Sending Churches Archives - TEAM Christian Missions Blog

We’re Here, We’re Ready, We’re Waiting: Mobilizing the Latin American Church

God is raising up missionaries from all over the globe, especially in Latin America.

Sep 22 2022

Julieta Murillo sees change on the horizon, and she’s not alone. As a TEAM board member and the Director of SIM Latin America, Julieta is a witness to the amazing work God is doing in her home country of Ecuador and other Latin American nations. “In the last decade, [global missions] is a topic that has been taught in Latin America,” Julieta explains. “There is a genuine interest to know more. We are ready to be connected to the world and to know how we can participate as global missionaries. This is something that is recent in most of Latin…

Learn the language of missions with this quick reference glossary.

Jul 28 2022

If you’re just beginning to explore what it means to be a missionary, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by words and phrases in the “language” of missions. Some terms are used the same way across various missions agencies and audiences, while others are specific to a given mission organization. So what does it all mean? Here’s a quick and easy guide to “Missions Vocabulary 101” to bring you right up to speed with the latest in missions lingo. Key Terms in the “World” of Missions Of course, we can’t speak for every partner in the international missions community, but…

For missionaries in high-security nations, communication is a constant concern. One careless email can endanger an entire ministry.

Apr 29 2021

My heart rate skyrocketed in seconds, and my blood pressure probably followed suit soon after. “You got to be kidding me! Why?” I couldn’t believe it had happened once again. “I have said multiple times not to use the ‘M’ word.” Not spelling out “missionary” is basic security 101 for anyone working in a high-security country — a nation where surveillance is high and the Gospel is either not welcomed or is discouraged. My immediate reaction was anger, but it was a cover emotion for fear. Would this be the time that someone was actually reading my communication? What would…

No matter how far they go, missionaries are always part of their local church — and their local church should always be part of their lives.

Dec 16 2020

There are a few different ways to approach this question. We often think of the missionary’s role in the global Church, but the missionary also plays a critical role in their local church. We can also turn this question around and ask what the church’s role is in the life of a missionary. What is the missionary’s role in the global Church? Like all believers, missionaries are part of a much bigger story than what they see in their local context. For one, missionaries prevent the Church from getting stagnant. One missionary described it as cross-pollination. When missionaries interact with…

Loving my black neighbor means taking the initiative to befriend, listen, understand and lament — and then stand with them."

Jun 19 2020

The tragic and senseless killing of George Floyd is another painful reminder that there remains much to be done here in America around issues of racism, both personal and systemic. His death reminds us of a wound in America that has not yet healed. It is a wound about which we find it difficult to talk, not only in society at large but also within the Church. Does the Scripture have anything to say to us in these days? Are there starting points for us? There are many. I will only point to one here and now. A religious…

The next time missionary kids come to visit your church, use some of these great tips to make them feel welcome. We got them straight from missionary parents!

Apr 22 2020

For most of us, missionary kids are an anomaly of life. They come to our churches for a year or a single Sunday while their parents are on home assignment. And we hardly get to know them before they leave again for the mission field. But on the Global Missions Podcast, TEAM Missionary Kid Coordinator Valerie Williams explains why these kids need your love — and how you can impact their lives in just one church visit. Listen to the podcast episode to find out: What “home” means to missionary kids What to do before missionary kids come for a…

Why returning missionaries need you more than ever

Feb 26 2020

When Karyn left for the mission field, she thought she’d never return. She gave up her job as a high school English teacher and planned to retire in Japan. But 19 years in, things took a turn. Personal matters brought Karyn back to the U.S. By then, her teacher’s certificate had expired. She didn’t have money for a new certification. And the entire process of finding a job had moved from newspaper ads to online job boards. It was a crushing experience — but a familiar one to many returning missionaries. Ask missionaries about coming home, and they may…

A group of people sit together over a meal to discuss their missions strategy

Most churches want to send missionaries around the world. The question is, how do you make it actually happen?

Jan 21 2020

Did you know every single TEAM missionary has a sending church? Whether they are going for two weeks or 20 years, staying here in North America or serving in Southern Africa, we believe so strongly that God has called the church to send missionaries that TEAM has made it our mission to help them do so! Most churches would say they want to be a church that sends her people outside her walls, whether that is across the street or across the globe. But how does a church become a church that sends people? With over 500 sending churches in…

A busy pastor checks his phone to keep up with his work.

Sometimes the busyness of pastor life makes it difficult to engage in missions. Keep reading to see ways you can help give your church a global perspective.

Jul 25 2019

Yes, you want your church to engage in missions. But you also want to get home before 9 p.m. at least one day this week, right? As a pastor, you likely have a long to-do list and are an expert at balancing priorities. As one mentor told me when I first became a children’s pastor, “It’s all about spinning plates, and most weeks, you are deciding which plate is OK to fall and break.” While most pastors would agree they want their church to engage in missions, it’s easy for missions to become an afterthought or goal for after things…

When it comes to missionary care, most of us have good intentions — but how do you make sure those intentions become reality?

Jan 24 2019

Working at TEAM, the number one question I get from local churches is, “How do we take better care of our missionaries?” As a missions agency, TEAM provides proactive care for the ups and downs of missionary life. But most churches understand that they can offer something an agency simply can’t provide. As one missionary shared with me during a training session, “Sometimes you just need someone to make a casserole and eat it at the table with you.” This “casserole care” belongs to the community who has discipled and walked alongside the missionary long before they were sent with…

Category - Sending Churches

We’re Here, We’re Ready, We’re Waiting: Mobilizing the Latin American Church

Missions Vocabulary 101

Don’t Say the ‘M’ Word: Sharing Ministry from High-Security Nations

What is the Role of a Missionary in the Church?

Who Is My Neighbor?: On Race, Justice and the Way of Jesus

Helping Missionary Kids Thrive on Home Assignment

8 Ways to Serve Missionaries Coming Home

How to Become a Sending Church

4 Ways Busy Pastors Can Engage in Missions

Creating a Missionary Care Plan