The Cross Cultural Overseas Ministry Pipeline is a helpful tool for sending churches and for anyone who’s on any stage of their cross-cultural ministry journey. This post focuses on the first step in this pipeline process: ‘Exploring the call’.
Watch the introductory video about this tool below.
For those considering involvement in overseas missions, the Exploring Phase is where the journey begins. This stage focuses on weighing God’s call, laying a Biblical foundation, and building relationships that support and guide the process.
Is there a call to cross-cultural mission, or to support in other ways?
Whether you are a church leader helping someone explore their calling or an individual sensing God’s prompting, we hope this simple guide gives a framework to help you as you consider God’s will.
This is a time to prayerfully reflect on God’s leading and explore what it means to be involved in mission work. This journey is best done in partnership with a handful of people from your local church. Ask those close to you to pray for you as you begin to explore. If they have capacity, they can walk with you more closely.
Key Components of the Exploring Phase
Build Awareness: Gaining an understanding of what living overseas involves is crucial. This includes building cultural awareness, practical preparation, and exposure to cross-cultural work.
Complete the first 3 Broadcast Modules in the Pipeline Training Process:
The key Broadcast modules in this phase are:
1. The Biblical Basis of Mission
3. Intro to Culture and Language
Completing other Broadcast Modules could be beneficial for sending churches, such as Global Humility, Margins2Mic, Working with Those Who Are Poor, Sharing with Muslims, and more.
Relational Connection: Transitioning into mission is not a solo journey. It’s vital to build connections with others on similar paths and with experienced mentors. It’s good to participate in key relational touch points with others exploring missions, and involve your church leaders and elders for guidance and encouragement.
We also encourage you to connect relationally with the Unreached Network. We can help mentor and coach you and your church as you journey through the exploration process. Connect to us here or find us on our socials.
Consider doing the Unreached Network internship or foundational training program.
Dive into mission biographies, cross-cultural novels, and movies for inspiration and learning. Here’s some suggested reading.
Plan short-term overseas visits to gain firsthand exposure to the complexities of cross-cultural mission.
Read Global Humility or watch the videos.
Sign up to our mailings and join in with our connection points and events throughout the year.
Agreement in Principle: A Milestone in the Exploring Phase
The Exploring Phase seeks an ‘Agreement in Principle‘ from the sending church. This agreement confirms the church’s support and involvement in moving on to the ‘Clarifying Phase’, clarifying the specifics of the call. From here, we can move on to where we ask God, ‘Who, When, Where and Who with’?
What’s Next? Moving through the Pipeline
Pipeline Tracking Tool
From ‘exploring calling’ to ‘moving and returning’, this resource was developed by the Unreached Network as a tool to aid sending churches to train, release and support cross-cultural workers into the global harvest.
Preview a sample here.
The Pipeline Tracking Tool has been developed by careful consultation with those within our network. The associated resources are being developed and constantly reviewed by those within our Newfrontiers family and beyond.
Please get in touch if you would like a personal walkthrough, full access to the resource, or if you would like a member of our team to coach you as you begin to interact with the nuances that appear when you start working with people in specific settings.
Visit www.unreached.network/pipeline for access to this and other resources from the Unreached Network, Newfrontiers spheres and other organisations. Have we missed something? Get in touch and let us know.
