Discipleship In addition to evangelistic opportunities, international churches have the opportunity to minister the grace of God at life’s key discipleship moments. Part of this opportunity comes by way of the trauma of transition. When life is in upheaval, we become more aware of our problems, idols, and sin patterns. The pressure cooker of global […]
Ministering to the globally mobile people group is summed up in one word, strategic. Mobility hurts, destabilizes, and causes us to languish relationally when not proactively managed. Having a target market that is as diverse theologically as it is transient means living in a world of ambiguity. But the strategic opportunities of an international church […]
You may be nervous with the idea of an international church that embraces strategic ambiguity. Many of our sending partners feel the same way. As they invest in the international church, they want us to maximize our impact and to attract the nations and the next generation. But they don’t want us to be theologically […]
Before discussing the exciting opportunities of serving the globally mobile, we should acknowledge the elephant in the room. Most international churches have to deal with this elephant. This elephant can be one of the main detractors as we pursue healthy partnerships with sending agencies. Even yesterday I found myself sitting with denominational leaders in Europe […]
The Challenges of Serving the Globally Mobile Attaching Locally In the Pixar world Bob Parr belongs to a family of superheroes, the Incredibles. He and his wife have superpowers, their three children have superpowers. Bob’s incredible family used to make an incredible difference in the world saving lives and fighting against evil. But then Bob […]
Attaching to One Another Before asking whether or not we and our international churches are attaching well to our host culture, we should ask if the members of our church connect well with one another. The four groups mentioned in an earlier article don’t naturally connect to one another to share life and faith together. […]
Untapped Potential International churches face many challenges as we serve the globally mobile. As I converse with other international church pastors, there’s an overwhelming sense that their church is not reaching its strategic potential. Perhaps you feel this, too. At the end of each week, so much ministry is left undone due to a lack […]
If global mobility is a pressure cooker for the family system, is that the only liability we should be concerned about? What other baggage is packed into the experience of mobility? Are there any benefits or opportunities to a lifestyle of mobility? These are questions we’re bound to ask and answer as we serve our […]
A Pressure Cooker for the Family System So what is life like in the cracks between cultures for our people group, the globally mobile? Notice how the 66.2 million expats in 2017 was made up of workers (71.1%), students (8.5%), retired expats (5.2%), intra-company transferees (1.0%), and trailing spouses and children (14.1%). This statistical breakdown […]
Who are the Globally Mobile? The globally mobile answer to a number of names, among them: serial migrants, global nomads, cross-cultural people, third culture people, expats, global citizens, cultural hybrids, global souls, and so on.1 In 2018 researchers from Finaccord published their annual report on Global Expatriates: Size, Segmentation and Forecast for the Worldwide Market.2 […]