World Partners Update October 2011
World Partners Update: October 2011
Katelyn Mithoefer and her teammates wanted to “live long-term in the short-term” during their internship in Ireland this past summer. “Six weeks is a short period of time to build contacts and invest in lives,” she explained. “But God had us there and called us to be faithful.”
Katelyn, along with two other classmates from Grace College, Dan Ng and Janna Lodwick, went to Dublin on a Mission Exploration Team internship with GBIM. The three are art majors, and one of their goals was to explore the connection between art and missions, or as Janna put it, “How we, as artists, can live on mission while having an impact on the artistic community.”
They also wanted to see, as other interns do, how God might use this experience as a springboard to full-time missions. The core idea of internships is “providing a practical step for someone to explore and contribute to missions in a short term experience,” explained GBIM’s Personnel Officer Blaine Horst. Continue...
GBIM sent a record number of individuals into internships this year. This, and other reasons, lead us to believe that internships will be a growing part of GBIM’s recruitment and training strategies.
In today's world, people feel a great sense of responsibility as they look to use and invest their gifts and abilities. Individuals interested in missions want to be able to minister well, using their gifts in a ministry that is a good fit. Internships are a good option because they can help confirm a good match before jumping into a long term commitment.
An intern can provide strategic help to a long-term missionary team. They can infuse fresh energy, build new excitement, and offer hands ready for hours of work. As they build relationships in new circles of friends, they find people God has prepared for His Good News. Continue...
As God continues to lead you in your journey, contact John Ward at GBIM. He’ll listen to what God is doing in your life and help you investigate which of the many options may be best for you and your circumstances. We’ll work with you and your church to confirm God's leading and enable you to move into the ministry role right for you.
Do you have questions about your role; or about what steps to take in your situation? Do you wonder where to focus your energies? Please call us. We’d be glad to spend time with you as you seek God’s leading. Together, let’s express God’s passion for the nations in our actions!
Contact: John Ward,
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or 615-506-9118.
Ronald Allen Guiles of Warsaw, Indiana passed away on Saturday, September 17, 2011, in his residence at the age of 75.
Ron was coordinator of PrayNow, a daily email prayer request initiative, for six years. PrayNow reaches over 900 individuals daily and encourages people to pray for missionaries all over the world. He was considered an integral part of the communications team at GBIM.
Remembered as being a wonderful encourager by staff at GBIM, Ron’s kind-hearted, and positive personality will be greatly missed. His influence at GBIM has deep roots that continue to affect ministry. Continue...
Judy Daniels
It’s common to think of missionary internships as experiences that benefit the interns. Internships help them gain cross-cultural experience and give them focus for future decision-making.
It’s not as common to think of internships as benefitting the missionary. After all, having an intern usually involves extra responsibility and time for the missionary, who is already overloaded with work.
But while missionaries are realistic about the added responsibility, many see an internship as a two-way street that benefits them as well.
Pam Crane from Johnson City, New York, served two internships at the Chateau de Saint Albain in France. She was in charge of the Chateau kitchen, working with GBIM missionaries Jay and Debbie Hocking. She cooked, prepared menus, planned shopping trips, and assisted with other needs, which the Hockings appreciated. Continue...
GBIM is pleased to announce the appointment of Mickey Kaufman as the new Director of Stewardship Ministries. As we've listened to your suggestions about ways to improve our supporting services, one concern consistently rose to the top of the list - how to help new and existing staff members create and maintain a healthy support team. Toward that end, last week we invited Mickey to join our staff.
Mickey comes to us with extensive cross-cultural missions experience (France and Russia), as well as 12 years of leading the Development Department of a mid-sized mission agency. Together with Dave Lewis (our Stewardship Mobilizer), she will be working hard to expand our stewardship services.
