a missions agency explains a few things that we believe (in our humble opinion) make TEAM a special place to serve. Our mobilization team recently shared this with our U.S. staff. There are plenty of great missions agencies out there. We believe we’re all on the same side, working toward the same goals and serving the same God. For more than a century, TEAM has been placing passionate people on the…

Which way to go? With so many options for overseas service, asking yourself the questions below will help steer you in the right direction. Photo by Robert Johnson / TEAM

May 13 2014

Technology, accessible travel and global banking have made it easier than ever to pack up and move overseas. So it may seem like an easy choice to go abroad as an independent missionary without being attached to a missions agency. But while the freedom and flexibility of going it alone can be a benefit for some missionaries, the majority of missionaries find that the positives of journeying with an agency far outweigh any drawbacks. Whether you’re deciding between missions agencies, considering your church as your “agency,” or contemplating going out on your own, ask yourself these questions as you weigh…

TEAM missionaries and local language experts work on translating the Bible for the Kwong tribe in Chad. Photo by Robert Johnson / TEAM

May 06 2014

At the first of every month, we publish a monthly prayer focus, which delivers specific, up-to-date ways you can pray for TEAM missionaries on the field. Now, how many times do we say, “I’m praying for you” in response to an email or Facebook update from a missionary? When we’re honest, in the hustle and bustle of our days, we know it’s easier to say it than do it. Even during our regular prayer times, it’s hard to remember to pray for missionaries if we don’t have regular contact with them or can’t quite recall the specifics of their ministry….

Archive - May 2014

6 Lessons from a New Missionary

3 Ways Millennials See Missions Differently

What’s So Great About TEAM?

How To Choose A Missions Agency

Everyday Prayer