
Dick Brodgen’s Missionary God, Missionary Bible (a one-year, missions centered, chronological reading of the Bible) demonstrates the realities of long obedience and dedicated global service. He shares some powerful statistics on the time required to make lasting cross-cultural connections.
“A recent study showed that most missionaries don’t return for their third 4-year term. In other words, the average length of missionary service is about seven years and declining. In my own experience and general observation, it takes about ten years of hard labor before one sees fruitful missionary traction. Our sad missionary statistics indicate that many missionaries give up just a few years before breakthrough comes.” (April 28th reading).
He continues to highlight this reality by stating, “All missionaries sign up to work hard, but it’s one thing to volunteer to labor and another thing to sustain that labor in year 17 and beyond. Most missionaries don’t complete their third term; they don’t make it past year 7. Our anecdotal observation is that most breakthroughs happen around year 10” (June 4th reading).
What would it take for global workers to stay the course and remain beyond year 7? From my experience coaching cross-cultural workers, I can connect with some of the main points of struggle while navigating the difficult terrain of developing long-lasting cross-cultural connections. Dealing with these overwhelming realities without trusted support in your corner can send workers packing for home. Abiding in the presence of God, cultural training, mentorship, and daily dependence on the leading of the Holy Spirit are the necessary building blocks of building and maintaining long-lasting connections.
Another way to cultivate the tenure of the cross-cultural worker beyond year 7 is through leadership coaching. I offer coaching partnerships for leaders desiring to lean forward in making cross-cultural connections with clarity, confidence, and consistency. I use a cultural values roadmap that leverages awareness derived from a brief assessment to guide coaching conversations around the joys, realities, struggles, pressures, and adjustments of cross-cultural work. Could regular exposure to leadership coaching with this emphasis help global workers experience strength for the long hall, past year 7, past year 10 and beyond? I’m curious to find out, let’s chat about the possibilities that coaching can provide over a free Curiosity Call by clicking here!
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