Creating Cross-Cultural Partnerships: A Missions Team Perspective

Have any two mission teams been formed in the same way with the same mandate? There are as many varieties of mission teams as there are churches, but there are still some things to be said about how a mission team can facilitate and even help create cross-cultural, church-to-church partnerships.

"Missions" is in your name, so, as the Missions Team, be the memory of missions in your church. Be the people that remember the agreements, know when the missionary was sent, and learn the hard-to-pronounce names. Be the people that pour over the maps and learn what region of the country we are working in and what is around it, and be on the lookout for movies, news, and articles that mention the country you are working in. Even put out a list that can give people suggestions to learn more. If the Missions Team won't be the memory of the church in missions, who will be?

Pass that memory on to new members. Every time you do, you reach new friends and acquaintances in the church and practice sharing information about the mission with others clearly and concisely. At the same time, use new members to test what people in the congregation may or may not know about your mission and your missionaries. Congregations are dynamic groups. What once was known can be forgotten, and what is needed can be lost. When too much has been forgotten and lost, the team needs to create moments with church leadership where you re-introduce the basics to the church again and remind people why you sent your missionaries on the church's mission in the first place.

You are also the voice of the absent. Church leadership can and should be very supportive of sent missionaries, but they have other things to attend to. The Missions Team is on the mission's beat, so make sure you can advocate for, speak for, and inform your missionary. Does your church allow absentee ballots when they vote on issues? Make sure the missionary gets one. If the church is making changes to its constitution, order of worship, or personnel, did you make sure they know and have their questions answered? This communication can be vital for robust relationships.

What engages the church in the mission of the church? Short-term trips, do you do them? Do you have policies that are easy to follow? Does your team recruit people for the mission? Can the children be involved? Can a team member speak with and encourage children in the assignment? How can assignments be uniquely presented, a need creatively filled, or praise earnestly shared that will allow the congregation to remember the mission, their partners, and their missionary? Use your team's creative talents and resources to do those things for the church.

Finally, no matter how your team is structured, as mission team members, you must travel to the host culture, connect with the believers you partner with, and help maintain healthy communication with them and the missionary you sent to them. Be a team that anyone in the church that catches the vision for the mission would want to join and work. A good mission team is a vital asset to any church!