Same Spirit, New Song: Pioneers of the Global Church

Eric Kroner • Sep 04, 2023

‘Pioneer’ is not a term to be used lightly – it’s a term of respect and an acknowledgment of the challenges that must be overcome for those first to settle into new territory. A pioneer must break ground to carve a way forward for others that dare to follow behind.

TEAM’s work in the global Church in 2023 includes an increasingly globalized Kingdom workforce. God is raising up disciples from all over the world to take the Gospel message to the unreached. Asule and Neipe are beautiful examples of this. Born and raised in the Nagaland area of India, they are navigating new terrain not only in a new ministry area among unreached Chadians but also as the first two missionaries from the Global South to join and enrich TEAM Chad. To understand how these pioneering women came to ministry in Chad, perhaps its best to start at the beginning…

A Heart for the Nations is Born in Nagaland

The roots of the Gospel in Nagaland can be traced back to the partnership of western missionaries and local believers in the 1870’s. Today, the state of Nagaland is almost 88% Christian, and God is raising up faithful leaders who are hearing the call to cross-cultural missions. Coming from a people group only two generations removed from the first movement of the Spirit affords a unique viewpoint of the global Church. Asule and Neipe bring to the field a unique understanding of resource utilization. They also set an example for the believers in how to live out community, share the Gospel, and integrate culture and faith. TEAM Chad is richer and stronger through their presence; they stretch, challenge, and expand our perspectives.

Asule’s Story

Asule is a third-generation Christian, likely placing her grandparents among the first reached in the region. She began ministry as a youth pastor, but in 2008 followed the call to cross-cultural ministry. Asule spent ten years ministering in Sudan and South Sudan with SIM International. The war-torn landscape saw Asule forced to participate in numerous emergency evacuations.

Now serving in ministry in eastern Chad, Asule’s presence provides a depth of experience in Muslim contexts. Her calm, diligent spirit also provides stability and makes her an irreplaceable member of the small team. She has a passion for the women of the community and for the local church. To deepen relationships with the women of the church, Asule seeks to expand on the French she learned in Mali prior to her arrival in Chad.

Asule’s life and ministry are characterized by humble, resilient service, and a constant learning of culture. One of Asule’s supervisors in Sudan celebrates her in saying that, “in many ways, she is the ideal long-term worker because she bonds authentically with her neighbors whether she is living in Sudan, Mali, or Chad.” 

Asule has a heart for building relationships with those around her.

Neipe’s Story

Neipe also grew up in Nagaland. She is recognized by her cheerful and faithful spirit. Chad is Neipe’s first tour of cross-cultural ministry, but you would never know it from the way she has integrated into the culture, grasped the language, and thrived in the remote village setting. Coming directly from learning French for one year in Mali during Covid lockdowns, Neipe has thrown herself straight into acquiring Chadian Arabic. She shares, “I had to learn like a child just learning how to talk. I had to learn to fully immerse myself in their ways of living, adapting to their culture, and becoming like one of them to earn their trust. This helps them to open up to me. I have built many deep relationships.”

Ministry in Chad is almost entirely lived out through relationships that require a great deal of investment, particularly in the village context. Neipe can often be found spending her time with a group of young girls with disabilities who live close by. Her time is spent reading to them, drawing with them, and loving them as those created in the image of Our Good Father. As a young global worker, Neipe has the potential to become a stable fixture in TEAM’s ministry for many years to come.

Neipe invests in immersing herself in her new culture, gaining an understanding of those to whom she ministers.

A Shared Vision

TEAM Chad has a unique mission paradigm, with over half its members being seconded workers from other global organizations. This multi-generational, multicultural context invites us, and in fact requires us, to continually listen, watch, and learn as we adapt to and embrace the exciting shift in world missions.

Asule and Neipe are truly inspirational as examples of global mobilization. The nature of being a pioneer often means heading out alone and having experiences that are rarely fully shared or understood. As we celebrate these two exceptional workers, TEAM Chad acknowledges that we are imperfect learners of the new song. Nevertheless, we are so thankful to have been entrusted with the privilege to learn and grow together in the same Spirit as we seek to serve the nation of Chad for the glory of His Name.

Written and contributed by: Lucy Morrison and Eric Kroner

Do you see yourself as a pioneer for the Gospel? There are countless opportunities to serve others and further God’s Kingdom in Chad and beyond. Find out more and see where the journey takes you!

Loving Like Jesus Cross-Culturally (Part 1)

By Megan Lunsford • 23 Apr, 2024
When seeking to serve cross-culturally with an authentic love for others, there’s no better example for us than Jesus. If we sat around a table and threw out the question, “How do we love like Jesus?” I think we would have several commonalities as we respond. For example, Jesus loved all people right where they were. He loved those who were deemed the least, those hardest to love, or those who were His enemies. These are all beautiful realities of the heart of Jesus. When we step into relationships, it can be easier to take on the warmer, more gracious gestures of Jesus’ love, especially in cross-cultural relationships. Think about it––when doing life with those who look and act differently than us, we are already out of our comfort zones and would rather keep things as simple and familiar as possible. But there are other facets of Jesus’ heart we often overlook that can transform us and others even more into His likeness. Jesus is love because God is love. Everything Jesus did was out of love; it’s the mere definition of who He is. As followers of Jesus, He calls us to the same: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John:7-12) Every display of love we offer to others is an opportunity for them to encounter the ultimate love of the Father. That’s a pretty big deal! In this article, we’ll look at three expressions of Jesus’ love that we tend to overlook when engaging others cross-culturally. (Next month, we’ll look at three more.) 1. Jesus loved sacrificially. Everywhere Jesus went, crowds followed Him. We even see times in Scripture where Jesus had plans to step away for time alone but those who were hurting found Him and He had compassion on them and stayed with them. Can you imagine rarely having any time to yourself but, instead, constantly being surrounded by crowds of people wanting help from you? Jesus loved sacrificially. He welcomed all who came to Him with love and compassion, never turning anyone away. “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) In the same way, we can make room in our lives for Jesus to bring sacrificial interruptions which, in His eyes, are orchestrated encounters to transfer His love to others. It can be tempting to be so “on mission” that we are full steam ahead and find ourselves frustrated when the Holy Spirit sends an interruption into our path that we feel we don’t have time for. Or, perhaps, we have scheduled a meet-up but it’s the norm in another culture to be 30 minutes or an hour late. We anxiously think through how it will affect whatever we have planned next. While it’s normal to feel a little stressed, what if the very "interruption” standing in front of you was really a divine appointment sent by God? Or what if that person running late experiences how peaceful and gracious you are in adapting to their culture and therefore, they can encounter a beautiful display of Jesus’ love? To truly represent Christ, we should remain ready and willing for each assignment the Lord sends into our path, no matter the cost or how much we will have to re-route our day. He is always a hundred steps ahead and will work all things for His glory and our good. 2. Jesus loved by discerning each situation well. Think about how many situations Jesus had to respond to on a daily basis. We read in Scripture that there were lines of people waiting to be healed by Him, talk to Him, hear His teachings, or simply touch the hem of His robe. Jesus was fully dependent on His Father to discern each situation before addressing it. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) Another temptation we can have when in a relationship with those God has sent us to is to think we already know the solution or what God wants to do before we’ve even asked Him. We believe we are full of knowledge, so we just pull from the bank we have stored within and go with it. However, when we access what is familiar to us as our default, we risk missing out on a God-given solution that might truly be the key to unlocking whatever challenge is in front of us. What does this look like when interacting with others? We can simply ask, “God, what is on Your heart for the person standing in front of me?” Then we listen and respond as He speaks. When we make it a daily habit to pause and hear God’s heart for each situation before responding, we are guaranteed to be effective in loving those around us. He knows the heart of every person that will cross our paths. Imagine how impactful we can be if we first lean on His wisdom and discernment before moving forward. 3. Jesus loved by speaking truth. Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. If we are honest, this conversation makes us a bit nervous as none of us would be comfortable with Jesus calling out intimate details of our lives that we would prefer to hide. But Jesus went further than just airing her dirty laundry. He offered her the hope of the Gospel and a relationship with Him - a divine fulfillment that could never be found in an earthly relationship. Jesus modeled a powerful example of loving others well cross-culturally. He took the low place and spoke truth, truly out of love––speaking to her heart from His. Like Jesus, our goal in sharing the truths about Him and His Word is to bring hope and satisfaction through Him alone. When we speak truth from Scripture, we are calling others higher into all God has for them. The tricky part here is we should avoid speaking truth if it isn’t first fueled by compassion. If it merely comes from a place of judgment, condemnation, or self-righteousness, it will fall flat 100% of the time. But if it truly comes from love, you are likely to not only win a heart back to the Father but, like the story of the Samaritan woman, even an entire village! If you see someone living outside of God’s best for their lives, ask God to show you your heart before engaging theirs. Once your heart is properly postured, you can speak truth out of an overflow of God’s love and trust Him for a transformation in their lives.

Hospitality, Help, and the Hope of the Gospel

By Suzanne Pearson • 16 Apr, 2024
TEAM Canada provides warm welcome and trusted friendships for diaspora populations living far from their native countries. As TEAM Canada workers Peter and Ruth (names changed) drive from their home to a nearby community center, they pass numerous apartment buildings and townhouses. Most of the families who live there are immigrants. They’ve left their countries of origin due to political unrest, trauma, and other difficulties. They’ve left family, friends, homes, jobs, and personal wealth behind. They search for peace, justice for the oppressed, and rest from fear and weariness. And as they adjust to a new country and a new language, they are often very isolated from others around them. “The sad reality is most immigrants are never even invited inside a Canadian home,” says Ruth. Peter and Ruth and their team try to change that reality. For the last nine years, the team, which includes workers from partner organizations as well as volunteers, has held English classes at the community center. Three days a week, over 60 students from more than 20 countries come together to learn English as well as to fellowship together and receive practical help in assimilating to a new normal. Meeting Needs and Building Trust That practical help may come in the form of procuring furniture, clothes, or dishes for newcomers, assistance with creating a resume and finding a job, or teaching people how to navigate Canadian laws and the medical system. As these tangible needs are met, relationships are built. “We invite them into our homes for meals and games,” Ruth shares. “We take them on hiking trips, picnics, outings, and out for coffee.” This is particularly important in this type of ministry because most immigrants come to Canada from cultures that value hospitality. Conversely, Canadians do not typically prioritize hospitality and consequently many newcomers feel lonely and isolated. Inviting folks to various gatherings and outings allows the team to spend extended time hearing people’s stories, struggles, hopes, and dreams. When she speaks about building friendships, Ruth’s heart for the people she serves is evident. “Hearing their stories, it’s easy to love them, and many have become close friends,” Ruth says. “We recognize the value of steady one-on-one relationships.”
Share by: