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Teach Overseas Through Mission:TEACH

Read a Book and Prepare for Service

Be an Event Planner for Mission Retreats

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The Bridge
 Ninety-Seventh Edition - April 2016
 
Preparing for Service: Where to Start
 
"Once I'm overseas being missionary and spreading the gospel will be easier."

"I'll be working for a Christian organization so I'll be better away from all the worldly distractions at home."

"I feel strongly about helping others, so how that translates into a role with a missions team will work itself out."

Sound anything like your train of thought as you take steps towards a mission trip? The reality is, there is much more to prepare besides an itinerary, funds and your suitcase.

Preparation starts with your heart. It starts with a firm and growing foundation in Christ that is confident and ready to follow rather than lead. It starts with understanding your gifts and how to use them for His glory.

"But I'm not there yet!"

And, that's okay. You don't have to be perfect to be a missionary or start the process (just look at the apostle Paul!). Yet it is crucial to prepare your heart for what lies ahead, and for how God wants to use you.

Read the Bible - thoughtfully. Pray - intentionally. Ask yourself (and be honest!) what your motives are for serving and what state your heart is at now. By seeking Jesus - examining your relationship with Him and giving Him the stumbling blocks - He will prepare your heart.

There are a lot of resources to help you as well. MissionNext offers free mission coaches to help you tackle these questions and prepare spiritually. Perspectives courses are offered around the country and online to help you consider what service looks like in your life. There are endless reading materials and devotions on the subject as well.

Don't wait until you're overseas or in the trenches to start facing these questions. Start now, with the One who has the answers.  
 
"Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ," 
- Hebrews 13:20, 21a


Read A Book! 
There are hundreds of books out there to help you along your mission journey, from deciding if it's right for you, to preparing to go, to first-hand accounts from missionaries. Check out these two titles recommended by MissionNext:
 
Dive into the greatest concern people have before entering the mission field: "Is this God's will for my life?" This book will coach you through discerning your passion for service, discovering your strengths, and watching God work in your life and prepare your journey.
 
Read the heartfelt story of the husband and wife team of Thomas and Cynthia Hale serving as medical doctors in the remote corners of Nepal, as they go through hardships, blessings and humorous and incredible experiences, while serving God in and through it all.
Discover Mission:TEACH
 
You know you want to serve the Kingdom.  And you know you want to teach. So that's why we developed Mission:TEACH! When you sign up, it works exactly like the service profile you fill out for MissionNext's Finishers Project - matching your skills and interests with open opportunities. Mission:TEACH matches you specifically with Christian schools overseas. There have been hundreds of connections, like the one for Carol Tan. Here is her story:
 
"When I was finishing with my teaching program and starting the process of looking for teaching jobs I knew God was moving in my heart to teach overseas, but I had no idea where. I spent many nights staring at the world map on the wall of my bedroom praying God would show me where to go. When a friend told me about Mission:TEACH I was surprised to find so many Christian schools around the world (many of which had salaried positions) looking for teachers. Mission:TEACH provided a network and way for me to connect with many schools across the globe.
 
"After a couple of months I was on my way to Jakarta, Indonesia, to teach Language Arts at an international school for two years. Teaching overseas was truly a life-changing experience. I learned lessons about crossing cultures, innovation in teaching, and developing Gospel-centered teaching practices. More than that, my time in Indonesia opened my eyes more to God's heart for the world, the lost and broken. I'm very thankful for this life-changing experience and the lifelong cross-cultural friendships that I developed."
 
 
 
Are you called to teach overseas? Start your journey and sign up with Mission:TEACH
 

  Featured Opportunity:
"Facilitating people to accomplish what God has called them to do."  That's the vision of Global Outreach Mission.  As a  result, GOM is an eclectic mission of numerous kinds of ministries in over 40 countries.  Our mission is made up of church planters, evangelists, educators, doctors, dentists, radio technicians, and more.  
 
What is the common thread between all these Christian workers?  They are called by God to a specific ministry, they need the help of a mission sending agency, and they are pursuing their respective ministries and extending God's kingdom around the world.  A conservative evangelical mission with over 400 missionaries and national leaders worldwide, the mission is headquartered in Buffalo, USA, and St.Catharines, Canada.
 
Join a team lead by experienced GOM staff and volunteers for the chance to partner with existing ministries, such as the Brazil extreme sports trip or medical, construction, well-drilling and hospitality trip in Sierra Leone.
Explore a number of career opportunities, such as a missionary pastor in France, a dental professional in Central America, a medical professional in Sierra Leone, or with hospitality ministries in West Africa.
 
Find even more Global Outreach Mission at www.missiongo.org 
 
Opportunities: The Journey Deepens
"TJD is confirmation I'm going in the right direction. And it's a mirror of what I've been seeing in my personal studies. It's like God's saying, "In case you didn't get it before..." Sarah Storm
A weekend filled with fruitful, blessed and informative interactions for everyone involved, The Journey Deepens Retreat April 1-2 event in Portland was a success! Thank you to everyone who participated and supported participants with prayer for the event!
People came from all around the country to seek and discover more about missions. Attendees had the chance for one-on-one sessions with mission coaches and agency representatives, plus meaningful small group sessions, helpful group Q&A's and opportunities to worship. Attendees left with a new fire and direction. 
 
We're excited to see what God has in store!
 
 
Event Planner Opportunity with MissionNext
Flex your creative, networking and administrative muscles. Build the solid framework of connections to invest in the future mission workers of today. Be part of The Journey Deepens, inspiring people to go deeper and take the step of faith into a life of service through missions. We're looking for an event planner to coordinate these life-changing weekends. Interested? Here's more information:
 
Position: The Journey Deepens (TJD) Event Planner
Location: Open
Purpose: To provide overall planning and logistics support for TJD events.
 
External Communication:
Works closely with MN partner agencies and churches that host TJD events - listening to their stated needs and communicating the benefit of MN events; calls and prays with attendees prior to and after the event, and updates website with both editorial content and events.
 
Logistics:
Coordinates all details essential for a successful event, including meals, schedules, coaches, speakers, music, housing and materials. Communicates in a patient manner with coaches and staff under sometimes stressful conditions. Arranges for exhibits by partner agencies. Develops a list of potential coaches by region of the country. Prepares annual budget and closely monitors financial results.
 
Visit our website to learn more and apply!
 
Watch for NEXT Month's Newsletter

- Q&A with a Missions Expert -

 

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