2015

Trends and Needs in Missions Training

A Survey of North American Mission Leaders

This qualitative study explored trends and needs in cross-cultural mission training. Seventeen mission and church leaders responded to an open question survey in the spring of 2015. The responses were analyzed and organized into eight themes: candidate characteristics, training aspects, cross-cultural training needs, ministry training needs, missionary care needs, global missions efforts and needs, and business as mission (BAM) efforts and needs.

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SIM USA Office of Research and Instructional Design 3/25/2015

Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 Introduction

This study was initiated and conducted by SIM USA.

SIM is an international and interdenominational mission agency that recruits, selects, trains and sends workers to over 65 countries to proclaim the gospel, to respond to human need, and to equip the church. The agency has a long history of international mission work and recognizes the value of appropriate screening and training of candidates for cross-cultural service. SIM USA recruits, selects and sends US workers to participate on ministry teams alongside other SIM workers sent from other nations.

Global mission work is changing. North American culture and churches are also changing. The attitudes, knowledge and skills of potential mission workers entering the mission field today may be different from those of even a decade ago. As a result, preparation and training of cross-cultural workers may need to change to meet different needs. SIM USA values learning and seeks to understand trends and needs of the mission community of workers globally. In an effort to gain insights into trends and needs in missionary training, the author conducted an informal, qualitative survey of leaders from various mission agencies, churches and other organizations.

Purpose and Research Questions

The purpose of this qualitative survey was to gain an understanding of the trends and needs in missionary training by asking the following research questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

What trends are being observed in missions training of North American workers? What are the training needs of cross-cultural workers? What are the training needs of global, non-Western sending entities? What are the training needs of churches desiring to engage in cross-cultural missions? What are the training needs for business as mission (BAM) and kingdom professionals wanting to engage in missions?

The purpose of this report is to share the results from the survey and to encourage further comments and discussion on the topic of missions training trends and needs.

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Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 Survey Description

The survey was conducted in the spring of 2015 and consisted of eight open questions on the following topics. The survey questions are listed in Appendix A.     

Trends in missions training Training needs of prefield, first term, long term and returning workers Knowledge of global mission efforts and needs Knowledge of mission focused church efforts and needs Knowledge of BAM/Third Wave mission efforts and needs

The survey was distributed, and responses were collected via email. In a few cases, the responses were obtained through interviews.

Survey Participants

All of the survey participants were somehow involved with preparing and sending American missionaries to serve cross-culturally in various parts of the world. Participants were identified and selected by networking with various organizations and leaders. Most, but not all, of the people invited to participate responded. Most of the surveys were completed by non-SIM participants including:     

11 mission agencies 2 large churches 1 US missions mobilizer 1 African mission trainer 2 SIM Deputy International Directors

A list of participating organizations is included in Appendix B.

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Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 Survey Analysis and Themes

The responses from 17 participants were reviewed and analyzed. Common themes were developed from the data, resulting in eight categories of findings:        

Candidate characteristics Training aspects Cross-cultural training needs Ministry training needs Missionary care needs Global missions efforts and needs Church efforts and needs BAM efforts and needs

Descriptions of these categories, key quotes, and related implications are presented in the following section.

Survey Findings and Implications Candidate characteristics

North American mission candidates have varied backgrounds and, therefore, require different amounts and types of preparation. They tend to have a general awareness of cultural sensitivity and may even have prior cross-cultural experience, usually of the short term variety. They tend to focus toward meeting human needs and express a shorter career interest in missions. Candidates seem to have less biblical and theological knowledge and understanding today than in past years. Many of them lack spiritual disciplines. Candidates may lack life skills, such as cooking. They may also have a limited ability to deal with the pressures of life in a culture not their own.

There is an increased expectation for training and development to address perceived and identified needs.

What is changing: No prior field experience, no Bible foundation, not desiring to serve long term. The trend that I see that is most troubling is the level of preparation being demonstrated by our candidates. There is a significant decrease in Bible and theological knowledge in recent years – almost across the board. Some of them seem to lack some “life skills”.

There is less of a ‘career’ view of mission but more of a ‘let me do 2-3 years and see if I want to extend to more time’ type of view. 4|Page ©2015 by SIM USA

Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 Spiritual formation and basic discipleship are more important than in prior generations.

Missionaries come from every walk of life, many backgrounds, ages, capacities, learning styles. Candidates are all over the place in terms of maturity, of course, but in general many exhibit a more limited ability to deal with the pressures of work, to deal with work, and to know how to order the private world, whether physically or emotionally.

Implications

Because candidates have varied backgrounds, training strategies need to become more flexible and personalized. It cannot be assumed that candidates share the same basic knowledge and skills that were observed in the past. Rigorous and accurate assessments should be employed to evaluate learning needs and styles. Particular attention should be given to assessing biblical and theological understanding and spiritual health. Training requirements should be established based on perceived and identified needs. Pre-field training should include life skills as appropriate for the field of service.

Training Aspects

While individual learning styles and needs vary, there are some common observations about training trends. Learners prefer to learn in community or cohorts. They desire practical, participative learning such as case studies, problem solving and learning by doing. They desire mentoring and coaching as they learn. They desire ready access to training with flexibility that allows them to learn when and where they need it. Learners seek to access training freely, anytime and anywhere. They desire training paced over shorter blocks of time. They want to learn and develop continuously over time. Interactive learning over lecture style learning.

There also seems to be a significant increase in training being done by distance.

The need to participate in the learning process. The desire to see the training connected to a relationship to someone being helped. Learning in community / cohorts is highly value by this generation of workers. Shortened time frames for training.

Need for training to be distributed over time, just in time training or when it meets felt needs. Need for blended training – distance and residential.

Want to be able to self-pace, often accelerate learning. 5|Page ©2015 by SIM USA

Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 Mentoring the first year or transitional year missionaries (online).

Learning by practice if at all possible. Some basic teaching followed by role play, brain storming, case studies, or actually going out to interact with people. We try to teach them what to ask instead of giving them all the answers.

People are asking for more mentoring, more leadership development, more training in multicultural teams, how to disciple others, how to mentor, how to coach, how to mediate. So overall, my sense is that what we offer no longer meets the learning needs of many of our missionaries. If the learning center can offer online and virtual learning environments, that is what many people are seeking as part of their ongoing learning goals.

Implications

While learners seek to self-pace and self-direct their learning, they do not want to be isolated. Learning communities need to be provided that allow learners to encourage and learn from others. Training should be designed to actively engage the learners in practical ways. Training facilitators need to act more as mentors and coaches. More training needs to be accessible at a distance or online, and efforts should be made to reduce the duration of residential requirements where possible. There needs to be a strategy of ongoing learning and development. Many current practices “front load” training as prefield with little review or reinforcement to follow on the field. Training needs to become less of an event and more of an ongoing process that provides continued support and development.

Cross-cultural Needs

Much is being done in the area of cross-cultural training of North American missionaries, especially in building awareness, understanding, and some skills. Respondents indicated a need to prepare workers to work on multi-cultural teams and to work under non-Western leadership styles. The importance of language acquisition skills was also noted. Security issues are a growing concern. It is recognized that living and working in urban settings may require different approaches to training such as immersion. Those with short term cross-cultural experiences may have unrealistic expectations about long term service.

One whole field that we struggle with is counseling our folks (both singles and families) who have been under significant security pressure. Help with security issues and practical training for such.

Serving in multi-cultural settings, often under national leadership, in projects or on teams with believers from other nations and/or organizations.

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Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 A need for North American workers to be prepared to work under national leadership, entering cross-cultural teams that already exist in their countries of service. It’s important for N. A. Workers to continue to be taught to value taking a long-term humble learning posture, whether that’s for starting out at the bottom of the stack in a multicultural team, learning culture, or learning language.

Another item we have noticed is the challenge that many have with dealing with cultural adjustment—for example, their attitude toward eating certain foods or in general dealing with what they perceive as a less healthy living environment.

Understanding “culture” and “world-view”; knowing ourselves culturally, the make-up of our own culture, and our ethnocentric bent. How not to judge other cultures, but to take a learning posture. How to approach language and cultural learning with a healthy attitude and a plan.

How to make the various transitions and adjustments related to moving cross-culturally. Ministering in rural vs. urban settings.

A universal key to successful first term is language and cultural acquisition. No skill is more important than language skills.

Implications

Cross-cultural training continues to be a critical area of preparation and support for cross-cultural workers. More agencies are becoming multi-national in staffing, and more field leaders are nonAmerican. While awareness and knowledge can be provided prefield, most learning actually happens on field as workers are immersed in the experience. Training resources should be made available to support ongoing cross-cultural development over time. It is especially important to monitor and support progress in language acquisition. More focus may be needed on urban living skills and security issues. Perhaps, some prefield training would be helpful in these areas.

Prior experiences in short term missions should be evaluated and addressed with the goal of resetting expectations for living and working for longer terms.

Ministry Topics and Needs

Several respondents indicated a need for training in discipleship skills. Other ministry topics desired include orality, poverty alleviation and ministry to M*slms. Some respondents noted that business and project management skills are lacking. There was also an expressed need for strategic planning and leadership development. 7|Page ©2015 by SIM USA

Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 M*slm/immigrant ministry understanding and methodology. Orality training, or other ministry specific training.

Effective, big-picture, poverty alleviation techniques. Help or training in !sl@m or contextualization. Training in projects management. Discipling and equipping others.

Implications

With the trend toward less biblical and theological understanding, it is not surprising that discipleship skills are also on the decline. Discipleship is more “caught” than “taught,” and perhaps, should be included in the learning process through the use of mentors and coaches. Training on topics such as orality and ministry to M*slms can be introduced prefield but are most helpful in the ministry context. Learning resources and experiences should be made available when and where needed.

Business and project management training may need to be agency-specific, but there are many resources and programs available on those topics. The same could be said for strategic planning and leadership development. Perhaps what are needed are individual development plans and recommended resources to support learning in areas of ministry focus.

Missionary Care

Most survey comments were related to missionary care. Spiritual formation and health, stress and brokenness, and conflict resolution were prominent themes. Another significant theme was transitions to new cultures, to new ministries and to new settings. Transitions back to American culture upon reentry were emphasized especially as needing support. Team building exercises where there is conflict to solve and perhaps having to deal with poor leadership and unrealistic demands. Conflict resolution. Self care and member care.

Since most who leave the field do so in the first term, a course on issues of ‘staying the course’ on what key areas of stress, etc. and how to deal with such tension would be helpful. Survival skills, learning about and practicing emotional resiliency, being put in situations (probably in a city) where they have to find their way around with little or no guidance and help. Continued spiritual formation and personal development (especially in the midst of stress). 8|Page ©2015 by SIM USA

Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 There needs to be more focusing on learning the part that ‘suffering’ and ‘pain’ actually being a large part of life and ministry service. Healthy transitions – including healthy closure.

There have been a few of our returning workers who have asked for a short, inexpensive reentry program. Debriefing for missionaries as well as their children.

Return/re-entry culture shock issues and how to handle such stresses. Implications

Some respondents expressed a need to address the “theology of suffering” as part of the prefield preparation. Tools to assess spiritual health and stress could prove useful in identifying individual learning and support needs.

Interpersonal and conflict resolution skills should be addressed both prefield and on field. Prefield training would build awareness and provide some tools. On field training would support reflection and practice with actual experiences.

Cross-cultural workers often face unexpected transitions for which they feel unprepared. While no training can anticipate every transition, perhaps some general coping strategies can be learned prefield and reinforced on field.

Reentry to American culture should be addressed in more significant ways. Resources could be made available online to prepare for upcoming home assignments or for those leaving missions. Residential reentry programs could be helpful.

Global Mission Efforts and Needs

The greatest need identified in support of the global missions effort was access to affordable and secure resources. Access could be in the form of materials, local training centers, and trainers. Specific topics desired for training included cross-cultural preparation, ministry skills and fund raising. There are also needs to learn English and to understand western culture. Focused primarily on non-formal ministry training, including training disciplers, church planters (and “trainers of trainers). Most often this is in partnership with national church entities. I think increased capacity and availability for support for cross-cultural training would add significant value, and we have had numerous invitations and dialogues around this issue. Best practices in member care are a constant concern of majority world sending orgs. 9|Page ©2015 by SIM USA

Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 The need expressed to me with the most regularity is the need for help learning English. To provide (in Spanish) Bible school or seminary level courses on cross-cultural ministry. The need for this increases annually as we have more and more non-North American missionaries joining our ranks.

We support teaching and training in our Bible institutes and seminaries around the world by sharing resources: human resources, materials, and finances. Understanding 1st world missions.

Most of the world is training resource starved, and desperately pleading for affordable training resources to be made available to them in a manner that is empowering to them (no strings attached).

Implications

Whenever global missions training needs are discussed, valid concerns are raised about how to appropriately contextualize to culture. However, the expressed need for resources was vast and urgent. Resources, classes, materials, and trainers can be delivered through online and regional training events. Such efforts should be in partnership with global sending and training entities and be adapted as necessary. Extending resources and learning experiences to the global community could also serve to inform the preparation and training of western workers as well. The goal should be mutual learning and encouragement through partnership.

Church Efforts and Needs

Most respondents were concerned with how to have healthy partnerships between sending agencies and churches. Some churches desire to have a more active role in the preparation and training of workers. Churches need cross-cultural training for both local and international missions work among people of other cultures. They also desire support in the training of short term teams.

I think there would be significant value in offering churches training in effective cross-cultural partnering, avoiding unhealthy dependency and paternalism, and basics of culture, world-view, ethno-centrism, and contextualization. The application of this would be for serving crossculturally in our own cities as well as globally.

We have both worked with and mentored several mission focused churches on field preparation of their missionaries. It is a genuine need for our org.

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Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 We believe our greatest area of expertise is cross-cultural training. However, we also want to focus on discipleship with a focus on believers continuing to develop as great commission Christians.

Someone to facilitate deep thinking among churches who send teams on short-term mission trips, so that the participants come out with a correct understanding of what long-term ministry looks like.

Implications

Churches are as varied as the workers they send. Some have highly developed missions programs including training. Others offer the occasional short term missions trip. And still others have done little to embrace international missions at all.

Because sending churches are essential to international missions, stronger training partnerships are needed. Many American churches do not work together in missions. Yet, there is much they can learn from each other and from sending agencies. Building relationships and sharing resources would be a good first step toward engaging more churches in missions. Cross-cultural training would be of great interest and benefit to churches looking to engage in crosscultural ministry locally and abroad.

BAM/Kingdom Professionals Efforts and Needs

Not many respondents had much experience with business as mission (BAM) or kingdom professional models of missions. All agreed that there is a great need for training in this area. Some training needs are similar to those for traditional missions, such as cross-cultural training, biblical and theological training, mentoring and member care. But, there are unique needs for business skills, strategic planning and ministry integration. We do not have experience equipping North Americans going as tentmakers and Kingdom professionals.

We have had some highly motivated, self-starting BAMers, but we provided them little help. We have several that are doing BAM but have not done direct training in that area.

Tent-makers are becoming a growing percentage of our missionary force in most places we serve. We see this trend continuing. We also see this to be a viable source of new missionary candidates. Helping them to be prepared for the unique struggles faced as a bi-vocational missionary, as well as the tools for effectiveness and sustainability are both critical. Our current long-term success with bi-vocational staff is having mixed results. I suspect tent-makers would be very well served by some form of on-field or cyber community. 11 | P a g e ©2015 by SIM USA

Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 There needs to be a whole track developed for those going out with BAM. This is a huge area of need.

Implications

Global mission engagement continues to change as technology, communications, travel and business expand globally. More people are traveling and living in cultures not their own. Some professionals may receive cross-cultural training through their employers, but this should not be assumed. Those who desire to engage in ministry may need cross-cultural training from a biblical perspective. They may also need biblical and theological training. In order to effectively participate with a mission team, kingdom professionals may need a basic understanding of missions and awareness of how to work with a multicultural team.

Mentoring is highly sought and valued. Business skills and strategic planning may look “different” in another culture. Integrating Christian faith and ministry into business practices and decisions is preferred. Perhaps an internship program would prove beneficial for those starting out.

Conclusion

As changes occur in American culture and global missions, it is important to understand the trends and needs for missionary training. Without this understanding, existing methods for assessing and equipping new workers for cross-cultural ministry may become less effective. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand trends and needs in missions training for North American workers living and serving in cultures other than their own. Additionally, the study explored the training needs of global, non-western sending entities, of churches desiring to engage in cross-cultural missions, and of BAM and kingdom professionals.

The responses obtained from an open question survey were analyzed and organized into eight themes: candidate characteristics, training aspects, cross-cultural training needs, ministry training needs, missionary care needs, global missions efforts and needs, church efforts and needs, and BAM efforts and needs. Because mission candidates greatly vary in backgrounds, in biblical knowledge, in spiritual maturity and in life skills, it is important to assess learning needs and to develop flexible training strategies to meet those needs. Mission workers would benefit from a strategy of ongoing learning and development, beginning with prefield training and extending to on-field support. Training should engage the learner in application and practice and provide a community of learners. As mission teams become more multi-cultural, the need for continuous cross-cultural training that extends to the field continues to be essential. Monitoring and supporting language learning is also important. 12 | P a g e ©2015 by SIM USA

Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 Discipleship skills are needed for personal spiritual vitality and for equipping new believers of other cultures. The use of mentors and coaches could be well received and effective on the field. Even experienced workers need ongoing development in ministry skills such as orality, ministry to M*slms, business and project management, and leadership development. Individual professional development plans would be helpful to identify learning goals and to monitor progress.

Missionary care was the theme with the most comments. Dealing with the stresses of cross-cultural life and ministry requires an understanding or theology of suffering. Conflict resolution, managing transitions and navigating reentry to American culture were identified as specific needs. Our global mission partners have an urgent need for training resources and support. Mutual learning and encouragement through partnerships would add significant value to the global missions effort.

Stronger partnerships with American churches are needed to encourage and support their engagement in global missions. Specific areas of support might include cross-cultural training and sharing of resources. Business as mission and kingdom professional workers have some similar and some unique training needs. In order to be effective in missions, they may need some training in bible, theology and missiology. Cross-cultural training and adaptations of business strategies and practices would be beneficial. Mentoring is highly sought and valued by this group of workers.

Acknowledgments and Invitation

The author would like to thank those who participated in this survey and to invite further discussion on the topic of missions training. Together we can add significant value to the global missions effort.

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Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 APPENDIX A: Survey Questions

1) What trends in learning needs do you observe in preparing North American workers for crosscultural service? What is changing?

What types of learning would add significant value for

2) New workers, pre-field preparation (in addition to what is currently offered through CIT residential programs) 3) On-field, first term workers

4) Experienced workers on field

5) Returning workers (from field)

6) What experience does your organization have in supporting the training efforts undertaken by majority world workers/organizations? What kind of support would add significant value? 7) What experience does your organization have in supporting the training efforts undertaken by mission-focused churches? What kind of support would add significant value?

8) What experience does your organization have in supporting the training efforts for kingdom professionals, Business as Mission (BAM) or tent-making? What kind of support would add significant value?

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Trends and Needs in Missions Training 2015 APPENDIX B: List of survey participants

Bible Centered Ministries International (BCMI) Bethlehem Baptist Church Camino Global Catalyst

The Chapel

CrossWorld

Free Will Baptist Mission

Greater European Mission (GEM) InterAct Ministries

International Missions Board (IMB) Kids Alive

Nigeria Director for the Missions Supporters League Reach Across SIM USA

SIM International, Deputy International Director for the Americas

SIM International, Deputy International Director for East and South Africa United World Mission (UWM)

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