Through the Storms
On knowing Christ and making him known
When Kristen*, one of our cross-cultural workers, first moved to her country of service, she had a promising job opportunity in front of her. She knew that living and working in another culture would come with great challenges, but she was excited. The job seemed like a perfect fit –...
Understanding Spiritual Warfare
Ephesians 6:10-24
Spiritual warfare is an important topic for any worker, overseas or at home. In order to stimulate a discussion on this topic, I will look at Paul’s famous passage in his Letter to the Ephesians. Here is the passage: 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of...
Prayer and Faith
Mark 11:22
Part of our ethos as Interservers is that we are a people of prayer. We are not alone in this. I think it is a common attribute of all followers of Christ. Our interest in prayer demonstrates that we have a real relationship with God. As a result, we think...
With Such a Checkered History, Should I Even Get Involved in Overseas Work?
Has cross-cultural work been overly tarnished by colonialism? Many think so. I was once asked in a meeting, “Why should our friend get involved in this work when the history of working overseas is replete with so many mistakes?” This objection is a common one. Many people believe that overseas...
The Problem of Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is believing in the superiority of one’s ethnic group. Even though it sounds like ethnocentrism is bad, ethnocentrism has positive and negative qualities. For a minority group in oppressive conditions, ethnocentrism enables the group to create and sustain an identity over extended periods of time. The downside of ethnocentrism is...
Why We Serve Holistically
Why is holistic ministry a fundamental aspect of Interserve’s ethos? This quote from Change Across Cultures by Bruce Bradshaw highlights why serving holistically is so important: The great [overseas] outreach of the 19th and 20th centuries planted churches around the world. It was less successful, however, in transforming the societies...