Culture Archives - TEAM Christian Missions Blog

3 Ways to Pray for Muslims

The Quran, the central religious text of Islam, contains references to more than fifty people and events also found in the Bible.

Feb 01 2022

Christians have more in common with a Muslim than you may think. “You would probably share more values with a Muslim neighbor than with a secular one,” says Cody, a TEAM missionary in Asia whose ministry brings him in daily contact with Muslims. “Muslims are very focused on family and children and a moral society.” Although values may be similar, theological beliefs are not. Cody points out three big areas of disagreement Muslims bring up in regards to Christianity: Jesus is not God, Jesus did not die on the cross and the Bible in its current form is unreliable. Brian…

Letting your kids experience another culture’s art can be scary. But doing so can be a key step in understanding your host culture and what the people value.

Oct 27 2021

How is it that two people can look at the same situation and have completely different takes on it? I’ve been asking myself this frequently, especially in the current climate of politics and society. It matters what lens we look at the world through. Do you agree? Have you ever looked through a kaleidoscope? The tinted and distorted shapes in the glass leave us dizzy and a bit disoriented as we try to figure out up from down. Sometimes I think people assume this is the experience viewing the art of another culture will be for them. Disorienting. Confusing. Silly,…

Your first year as missionary is less about bold ministry than it is about diligent studying and acclimation.

Aug 25 2021

“Your goal for the first term is to survive and want to come back.” When Eric Binion got this advice, he was a new missionary in South Africa. And at first, it sounded as absurd to him as it probably sounds to you. Eric already wanted to be in South Africa. Plus, a missionary’s first term is generally four years in-country. After language school, you still have two years to dedicate fully to ministry. Why aim for such a low goal? Decades later, Eric is giving the same advice. So, what should you expect your first year as a missionary?…

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…

Why I Need Other Cultures on My Church Planting Team

Every church planter has cultural blind spots. One of the best ways to find them is working with fellow believers from a variety of cultures.

Oct 19 2020

I’m not sure if you know this, but you have a culture — and not all of it reflects God’s Kingdom values. Shocking, I know. This may not be an entirely new idea to you, but let me push it a bit further. Not all of the cultural convictions that you think reflect God’s Kingdom values actually reflect God’s Kingdom values. In other words, you and I have values we think are rooted in Gospel principles — but are actually, mostly, born from our cultures. There is some irony here for missionaries because many are great at spotting this in their…

Annie Wilson talks with teenage girls in Spanish.

Language school can be physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausting. But TEAM missionaries like Annie Wilson (left) say it's all worth it.

Sep 30 2020

If anyone is qualified to tell you how to pray for missionaries in language school, it’s Annie Wilson. After all, the TEAM missionary has gone to three kinds of language school in three countries: France, Chad and Mexico. Stepping into her first ministry assignment, Annie thought learning a new language would be a breeze. After all, if God called her to ministry, He should make it easy, right? “God definitely had to knock me down off my high horse and humble my heart within my first couple months of learning French,” Annie says now. Language school lays a critical foundation…

Tomato soup isn’t just for cold fall days anymore! Cool off this summer with a cool and refreshing bowl of salmorejo, from Spain.

Aug 28 2020

After a short-term mission trip to Spain, Lauren Witteveen decided she had to come back and continue the work. And with a tiny evangelical population in Spain, TEAM missionaries like Lauren have their work cut out for them! Lauren spends much of her time building relationships and studying Spanish, and the linguistic and cultural disconnects can be exhausting. So, on those long, hot Spanish days, Lauren likes to cool off with a nice bowl of salmorejo. This tomato soup dish has been a favorite since Lauren’s first visit to Spain. But even more than their food, Lauren loves the Spanish…

Let's be honest, sometimes all a missionary wants to do is hide in their house or apartment. Here's how one missionary overcame the temptation.

Jun 09 2020

Today’s blog post comes from a missionary working in Asia. For her safety, we have kept her name and location private. “Bloom where you’re planted.” As a worker in Asia for over 25 years, I have always had a love/hate relationship with this phrase! I’m not super outgoing, so it’s difficult for me to reach out to others. Plus, building relationships takes a lot of time and energy. With our transient lifestyle, it’s easier for me to not bother. But I’m a missionary. Isn’t this the exact thing God has called me to do? God wants each of us, missionary…

Two men sit outside at a table and talk. Feature photo: Preparing for missions during COVID-19

COVID-19 has forced us to adapt and live our lives in ways we never have before — kind of like missionaries. Turns out, preparing for missions during COVID-19 has big advantages.

May 22 2020

If you’re an aspiring missionary, COVID-19 may seem like a major roadblock to your plans. Short-term trips are being postponed. Carefully planned timelines for departure are now in shambles. And everyone keeps talking about how “the world will never be the same.” But Beth Fussner, a former missionary and TEAM’s learning and development project director, sees things with a bit more optimism. “There’s so many times when God’s people were on delays and detours. … And all of those things, when you look at the Scripture, at the stories, you realize that God either caused them or used them,” Fussner…

A TEAM missionary laughs with her neighbors

Serving as a minority comes with a unique perspective and set of challenges. Missionaries share their experiences and their tips for how to keep going.

Dec 18 2019

¡Lea esta publicación en español aquí! Recently, I was at a missions conference where I joined a seminar on Latina women in leadership. One of the participants, a first-generation American with Hispanic background made a comment that struck me. She said, “I feel called to go serve in Japan, but if I don’t fit in here in America where I was born because I’m a minority, how much harder will it be to fit in, in a different country?” As a missions coach, I have a list of different reasons why people choose not to go overseas: fear of the…

Tag - Culture

3 Ways to Pray for Muslims

A Roadmap for Navigating Cultural Art Overseas

5 Things to Expect Your First Year as a Missionary

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

Why I Need Other Cultures on My Church Planting Team

How to Pray for Missionaries in Language School

TEAM Eats: Salmorejo

Reaching Out — When You Just Want to Stay Inside

How COVID-19 Can Prepare You for Missions

Minorities in Missions: When You’ve Never Fit in Anywhere