2014 - Page 2 of 5 - TEAM Christian Missions Blog

Social Media for Missionaries (Part 1: Facebook)

Social media can be an excellent tool for engaging others in your ministry. Photo by Robert Johnson/TEAM

Sep 11 2014

Blogging, tweeting, posting and sharing are fabulous ways to share about your ministry, but navigating the world of social media and online communication can seem confusing and overwhelming. We’re here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be! Today, you’re reading the first installment of a three-part series on how missionaries can use social media to connect with friends and supporters. We frequently hear the same questions from missionaries about Facebook, Twitter, blogging, and more, and have compiled some general ideas and suggestions based on these conversations. We understand that there are countless resources for learning about and managing…

While well drilling projects are becoming popular and are transforming entire communities, there is more to sustainably solving community water crises than simply accessing the water table. Photo by Robert Johnson/TEAM

Aug 26 2014

Water. We swim in it, drink it, cook with it – and for the pure joy of it we turn on the sprinkler and run through it. A lack of clean water can have huge implications for a community – and they go way beyond thirst. The lack of sanitation cuts lives short and the trek to collect water can steal a person’s most productive hours – keeping generations ill, undereducated, and impoverished. The answer, it would seem, is to access the water that is already there: drill a well. While well drilling projects are becoming popular and are transforming…

We can’t let myths and bad examples keep us from the truth: biblical stewardship is one of the most valuable discipleship tools in our Great Commission kit. Photo courtesy of TEAM

Aug 20 2014

I travel quite a bit in my line of work. When you talk to strangers on an airplane, there are very few things that tend to shut people up faster than saying “I’m a pastor.” “I’m a fundraiser” is definitely one of those few. A fundraiser is right up there with used car salesman and lawyer when it comes to negative perceptions. What is it about fundraising that makes it such a cringe-worthy profession? I think it boils down to a couple of scary myths, and a few falsehoods, coupled with the damaging example of those who have abused the…

The prospect of sending missionaries can be intimidating - but it doesn’t have to be! There are lots of things your church can do to help send well supported and prepared missionaries. / Photo courtesy of TEAM

Aug 12 2014

Something exciting is happening at your church – you have members who want to serve God overseas! Having missionaries to send from your church is something to be thankful for, but it can also come with a lot of questions. What if your church body is new to sending, or hasn’t sent in a long time? What does your church need to do? Where should you step in? Where should you step back? What if your members aren’t experts on country-to-country moves? The prospect of sending missionaries can be intimidating – but it doesn’t have to be! There are lots…

[VIDEO] Chad: A Final Frontier

Massive. Diverse. Ready. The country of Chad is often called the last frontier of Africa. Landlocked in the northern region of Central Africa, Chad faces many challenges, but the opportunities for outreach and community development are immeasurable. The country encompasses over 130 ethnic groups – each with its own language, culture, and need to hear the gospel in unique way. By building deep, long-term relationships, TEAM missionaries are transforming lives and growing the church in Chad through programs for education, agriculture, clean water, healthcare, social justice and more.

Chad is one of the poorest, most troubled countries on the continent of Africa. This challenging and diverse country also presents one of the greatest opportunities for outreach. You can make a difference right now, right where you are. We encourage you to pray for Chad and the TEAM missionaries who are sharing the love of Jesus to this predominately Muslim nation. Pray also for more “people of peace” – men and women who are open and accepting of the ministry efforts of TEAM missionaries.

Want to know more about Chad? Visit chad.team.org, or download a copy of the latest Horizons magazine which features inspiring stories about what God is doing in Chad!

Aug 04 2014

By The (Text)Book

Partner with TEAM and South America Mission to provide tablet-based textbooks for Bolivian students. / Photo courtesy of SCCLC

Jul 29 2014

Summer is almost over, and within months students across the United States will be heading back to school. Pencils will be sharpened, backpacks will be stuffed, and new textbooks will be purchased. However, for many students in other countries, textbooks will be sparse, outdated or in poor condition. The Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center (SCCLC) is an ACSI accredited Christian school in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. A ministry of South America Mission, the Learning Center develops young leaders to be academically and spiritually grounded with a vision for impacting the world for Christ. The Learning Center relies on donations and tuition…

Many education experts believe children learn best when taught in their mother tongue, even if it’s not a nation’s official language. Photo by Robert Johnson / TEAM

Jul 22 2014

Imagine that you and your family’s native language is English — in fact, it’s the only language you speak. It’s the only language spoken in your entire neighborhood, the neighborhood you grew up in and your parents grew up in before you. It’s the beginning of the school year, and you drop your child off at your local public elementary for her first day of school. All the signs welcoming her are in Japanese. So is all the class instruction. Everything, in fact, is in Japanese. As she learns about colors and exotic animals in other parts of the world,…

Greece and other southern European nations have become overwhelmed with immigrants fleeing violence and persecution in North Africa, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and other largely Muslim regions. TEAM workers are finding ways to show Christ’s love amid the hardship. TEAM photo.

Jul 15 2014

Earlier this year, a TEAM worker watched as two men embraced. One of the men was a Muslim who had become a Christian, and one was a former Islamic fundamentalist who, until recently, had been abusing the other man. Now he was asking more about Jesus. This didn’t happen in Afghanistan or Pakistan or Iraq. It was in an immigrant community in southern Europe. Immigration is not just a hot topic in the United States. In fact, it is a much more formidable issue in many other countries. Per capita, at least 20 nations receive more immigrants than the United…

In closed-access countries and increasingly in many other parts of the world, the only way to minister in a community is to "do something" that meets felt needs. Photo by Robert Johnson / TEAM

Jul 10 2014

We asked Dave Davis, one of TEAM’s experts on the Muslim world, to share his thoughts on the importance of community development in missions, especially in Muslim contexts. This column appears in the summer 2014 issue of Horizons magazine, which hits mailboxes starting next week. We talk a lot about holistic outreach and cooperating agencies. But is it just different, or is it better? The answer is yes! That South Asian mountain village will never be the same. They now have an eight-foot-wide road to their village, which should help them rebuild their earthquake-destroyed homes. How do I know? I measured…

Archive - 2014

Social Media for Missionaries (Part 1: Facebook)

More Than a Well

The Spirituality of Fundraising

5 Practical Ways to Be a Great Sending Church

[VIDEO] Chad: A Final Frontier

By The (Text)Book

When Children Don’t Understand Their Teachers

Why We Love Immigrants

My Conversion to Holistic Missions