Connect_Summer 2023 : simplebooklet.com

2 CONNECT BEAUTY IN DIVERSITY DEAR PARTNER IN MISSION Stating that the world is changing is a good way to jump to the top of the leaderboard in an Understatement of theYear Competition However sometimes even the obvious needs to be stated and acknowledged The world at large is readjusting to post COVID realities geopolitical instability shifting economic forces and more The work of cross cultural sending receiving and ministry does not sit uniquely outside these realities Though the landscape changes we still view the world through the lens of the Gospel When that is our focal point we can begin to see change as opportunity This issue of Connect will give you a taste of the beauty of diversity and the wisdom of God s plan to expand His Kingdom God has seen fit to allow TEAM the privilege of more than 130 years of continuous ministry among the nations Pioneering church plants critical medical initiatives countless teaching opportunities and many other creative ministries have planted and nurtured the Gospel around the world Today in some countries that were considered unreached just a few decades ago there are mature followers of Jesus answering the call to go and declare the name of Jesus among all nations TEAM is pleased to partner with the global Church in mobilizing this increasingly diverse missions force as God raises up workers from everywhere to everywhere These are exciting times and YOUR partnership is more important than ever Together we are a community of dependent and devoted disciples of Jesus Christ who endeavor to be filled with grace humble in our service committed to the Church filled with Gospel zeal and generously collaborative with our brothers and sisters around the globe It is our prayer that the stories on these pages stir your affections for Christ and imbue you with a sense of awe for what He has done will continue to do and is now calling us to do together The harvest is here The Kingdom is near With joy Aaron Catlin TEAM Executive Director of Communications CONNECT 3 Prayer Focus ANTI TRAFFICKING MINISTRY AROUND THE WORLD By Suzanne Pearson There are an estimated 40 3 million victims of trafficking worldwide At TEAM we thank God for opening doors to anti trafficking ministry opportunities in various regions We invite you to join us in praying for anti trafficking ministries and those they serve 1 PRAY for global workers to find and connect with those in need in a post COVID climate Covid lockdowns drove the sex industry largely online bringing trafficking even further into the shadows and making it much more difficult for global workers to find and engage with those in need What was broken in relationship can only be healed in relationship These words are the hallmark for TEAM s antitrafficking ministries but survivors can t be pursued and provided for until there is a place for them to go 2 PRAY for survivors to be freed from fear and 5 PRAY for continued collaboration bondage and to stay committed to recovery throughout the global Church Those seeking escape from trafficking face many fears and difficult consequences of leaving Some survivors risk putting themselves or their families in danger 3 P RAY for those serving to have a healthy and effective mindset in ministry Ministering to survivors of human trafficking can be very heavy exhausting work Pray for God to provide trained and loving communities to walk with these traumatized survivors 4 P RAY for financial provision for anti trafficking initiatives Sometimes ministries find themselves in a chicken or egg scenario when it comes to fundraising It is difficult to raise money for a safe house that doesn t have survivors in it yet TEAM workers are thankful to network with various organizations and individuals around the world with the common goal of bringing the light of Christ into the darkness of human trafficking We also continually seek to equip local churches to send workers from everywhere to everywhere to reach those in need of the hope of the Gospel These prayer points were informed by conversations with TEAM global workers engaged in antitrafficking ministries around the world We sincerely thank them for sharing these needs and for their tireless work day in and day out Want to know more about how you can pray for missionaries around the world Click to subscribe to TEAM s monthly Prayer Focus Click Here

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4 CONNECT RESILIENT SERVICE SAME SPIRIT NEW SONG PIONEERS OF THE GLOBAL CHURCH By Lucy Morrison and Eric Kroner Pioneer is not a term to be used lightly it s a term of respect and an acknowledgment of the challenges that must be overcome for those first to settle into new territory A pioneer must break ground to carve a way forward for others that dare to follow behind TEAM s work in the global Church in 2023 includes an increasingly globalized Kingdom workforce God is raising up disciples from all over the world to take the Gospel message to the unreached Asule and Neipe are beautiful examples of this Born and raised in the Nagaland area of India they are navigating new terrain not only in a new ministry area among TEAM s work in the global Church in 2023 includes an increasingly globalized Kingdom workforce God is raising up disciples from all over the world to take the Gospel message to the unreached unreached Chadians but also as the first two missionaries from the Global South to join and enrich TEAM Chad To understand how these pioneering women came to ministry in Chad perhaps its best to start at the beginning A Heart for the Nations is Born in Nagaland The roots of the Gospel in Nagaland can be traced back to the partnership of western missionaries and local believers in the 1870 s Today the state of Nagaland is almost 88 Christian and God is calling forth faithful leaders who are hearing the call to cross cultural missions Coming from a people group only two generations removed from the first movement of the Spirit affords a unique viewpoint of the global Church Asule and Neipe bring to the field a unique understanding of resource utilization They also set an example for the believers in how to live out community share the Gospel and integrate culture and faith TEAM Chad is richer and stronger through their presence they stretch challenge and expand our perspectives CONNECT 5 Asule s Story Asule is a third generation Christian likely placing her grandparents among the first reached in the region She began ministry as a youth pastor but in 2008 followed the call to cross cultural ministry Asule spent ten years ministering in Sudan and South Sudan During that time the war torn landscape saw Asule forced to participate in numerous emergency evacuations Now serving in ministry in eastern Chad Asule s presence provides a depth of experience in Muslim contexts Her calm diligent spirit also provides stability and makes her an irreplaceable member of the small team She has a passion for the women of the community and for the local church To deepen relationships with the women of the church Asule seeks to expand on the French she learned in Mali prior to her arrival in Chad Asule s life and ministry are characterized by humble resilient service and a constant learning of culture One of Asule s supervisors in Sudan celebrates her in saying that in many ways she is the ideal long term worker because she bonds authentically with her neighbors whether she is living in Sudan Mali or Chad Neipe s Story Neipe also grew up in Nagaland She is recognized by her cheerful and faithful spirit Chad is Neipe s first tour of cross cultural ministry but you would never know it from the way she has integrated into the culture grasped the language and thrived in the remote village setting Coming directly from learning French for one year in Mali during COVID lockdowns Neipe has thrown herself straight into acquiring Chadian Arabic She shares I had to learn like a child just learning how to talk I had to learn to fully immerse myself in their ways of living adapting to their culture and becoming like one of them to earn their trust This helps them to open up to me I have built many deep relationships The nature of being a pioneer often means heading out alone and having experiences that are rarely fully shared or understood Ministry in Chad is almost entirely lived out through relationships that require a great deal of investment particularly in the village context Neipe can often be found spending her time with a group of young girls with disabilities who live close by Her time is spent reading to them drawing with them and loving them as those created in the image of Our Good Father As a young global worker Neipe has the potential to become a stable fixture in TEAM s ministry for many years to come continued

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6 CONNECT continued from page 5 A Shared Vision TEAM Chad has a unique mission paradigm with over half its members being seconded workers from other global organizations This multi generational multicultural context invites us and in fact requires us to continually listen watch and learn as we adapt to and embrace the exciting shift in world missions Asule and Neipe are truly inspirational as examples of global mobilization The nature of being a pioneer often means heading out alone and having experiences that are rarely fully shared or understood As we celebrate these two exceptional workers TEAM Chad acknowledges that we are imperfect learners of the new song Nevertheless we are so thankful to have been entrusted with the privilege to learn and grow together in the same Spirit as we seek to serve the nation of Chad for the glory of His Name Thank you for partnering with us to make this possible To hear more stories from the global Church visit team org blog Click Here FROM HOME OFFICE TO MISSION FIELD By Suzanne Pearson In organizations like TEAM it s common for global workers to transition from overseas ministry to a position with the organization s home office It s not as common for the opposite to be true But our God has a wonderful way of revealing His plan in uncommon ways doesn t He For Doug and Becca Gooding the road less traveled is the one laid out before them After serving on TEAM staff in Illinois for over 7 years Doug and his family are heading to Japan as global workers The couple first felt called to missions over 20 years ago as college students The Lord closed the door to a long term assignment at that time but the Goodings served on their church s mission committee and took several short term trips In 2015 Doug joined the TEAM finance department and then in 2021 TEAM asked the Goodings to consider a move to Asia After much prayer Tokyo Japan became the destination As of this writing the Goodings are finalizing their paperwork and preparing for the big move We ve said to the kids God has called us therefore you are also called The couple s four children ages 11 to 17 are very much a part of the process Doug shares We ve said to the kids God has called us therefore you are also called They are excited that we are going on a new adventure The Goodings are a beautiful example of what it means to find your place in the global Church There are a lot of threads in the Lord s tapestry says Doug It s exciting to see Him open ongoing connections with people all with the global desire to send workers well in the harvest field Want to read more of the Goodings story Click Here CONNECT 7 UNWAVERING FAITHFULNESS By Lorraine Green and Eric Kroner TEAM Chad has a long history of women serving at the heart of faithful ministry Please meet and pray for four women who have served long and impactful careers in Chad and continue to use their gifts to build the global Church Mechthild Recognizing the importance of teaching pastors in their heart language Mechthild has worked for many years on curriculum development for Bible Schools in Chad This curriculum now taught in multiple local languages has provided training for pastors leading more than 3 000 churches Mary Mary has dedicated 30 years to serving the Chadian church She focuses on evangelism prayer and discipleship through varied endeavors such as movie production discipling seminary students and brochure creation Kathryn Arriving in Chad in the late 1990 s Kathryn began teaching ESL and training Christian teachers to incorporate a biblical worldview into their classrooms Kathryn also recently developed a program to address the desperately low literacy rate in Chad Diane Diane has served in a diverse range of ministries including Scripture translation and providing content for a Christian radio station making the Bible available to a largely illiterate society Diane also operates a feeding program for malnourished children Click Here Click above or visit team org lengths of service to learn more about short term mid term and long term opportunities TEAM 2023 EDITOR Suzanne Pearson GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amber Bell MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Aaron Catlin We enjoy your feedback Please email us at communications team org TheEvangelicalAllianceMission teammissions team org blog TEAM CONNECT The names of people you ve helped may be changed to protect their privacy For security reasons please do not share Connect online or electronically

Connect_Summer 2023

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