Get Equipped
Many missions leaders start out either completely on their own with a steep learning curve or participate in a program or internship where everything is already planned for them. During mission residency in a global city, you receive personal mentoring, practical training, hands-on experience, and foundations for starting ministry in a community while at the same time being engaged in hands-on evangelism. You learn to work with a team, take initiative and contextualize cross-cultural outreach among a specific cultural community living in the city. During the year, the balance of actively receiving guidance for ministry and simultaneously taking initiative in outreach efforts provides an essential experience for launching new the next generation of mission leaders.
Hands-on Experience
Oftentimes, missions training involves countless hours in classrooms and libraries, and those experiences can be quite valuable. However, you greatly benefit from training opportunities that directly feed into what you are doing during that week or even later that day. Everyone is trained in outreach strategies that are effective for reaching new people & multiplying disciples, and we encourage everyone to pursue opportunities to facilitate bible discussions cross-culturally.
Learning By Doing
The best way to learn is by doing. The vast majority of time during the year is spent in hands-on ministry. Principles and practices are taught and then implemented right away. Experience is our teacher. While you have the opportunity to learn from experienced ministry leaders in the city, we also value the opportunities to learn from you as God opens new doors and leads you into new relationships in immigrant communities, among unreached peoples, and with internationals. There is no more exciting way to be shaped for ministry than by doing ministry in an environment that includes mentoring and intentional training.
Mentoring & Coaching
While expected to be self-initiating, missionary candidates are not left on their own without support. Teams have regular debriefing sessions, and individuals each have a mentor that regularly meets with them to help process what they are experiencing. We know that life and ministry during this year can be quite challenging, so the regular support of an experienced mentor is an essential element. Regular debriefs and mentoring provide foundational support for spiritual formation during your year of service.
Global Immersion
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t the beginning of the twenty-first century, the world population became more than 50% urban dwellers, and it is projected that by the middle of the twenty-first century, the world’s populations may become as much as 65% urban. Simultaneously, we are living during the greatest global migration in world history, and the majority of the world’s migrants are relocating to or near cities. As a result, our philosophy of missionary practice must match the new realities of this new world. For example, one of the missionary residency opportunities you may apply takes place in New York City where you can gain team experience sharing the gospel with unreached people groups. If we add up all of the unreached peoples just in NYC, it would be the second largest city in the U.S. Training in New York City — the planet’s quintessential global city — provides experience living and working in an urban world. The city provides a unique (and yet increasingly common) blend of unreached people groups, the force of secularizing culture, postmodernism, and numerous interactions with a variety of cultures.
Opportunities
- 1-Year missionary training program in New York City
- Year-Long Immersive Apprenticeship // Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa
- 10-Month Orlando Dual Enrollment Residency with Johnson University
- 5-Month immersive training in the Atlanta area
Contact jaredlooney@globalcitymission.org for more info or to apply.
Looking for a short term internship opportunity? Check out our summer internships for more info.