The USA/Canada Region is offering short- and mid-term missions opportunities on the region, aiming to prepare the next generation of missionaries and missional leaders.
"There's been a gap in opportunities here on the USA/Canada Region in shorter-term developmental opportunities for people who want to explore serving longer term," said Sam Senica, Missions Mobilization co-coordinator for the USA/Canada Region. "We need to introduce them to some practices and some different trainings in order to help get them to that long-term calling. We want to make sure we guide and journey with people into their Kingdom calling."
These short- and mid-term missions opportunities are designed to develop those interested in missions, partnering with Nazarene Compassionate Ministry centers and mission minded leaders in the USA/Canada Region. The hope is to utilize these opportunities to training and cultivate a call to missions in the lives of young people.
This theme isn't just particular to the USA/Canada Region. Global Missions has launched a movement called "The Cause" to equip the next generation of missionaries worldwide through short- and mid-term missions experiences.
Senica says part of being a missionary and working in missions is going to places where the gospel is preached less, the ground is hard, and there is little to no Nazarene presence. Missionaries pioneer new works, develop leaders, and resource those leaders, churches and ministries, ensuring our Wesleyan-Holiness missiology is being practiced.
"It's part of our history as Nazarenes," Senica said. "We started with city mission work, and at times we've moved away from that a little bit. But I think God is still calling us to the cities, and cross-cultural ministry in the cities."
The three short-term opportunities being offered in the USA/Canada Region are just the beginning of many to come. They are located in El Paso, Texas, with Nazarene Border Initiative; Clearwater, Florida, with A Place of Hope Compassionate Ministry Center; and in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with Jubilee Partners. Missions Mobilization is also joining with Nazarene Missions Teams, encouraging teams to come and serve at these locations.
Senica expects many more missions opportunities in the coming year, from short- to long-term. The region also hopes to strengthen its collaboration with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM), Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI), Nazarene Missions International (NMI), and Nazarene Youth International (NYI), both to provide opportunities and pathways for serving, and to help identify and develop those being called to cross-cultural, non-traditional, and city missions, church planting and/or compassionate ministry.
"We want to provide that space for people to discover their call and be developed to eventually be deployed long term in the Church of the Nazarene," Senica said.
For more information about these opportunities to serve on the USA/Canada Region and beyond, visit opportunities.nazarene.org or email mobilizeme@usacanadaregion.org.