October 2018 - TEAM Christian Missions Blog

When Raising MKs, Remember the ‘K’

When raising missionary kids, TEAM missionary Sue Querfeld suggests we not forget one very important detail. Keep reading to find out why!

Oct 30 2018

I am not a huge fan of tattoos, but when my 21-year-old daughter showed me hers, I fell in love. It’s a simple design on her ankle — just the coordinates of Arequipa, Peru, where she grew up as a missionary kid (MK). You might wonder, What’s the big deal about that? But as a missionary parent, the message to me is huge. It means my daughter so identifies with the place where she grew up that she wants to carry it with her forever. Lately, there has been an explosion of articles by or about MKs who rejected the…

A TEAM missionaries shares insights on what church planting really means and what it looks like to harvest and bear Gospel-fruit.

Oct 23 2018

Church planting has become cool again. Networks like City to City and Acts 29 are growing exponentially. There are church planting conferences and boot camps, and church planting books being written. Even This American Life, a famous podcast, did an episode about church planting. As a church planter in Guatemala, it’s exciting to see my personal passion receive so much attention. And yet, there are still some key misconceptions lingering about church planting. Maybe you remember the children’s rhyme: Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors, see all the people. From childhood, we learn to associate…

Not only is oyakodon a family favorite, but it's also the first Japanese meal TEAM missionary Beth Anne Trim learned to make! Keep reading to get the recipe.

Oct 19 2018

In Japanese, oyakodon literally translates to “parent and child on rice.” It is a popular dish in many restaurants here in Japan, and I first had it when I came as a short-term missionary to Japan in 2006. It was also the very first Japanese meal I learned how to make. (My daughter now asks for it all the time.) However, I like to add a unique twist by adding shiitake mushrooms because I think it adds a lot of flavor. Traditionally, this dish is made in a special oyako-nabe pan designed for donburi (“on rice”) dishes, making only one…

Joseph used to think he didn't need God. But when he started attending a local church plant, TEAM missionaries gave him a whole new perspective!

Oct 16 2018

It was a typical growth group meeting with a simple assignment: Make a list of three people to pray for. But when TEAM church planter Kathy North heard her husband’s list, she couldn’t help but feel doubtful. There, at the top of David’s list, was Joseph. This was the guy who visited their growth group, was moved to tears, told them he’d be a regular — and then disappeared for three months. When he came back a second time, the same thing happened. And now they hadn’t seen him in half a year. “I thought, Why him? He hasn’t been…

What does it take to be a church planter? Find out as one TEAM missionary couple shares their church planting strategy!

Oct 09 2018

“The word that sticks in my mind is walls,” TEAM missionary David North told his wife, Kathy when they scouted out the location of their last church plant. “There are cement walls everywhere, it’s industrial, it’s dirty, it’s gray, but there are also spiritual walls.” When David and Kathy moved to the Filipino city of Mandaue they could feel an overwhelming darkness. But still, they moved. David and Kathy North have been church planters for over 20 years and have successfully planted several churches. They are champions for growing the Kingdom. But it hasn’t always been an easy road. Several times…

Discipleship is made possible through global church plants. Discover how you can be praying for missionaries planting these churches around the world!

Oct 02 2018

Raphael* had never felt so empty. He’d walked away from his Jehovah Witness faith. And now, he didn’t know how to find God. When Raphael noticed a new church in his French hometown, he felt drawn to it, but he wasn’t sure why. He passed by it several times, afraid to go in. He didn’t want to get sucked back into another false religion. Finally, he worked up the courage to step inside. TEAM missionaries Paul and Karan Davis were there to offer him a warm cup of coffee. As the three chatted, Raphael found himself opening up to them…

Archive - October 2018

When Raising MKs, Remember the ‘K’

What We Get Wrong About Church Planting

TEAM Eats: Recipe for Oyakodon

From Atheist Club Leader to Sunday Preacher

‘We Don’t Want to be Heroes’: One Couple’s Church Planting Strategy

Distrustful of Religion — but Not of Coffee [October Prayer Focus]