For months, your international ministry team prepared for its short-term mission abroad. They learned about the people, culture and needs. They learned how to work in a cross-cultural environment. Finally the trip came. The experience was incredible, and the team learned so much more than they ever thought possible. They also probably began to develop a love for the people with whom they worked.
But what if they could continue that ministry while at home? What if they could put their training and experience to continued use? They could by working with their targeted people group or nationality within the United States.
Mission strategists estimate that there are as many as 586 “unreached” and “underserved” people groups represented within the United States. There also are large groupings of nationalities in various metro areas of the U.S. Think Cubans in Florida, Iraqis in Michigan, Romanians in Ohio and so forth. Depending on where you live, you may find that there is a large group near you. What if your team spent a couple weekends or even an entire week serving them after your trip abroad?
Next month, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, will consider a proposal to have their International Mission Board assist with ethnic work within the U.S. The thought is to utilize current and retired missionaries who have an expertise with an international people group to also work with representative groups within the U.S. While using career missionaries differs greatly from using short term participants, the principle is the same: use the experience you gained abroad to help people at home.
So where do you start? If you are with a church or a ministry that is part of a denomination, check with your denomination for a list of ethnic churches and ministries. You might be able to partner with one of them. If you are not part of denomination, ask around. Ask your contacts abroad—they probably know of organizations in the U.S. that could direct you. In fact, your answer may be next door. Our neighbor, for example, is from Ethiopia and attends an Ethiopian church in the area. With America truly the great melting pot, you probably won’t have to look long or far.
We would love to hear your thoughts. Have you done something like this with your teams? Know someone else who has? What are the pros and cons? What suggestions would you have for others? Go to the discussion tab on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/MinistryTravel, or to the Ministry Travel Group page on LinkedIn to share your insights.