Explore Your Call. Go Short-Term!
Most of World Team’s workers have participated in a short-term mission trip before their long-term placements. For many of them, such as Chad and Kimberly in France, it was a short-term trip where God affirmed His call on their lives to serve cross-culturally.
“Nearly every cross-cultural worker that we know have participated in one or more short-term ministry opportunity. Kimberly and I are no exception,” shared Chad about short-term opportunities. “God used our experience in short-term ministry to open our eyes to the many needs of this world and to the specifics of how he could use our gifts and talents in His service.”
“Short-term ministry often helps us to recognize God’s will for our lives in the future. I have been involved in mobilization during my time in France and specifically in the organizing of short-term ministries for potential mission’s candidates.”
Through the years, Chad and Kimberly have enjoyed providing a healthy environment for candidates to observe and understand some of the intricacies of cross-cultural ministry. They have also worked to develop hands-on opportunities for those candidates to apply their newfound knowledge. Mentorship has been a huge part of Chad’s experience; he’s been able to help candidates and short-term workers as they try to discern how and for what God is calling them. World Team’s prayer conferences, Bible Study in Philippines, short-term trips, and other experiences in France have had a tremendous impact on that part of their ministry.
When they attended RACE (World Team’s candidate school) in 2000, Chad and Kimberly were surprised to hear of the growing need for cross-cultural workers around the world. The logical “next steps” that World Team suggested convinced them to start openly speaking about missions with their pastor, friends, and family. The idea that God could use their gifts and talents for His glory in an entirely different culture than their own brought smiles to their faces.
“After a few hours of listening, we were ready to sign on the bottom line,” said Chad. “We have continued to be missionaries because we want to actively participate in proclaiming the Gospel and planting churches amongst the unreached peoples of the world.”