If you are an American, consider internationals may think the same thoughts about you. One expat writes about experiencing Spanish work culture firsthand while pursing business as mission in Spain. The author observes how the shocking aspects of that workplace society are so normal–and likely beneficial–for nationals.

Similar to how Americans may experience culture shock when jumping across the pond, internationals potentially face awkward situations when coming to America. This article written to internationals in the United States sheds light on how Americans view friendship, and gives tips on developing relationships with them. If you are an American, reading it may open your eyes to how you, probably unconsciously, relate to people, and how this may be uncomfortable or odd to people from other parts of the world.

What are some awkward cross-cultural encounters you have experienced, at home or abroad, due to cultural differences? How would you recommend overcoming these relational blunders?

Go around the country and you see very few churches making long-term, fruitful, global impact. Some churches give financially into a large pool, but have no hands-on contact with global engagement. Many churches say they are too small. Some say they don’t have the resources. Others say they desperately want to be as globally connected as many large churches, but don’t know how. How can we get the 99 percent effectively engaged globally?

No doubt, we need a varied approach, but one strategy is to use a natural rhythm right in front of us. Many of our U.S. cities have Sister Cities through local governments. These Sister Cities are set up to do exactly what we long for–develop long-term relationships through the multiple domains of two cities. These domains can include education, art, humanitarian work, law, business and history. What an opportunity! Artists in Nashville passionate about reproducing disciples for Jesus can connect with, walk with and speak the language of art with artists in Madrid. The same goes for our disciple-making elementary school teachers, business leaders, etc.

Put practical feet on this great concept by finding those in your city who are passionate about a laser-focused, long-term global partnership with a city for the Kingdom’s sake. This might start with people in your church family, but does not need to be restricted to them; this is about the church of your city advancing the Kingdom in a global city.

Next, focus on living out Phil. 2:3-4 as you learn, pray and love.

1. How can your cooperation of local churches in the United States LEARN from the other global city about transforming a city/region for Jesus?
2. How can you PRAY for the other city and never expect anything in return?
3. How can you LOVE on the global city, on their terms?

Your cooperative would be living out what it means to simply put the needs and interests of others ahead of yourselves.

The natural question people will continue to bring up in your church and city is, “What is in this for us?” The beauty of Christ’s Kingdom and this approach is how it’s so unnatural. Partner with your Sister City and expect nothing in return. Lavish love on them to see “on earth as it is in heaven” in their city. What greater reward can there be?

Written by Billy Mitchell. Billy is a church-planting strategist in St. Petersburg, Fla.

For many, the holiday season is a time gathering with family and friends to carry out long-lived traditions involving food, music and laughter.

Yet for those who live overseas, this time of year may translate into missing heartwarming activities while thousands of miles stand between them and their loved ones; it may mean making very conscious efforts to not think about being homesick or depressed.

Know someone who is living outside of their home country for the sake of the Gospel? Check out these tips, as well as those listed below, to practice some (re)member care and send them a little Christmas love.

• Pray for them (and their families). Commit to do so every time you gather with your own friends or family, or every day you are on holiday.
• Send them a Christmas card, letter or care package.
• Schedule a Skype meeting–sometimes hearing familiar voices and seeing familiar faces can make all the difference.
• Donate to their cause–financially, with your time, etc. The next best thing to seeing you on Skype is seeing you in person. Also, knowing they have monetary support from the home front can do wonders for fighting depression, doubt and worry.

The same goes for missionary kids, or Third Culture Kids (TCKs), who have grown up in a country outside of where they were born. While their heritage may be rather different than that of their closest friends, they feel more at home in this “third culture” than in the place where most of their relatives call home. Yet many TCKs head back to their home countries–or even to a fourth culture–to pursue a university degree.

There it is again–transition.

Websites and networks like this one exist to help families and students going through such awkward relocations. If you’re experiencing such a large transition or know of someone who is, this may be worth looking into. Better yet, if you’re part of an aspiring sending church that wishes to effectively support those you send out, this might be a good place to start. As we’ve discussed before, (re)member care is vital to the health and longevity of those whom we send out.

What are some other good networks or websites you’ve found can help with families or third culture kids facing international transitions?

Instead of having each family tell their personal story at their own personal blog address, Sojourn is combining each story into one blog hosted and promoted by the church which is a momentous shift for the sending church to declare and remind both the sent and the sending ones that these are ours–they are a part of us.

This is in keeping with the model of the Antioch church that sends some of its very best–Paul and Barnabas–on mission as recorded inActs 13 and then has them report back to the church at the end of the next chapter. Paul and Barnabas stayed at the church some time after sharing what had happened in their travels where it appears that they were a part of the community and able to speak back into the lives of others about the things they learned while going out to the nations on mission.

This simple shift of where writings are posted communicates so much about the value placed on those the church has sent and the worth they bring to the body of Christ. This best practice needs to be incorporated into The Sending Church Story.

This article from Families in Global Transition suggests the relocating individual or family and their sponsoring organization/group would benefit from intentionally cultivating their intercultural skills. This involves taking on a learner’s perspective, knowing yourself and seeing daily life as a living laboratory that is never boring.

Sure, “rarely does a day go by when an expatriate is not confronted with a situation that draws forth a judgment, or that causes our shoulders to tighten or our emotions to rise.” No doubt about that. Yet, “taking an intercultural orientation is about being intentional with your expatriate … life; doing so directly supports you living from your highest and best.”

Learn about choosing to live internationally for the sake of the Gospel from a couple of guys who know about it firsthand: Kyle Goen and Mark Michael.

What other suggestions do you have for how to be an interculturalist and adapt to a new place/culture/people?

This label has haunted Christine Osgood, who recently wrote about it at TheMissionBook.com. The term is ascribed to missionaries who plant themselves in a location, establish a few relationships, begin a couple of projects, see all the sights and then are gone within three to five years.

Osgood, a training team leader with Christian Associates International, notes that as much as a believer of Christ needs to be OK with being involved in God’s mission by going, they also need to be OK with staying.

“People need ask themselves prior to mission, ‘Am I willing to stay here for a significant period of my life, should God ask me to?’” she said.

Some may argue some missions is better than no missions. While Osgood thinks short-term trips can help an individual develop a passion for long-term involvement, she suggests considering 10-15 years when contemplating a relocation to be sure one’s motives are pure. This helps people develop a “long view” and keeps them from already having their exit in mind when they get to a location. This approach also agrees with Malcolm Gladwell’s take on expert status requiring 10,000 hours or 5-10 years of commitment.

What’s your take on the idea of a missionary tourist? What are the positive or damaging effects on staying in a location for a 3-5 years? 10-15 years?

The stretching process Wilson talks about is a topic I have written about before. This is something I refer to as becoming disoriented through mission. This was introduced in 3 parts here, here and here. Just as an aside on this as it relates to the whole, I would advocate that we expect and act on the disorientation that is inevitable in this process. This is a very good thing. However, mission for the sole purpose of the goer’s discipleship is not…I repeat, NOT justification enough. Missions for my good and a neutral or worse effect for those I have been sent to sounds either juvenile or cruel. This does not fit with the life and example of Christ.

As short-term trips are on the table for discussion, I thought it helpful to pass along The Problems with Short-Term Trips and What is Right With Short Term Trips from one of our very own writers–Natalie Bunch. Also, here is a piece from Christianity Today asking about the stewardship aspect of short-term missions.

If you are reading this blog, you probably are pretty familiar with Christianity and the Bible. Who knows, you might even be a well equipped “missions fanatic” (and have the trading cards to prove it). If this is true, then you should have no problem finishing this rather well known Bible verse:

“Be still, and….”

I have found in face-to-face dialogue, nine out of 10 times the answer given is, “Be still and know that I am God.” However, if you look below, you will see this response completes only the first third of the verse.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).

I believe where we finish this verse is crucial. By reading Psalm 46:10 as, “Be still and know that I am God,” the verse becomes everyone’s favorite “quiet time” verse. (I’ll save you a rant and simply say I’m not a big fan of that phrase.) This “quiet time” means we disengage from others and fix our attention on God and ourselves, and afterward are released back into the mission field. Yet this seems to miss how the invisible God works in the context of the rest of the Bible.

Psalm 46:10 is a verse about God on a mission with a people on a mission. When I practice physical stillness and sit with the Father, it is anything but quiet; I hear Him loudly. I hear his marching orders. I hear who I am to intercede for at that moment, and then later. I hear things about what He’s going to do that I never hear when I’m too busy or too loud to hear his voice. Psalm 46:10 is a verse about mission, not my personal growth. The church should be taught to sit in the prayer closet and intercede on behalf of nations our feet may never set foot in.

Outside of personal stillness, my favorite expression of corporate worship is when a large group of Christ-followers are silent and still together. Recently, I participated in an event called “The Two St. Petes” in St. Petersburg, Fla. The event had three purposes–to pray for St. Petersburg, Russia, learn from the Russians at the event, and put the needs and interests of St. Petersburg, Russia, ahead of those of St. Petersburg, Fla. The event blew us all away.

What was most powerful to me was the 50 people in a room in St. Petersburg, Fla., sitting still before the Father and asking God to transform St. Petersburg, Russia, and use each of us as He saw fit. We might have been quiet, but He wasn’t. From the feedback I’ve received, He spoke to individuals and churches loudly and clearly.

Imagine if your alone time with God each day were less “quiet” and more “on mission.”

Written by Billy Mitchell. Billy is a church-planting strategist in St. Petersburg, Fla.