If you cannot find the answer to your question below, please complete an enquiry form and we respond as soon as we are able.
How can I get my church more involved in mission?
Start by reading the guide ‘Encouraging World Mission’ available from the Global Connections office for £2. It will give you suggestions, provoke questions that you need to ask and list other resources that would be helpful. Also look at promoting mission.
How do I find out which organisation is working in which country?
The Global Connections search engine will give you some information on member mission agencies, but you will get more information from the agencies website. Remember that working in some countries has serious security implications and some agencies do not publicise all the countries in which they work.
I am going to work/go on holiday in __________, and I would like to know of an English-speaking Pentecostal church in ____________.
This is a very difficult question – there is no one directory of churches around the world. If you are looking for the church of a particular denomination then the best place to start is the central office of that denomination in the UK. If you are looking for an Anglican church overseas, contact Intercontinental Church Society (www.ics-uk.org) Alternatively you can contact the office of an agency that works in that country.
I feel led to work in a tentmaker ministry in (Italy). I hope to use my graphics skills and work in evangelism, but I don’t know how to go about this. I would like to link with a local church there.
You need to ask a lot of questions and talk to others who know Italy and have been working there for some time. Find out as much as you can about Italy, the church there, the history of mission in Italy and the experiences of the various Christian agencies that have worked there. Everything you learn, positive and negative, will help you in preparing for a ministry God might have for you in Italy. Don’t be too settled in your intentions too early – God has a way of surprising his children.
I am thinking of taking a gap year and working with children. I have French conversational skills and have experience of working in a youth drama group. Can you help?
Identify which countries of the world use French extensively. Get hold of a Short-term Directory produced by Christian Vocations (www.christianvocations.org) and look up countries and opportunities where the French language would be useful.
Can you recommend any resources to help my daughter integrate back into the UK after her year in South America?
Look at the Global Connections Code of Good Practice on short-term mission. If she went with an agency, that agency should have a debriefing programme, especially if the agency is signed up to then code. Marion Knell’s book, ‘Burn Up or Splash Down’ (available from our online shop) talks about re-entry issues for adults and teenagers.
We’ve heard that more and more people from the developing world such as South America, Africa, etc are coming to undertake mission in the UK and we are wondering if you have any concrete examples or statistics of this phenomenon.
There are no statistics available but we know of a number of people from Latin America and Africa who are working here. Some have come with organisations like ‘Go to the Nations’, some have come to work with a particular church and others have come to work independently.
We want resources in our church missions committee to help us put world mission on the map in our church. Do you have anything that would energise our young people into thinking world mission? Is there anyone at Global Connections that could come and talk to us about world mission and getting involved?
This is a complicated and many sided question. Get hold of a copy of ‘Encouraging World Mission’ by Bryan Knell available from the Global Connections office. What suggestions do the young people on your committee have? If there aren’t any, that could be the start of your problem.
What’s the name of that book by Marion Knell about missionary kids and cross-cultural issues? We want to order 10 copies please.
The book is called, ‘Families on the Move’. It is available through the Global Connections office and also through Amazon Marketplace.
Our church wants to support mission work in Tibet. Can you tell us which mission agencies work there?
Yes, you can search the
directory of members to find out which of our member organisation work in any country.
I am considering mission work overseas. How do I go about it?
If you have not done so already, then talk to your church leader. If God wants someone involved in mission, He usually makes it very plain to the person concerned and to other Christians they know. God rarely calls people to do something overseas that they have shown no ability of gifting to do in their home situation.
Christian Vocations has a series of questionnaires and tests to help you examine your gifts and your calling. They also have a vocation consultancy service, but you can start by going to their website. (
www.christianvocations.org). The
Oscar website provides very useful information and where to go for advice (
www.oscar.org.uk).
My daughter is going to work in Gambia with "................" mission agency. I have never heard of them. Are they alright?
Global Connections can give you information on over 170 mission agencies. If the organisation your daughter is going with is a member of Global Connections, then we have checked its general reputation and its financial integrity. Go to the directory of members to search for the name of the organisation.
Will my child who has grown up overseas be treated as a British student at university?
Yes, if you fill in the application form correctly? For education purposes, you are ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK and ‘temporary resident’ overseas. You need to be sure you have the evidence to back your application. See paper on GC website TCK Forum and linked to DfE website.
What is the relationship between Global Connections and the Evangelical Alliance?
Global Connections and the Evangelical Alliance are sister organizations and work closely together. The Evangelical Alliance started in 1846 and Global Connections started in 1941 and for most of its life was known as the Evangelical Missionary Alliance. Both organisations were based in the same building in London and at times in their history have shared the same staff. However, Global Connections and the Evangelical Alliance are independent charities with different trustees and charity registration.
What is a TCK?
TCK stands for Third Culture Kids and includes MKs (Missionary Kids) as well as the children of Diplomats and Business Personnel who have grown up overseas. Global Connections has a forum dedicated to the issues relating to TCKs. Children who experience growing up outside their passport culture share certain characteristics and challenges. For a fuller definition and explanation see ‘Families on the Move’ by Marion Knell.
We have lots of Chinese students living near our church and learning English. How can we reach out to them?
This is the situation in many towns and cities in Britain and many of the students are very keen to practice their English and learn about Christianity. Many have asked to go to church and are fascinated by what they experience. Friends International (www.friendsinternational.org.uk) will be able to help with advice and literature. Chinese Overseas Christian Mission (www.cocm.org.uk) has a bookshop where you can buy Chinese/English Bibles and other literature.
