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Long Term Connections

Relationships built upon trust, love, and respect are one of the keys to effective missional engagement.

Of course, common sense tells us that relationships are best built over time.  This reality points us to the need to engage consistently over a period of time in order to build those very relationships through which we hope to impact the world for Christ Jesus.

There are three primary steps through which we hope to encourage and support your church as it pursues a long term mission impact:

1. Choosing a Field of Impact
With so many possible places to get engaged in cross-cultural mission, one of the first questions you might ask is, "Where do we go?" In fact, this is the second most important question your church can ask (right after, "Why are we going?").

We believe there are two keys to answering this question.

The first is committed prayer.  Having a great idea of choosing a location because somebody you know knows somebody who is from country "X" is no way to approach this important decision. It is critical that your church seeks and knows the will of God on this matter.

The second is to receive solid counsel, and the best place to get that is from people with seasoned experience who know the cultures, the relational connections, and the ministry opportunities available.


With over a century of experience, SIM has the experienced consultative resources you need to plan out the calling the Lord has put on your hearts.  Contact us today to learn more.


1. MissionConnect
One of the most important ways your church can become highly effective in long term missional engagement is through the supporting, adopting, and practical ministry connection with missionaries in the Field.  Many churches find that the most under-developed missional resource they have is missionaries they already support.  Instead of viewing missionaries merely as "people they support financially overseas", they begin to see their missionaries as an extension of their own church - a personal connection resource with whom they can connect much more effectively.

— Who better to visit on a short term team?

— Who better to connect your church personally to a culture or a people group?

— Who better to be a conduit for adopting a mission project bringing humanitarian aid to a lost and dying world in the name of Jesus?

The missionaries you support right now should be your first answer. We would like to help you better connect with the SIM missionaries you currently support, because we know there will be measurable fruit that will benefit your congregation.  And because missionaries "don't grow on trees", we have also made a way for your church to "adopt" current SIM missionaries who are engaged in mission ministry in countries and mission focus that is aligned with your vision.  Contact us today to learn more.


2. "International Epicenters"
Helping churches in the United States get better mobilized into cross-cultural mission is a exciting task in and of itself.  An even more difficult task, however, is helping those newly mobilized churches effectively connect to cross-cultural settings around the world.  The truth is, some places are easier to connect with than others.  Considerations such as language, security and safety, the presence of healthy national church partners and mission partners, and access (whether a country is "open" to Christians engaging in evangelism and ministry) are key issues, especially when considering inserting short term teams and individuals into a country.

SIM USA has developed a two-step approach to adressing this issue.  The first is to attempt to conect your church's efforts to and with the missionaries you already have relationship with.  When there is no such missionary to connect with (or the missionaries you do support are in an environment which is not conducive to active participation from your church), we have identified worldwide mission Epicenters.

An “Epicenter” is a place from which energy is radiated, from which an entire region may be impacted... SIM has a worldwide network of field locations that can be conduit points of resource & relational connection.  These are places where there is a nexus of access, security, established national church partners, and available ministry projects to engage with through which church partnering connections can happen. Located around the world, our Epicenter locations periodically shift to reflect changes in situations in various countries and as strategic opportunities become clear to SIM leadership.

Contact us today to learn more about how your church can radiate it's impact through an SIM Epicenter.

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