As a Reliant International team, we have experienced time and time again the benefits of having a set-aside time, prior to heading overseas for cross-cultural training. While the preparation that has come from the sending church generally covers 90% of what’s needed, it is wise to consider what missiological and experiential training is also needed.
Cross-cultural ministry requires a high level of flexibility, interpersonal skills, and personal resilience. For someone to enter into this type of long-term ministry environment without taking time to be equipped and transition well will decrease their effectiveness in integrating into the culture at best. At worst it can be extremely harmful to the worker and those close to him or her.
We recognize that in our day, we have access to abundant resources at the tip of our fingers, anytime day or night. While this is a tremendous blessing, it can also work in the opposite direction and increase guilt or loneliness for workers who are struggling, when it seems like they should know all the right answers. There is a different type of transformation that happens in an in-person setting, as others walk alongside you with grace and encouragement.
We have partnered with two great organizations that have decades of experience preparing workers to successfully make the transition to a foreign context. We require all Reliant International workers to attend one of these trainings before launching, unless a ministry has arranged for its team members to receive this training from another source.
For married couples or families with children, pre-field training will not only give you the tools you need as an individual but will equip your family with common words and language to talk about the often hard-to-articulate struggles of culture shock and life overseas. This is not just an investment in your ministry, it is an investment in the health and success of your family on the field.
| Center for Intercultural Studies | https://cit-online.org/ |
|---|---|
*As a partnering organization, you will receive a 10% discount from website pricing | Based in North Carolina Offers 4-week EQUIP cross-cultural training program 2-week option Language Acquisition Course Nursery for 0-2; Age-appropriate cross-cultural curriculum for children ages 3-17. Apartment-style housing (Some meals provided, but access to your own kitchen for meal prep) Extended online learning and support are available once you are on the field EQUIP: appx. $2,000/adult Language Acq: appx. $1350/adult |
| Missionary Training International | https://www.mti.org/ |
| Based in Colorado Offers 4-week COMPASS program that combines cross-cultural training and language acquisition Nursery for 6 weeks-1 year; Age-appropriates cross-cultural curriculum for children 2-17. Dorm-style housing (All meals are provided in the cost) COMPASS: appx. $4,000/adult |
A few of the Covered Topics include:
- Culture Shock & Transitions
- Cultural Adaptation
- Managing Expectations for Overseas Life & Ministry
- Healthy Team Dynamics
- Stress Management
- Healthy Life Rhythms
- Tools for Cross-Cultural Study
- TCKs (Third Culture Kids)
- Language Acquisition
Please see the websites above for more detailed overviews, scheduling, and pricing. You may need to pay a small deposit to hold your spot, and then the remaining balance can be billed directly to Reliant and paid from your MTD fund. All costs for travel, food, and lodging are reimbursable. Reach out to international@reliant.org with any questions.
Common Objections
We understand that there may be multiple reasons why you don't want to attend pre-field training. You are not the first! Here are some of the common reasons people want to opt-out. Please take some time to read through these if you have similar concerns.
Final Thoughts
As a Reliant International team, we continually see the cost-benefit ratio on cross-cultural training to be completely worth it. While no training is perfect at eliminating Goer attrition, the majority of the attrition we have seen opted to not go through a training program like this in order to get to the field more quickly. As an organization, we will always default to what the partner needs. However, if we made requirements and policies for what cross-cultural workers do prior to going overseas, this would be one of them. Also, we want to assure you that Reliant does not receive any type of kickback or profit from your participation.
As always, we trust our partners to lead their people well. Please consider this option from the experience of the Reliant team as you make a decision to go personally, or to help those you are sending consider this option.
