Bridging Cultures: What You Need to Know about Short-term Mission

Bridging Cultures: What You Need to Know about Short-term Mission

What if you are looking for missionary experience, but you are not ready for a year-long commitment? Or perhaps you are discerning if long-term service is where God is calling you. SAMS has a short-term missionary program that will help you discern the next steps in your vocation and explore your potential missionary call. Are you ready to become a Missionary Bridger?

What is a Bridger?

A Bridger expands the bridge of service between missionaries and churches across the world!

What’s the point?

You will meet the desire for serving longer than traditional short-term mission work of two weeks, yet shorter than missionary service of three years.  Some want to extend ministry for a longer period of time than a short-term mission offers while others want to discern further the Lord’s calling for long-term missionary service.

How does a Bridger internship work?

Missionary Bridgers are partnered with and mentored by an experienced SAMS long-term missionary.  Missionary Bridgers have served with missionaries in Africa, Europe, South America, and Central America. SAMS’ Missionary Bridgers are often assigned a “Cultural Link Person” from their host country who will help them manage ordinary life experiences like going to the bank, locating a store, or navigating transportation.  Some Missionary Bridgers will also have formal language lessons.

How old do I have to be?

SAMS sends Missionary Bridgers from many age groups—pre-career, mid-career, and post-career.  To be considered for a SAMS internship, it is necessary for the applicant to have completed high school or the equivalent of high schoolat least one year beofre beginning the program.  You must be at least 18 years old at the beginning of your internship.  Some of our applicants are college graduates, currently enrolled in college, or have no college experience at all.   We look for Christians who are seeking God’s will for their lives and we consider life experiences as indicators of the applicant’s qualification to serve as a SAMS Missionary Bridger.

What is required to be a Bridger?

Accepted Missionary Bridgers will be required to attend a Missionary Bridger Training Workshop (3-day intensive conference in Ambridge, PA).  The primary focus of this workshop is to build relationships with Missionary Bridger applicants so that we can better serve you as you serve Christ in your later determined host country.  In the workshop we will discuss individual Missionary Bridger placement, expectations for the placement, cultural adaptation and, because Missionary Bridgers raise their own financial support like our long-term missionaries, we will develop your personal intern budget and prepare you to start raising your own support.  The training will be offered periodically so that at least six months prior to your departure date, you will be prepared for your placement and to raise financial and prayer support.

What can I except to achieve?

Grow personally in all aspects, especially spiritually as you face a new environment and the challenges that accompany it. Expand your vision of God at work in the world. Discover and develop gifts for ministry, increasing your effectiveness for wherever God calls you. Discern next steps in your vocation, and particularly explore potential missionary call. Offer yourself as a living sacrifice serving others under the guidance of your missionary mentor. Build Christ-centered relationships with those God calls you. Encourage your sending church by being an extension of their ministry and seeking to bridge the church to the world.

So, how do I sign up?

If you are interested in pursuing a Missionary Bridger internship with SAMS, please contact Lynn, SAMS Short-term Missions Coordinator at lynnbouterse@sams-usa.org.  
SAMS Short-term Mission Leaders’ Training

SAMS Short-term Mission Leaders’ Training

SAMS is hosting a Short-term Mission Leaderships’ Training. This training is designed for anyone interested in learning more about cross-cultural ministry in a local or global context. This training will equip leaders of short-term mission teams so that they can train their team!

When: February 17-18th, 2018

Registration is $99 and includes training materials and meals.

For more information click on this brochure

To register contact Lynn Bouterse at 724-266-0669 or lynnbouterse@sams-usa.org

Partnering with Trinity School for Ministry: Houston Relief Effort Mission

Partnering with Trinity School for Ministry: Houston Relief Effort Mission

Dear Friends in Christ,

Sometimes I get discouraged watching the news. Recent events can make it difficult to want to face what is happening in this broken world, but God calls us to go into the dark places in order to be a light to those in the midst of turmoil.

This upcoming week I will be heading to Houston alongside our short-term ministries coordinator to serve alongside Trinity School for Ministry students. We will be heading to the southeastern part of the city to do relief effort from Hurricane Harvey. Houston is the 4th largest city in America, with a population of over 2 million. In the southeastern part alone there are over 15,000 people. These people have lost everything. Their homes destroyed, and their belongings swept away with the water. SAMS has helped with the training to prepare for this mission. We will be partnering with Christ Church Plano and Missio Dei Anglican Church in Houston to help restore the homes of those in the neighborhood. The training consisted of team building, logistics, team roles, and spiritual development. While at the training, the team had a surprise visit from Archbishop Foley Beach from the Anglican Church in North America. He prayed with us and for all the people we will serve.

One thing that kept coming to me and the rest of the team was the word “presence.” Will you join me in praying for this mission? How might we be encouraged to bring God’s presence no matter where we go? I pray His presence will be overflowing and those who have felt nothing but loss soon feel the comfort and hope of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Your Partner in Christ,

Sarah Norris

Writer and Communications Specialist