2021 - Page 4 of 4 - TEAM Christian Missions Blog

3 Ways to Pray for Church Plants

Missionaries around the world serve to help the church bloom and grow. Here's how you can pray for church plants this month. Photo by TEAM

Mar 01 2021

Ask a church planter how you can pray for them, and they’ll tell you they need perseverance. Church planters have to learn a whole new culture, while building relationships, organizing services and staying in close connection with God. On top of all that, being a church planter means being available to your new congregation at all hours. “There are times when the people in your young church need you to drop everything and help them,” says Vicki Reyes, a TEAM church planter in Mexico. Vicki shared a few examples: “A woman and her two children show up at the door….

Serving in international churches is a chance to minister to unreached people groups in closed nations - with the government’s blessing.

Feb 14 2021

In a world where missionary visas are increasingly hard to get, Hunter and Wendy* are doing something truly remarkable. They’re moving to a Muslim-majority country where local churches operate underground. They’ll work to make disciples among unreached people groups. And they’ll do it with the local government’s approval. It sounds impossible, but opportunities like this are opening around the world, thanks to international churches. “It’s kind of amazing because it’s a Muslim country, and it’s illegal to become a Christian there, … but I’m going to have ‘pastor’ in my visa,” Hunter says. Committed to the Unreached Hunter and Wendy…

Muslim woman stands in French park, representing a situation in which cross-cultural training would be vital

When you minister to immigrants in a foreign country, cultural blunders are easy to make. You need the right cross-cultural training to give you a strong foundation for service.

Feb 11 2021

Without cross-cultural training, it’s easy for a new missionary to make costly mistakes. Mine could have been losing a friendship over a bowl of couscous. When my husband and I sensed God calling us to serve overseas, we weren’t seminary educated. We had traveled to over 15 countries together, but that was just enough for us to know we weren’t equipped to sustain a successful career as missionaries. Then we heard about Launch, a two-year, intensive internship in southern France. While living amongst North African immigrants, interns are trained in three areas: How to be a living testimony in a…

Raising kids on the mission field is full of surprising challenges — even when you think you know what to expect. Let’s pray for missionary parents.

Feb 01 2021

Kacie was going to be a more adventurous mom. Growing up on the mission field, Kacie and her siblings spent many days at home, with their stay-at-home mother. “I assumed … that’s the way my mom wanted it to be.” But, says the missionary to Papua, Indonesia, “I was going to be different, in the community with my kids.” Her plan worked great at first. Out in the community, people doted on Kacie’s foreign babies. But when those babies became toddlers, they started resisting all the attention they were getting from strangers. And as Kacie kept trying to pull her…

Annie Wilson smiling despite missionary challenges she faced

Annie took the missionary assignment of a lifetime in Chad. Then everything went sideways.

Jan 21 2021

I don’t want to be a missionary anymore, Annie Wilson thought. She’d followed God’s leading and left her P.E. teaching and coaching job to serve Him overseas. So why did it feel like a dead end? Exploring Missions Annie began exploring missions in 2014 when she was asked a question: “What would you be willing to give up for God?” As Annie wrestled with her answer, she discovered TEAM and saw opportunities for sports ministry. TEAM connected her with a missions coach, Tasha Eckenhoff, who worked with her to find a role that would be a good fit. One option…

Innov-Asia is a chance to dive into ministry among unreached people groups throughout Asia.

Jan 11 2021

One quarter of the world’s people are outside the normal reach of the Church. If you want to engage these unreached people groups, how do you do it? Innov-Asia is a short-term mission trip designed to help aspiring missionaries see that life and service at the ends of the earth is doable. It requires creativity, innovation and a willingness to live outside your comfort zone. Serving Unreached People Groups through Innovation Some workers live in unusual places, while others start new businesses. Some use arts and music, while others work on translation projects. Jackson and Diane chose to open a…

City train. Urban ministries have to compete with the busy lives of city-dwellers.

It’s been a tough season for cities, but missionaries are working hard to bring hope to people in need. Here’s how we can pray.

Jan 03 2021

The last year has ravaged the world’s cities. COVID-19 regulations shut down businesses — many to never recover. Low-income workers struggled to find work, and many went without food for days at a time. Meanwhile, wealthier professionals abandoned cities after realizing they could work from anywhere. And various protests have disrupted what little peace was left. “Unrest is more predominate as people are questioning the authorities of government, religion and the Thai Kingdom,” says TEAM missionary Kennedy Paizs. Yet, despite cities’ failings, missionaries like Kennedy see them as a key part to fulfilling the Great Commission. A year before COVID-19,…

Archive - 2021

3 Ways to Pray for Church Plants

International Churches: A Gateway to the Unreached

I Could Have Killed a Ministry Moment — Without Cross-Cultural Training

How to Pray for Missionary Parents

Missionary Challenges: From Ready to Quit, to No Regrets

Innov-Asia: A Short-Term Mission to the Ends of the Earth

How to Pray for Urban Ministries