Relationships cultivated during deputation are mutually beneficial for the kingdom of God.
Deputation is not only a time for raising financial support for your ministry but for building relationships as well.
While on deputation, as we invited others to partner with us in prayer and financial support, we were given the privilege of praying for them as well. They invited us to walk alongside them through their life journeys as they walked with us through ours.
While having a solid financial support network is necessary when working overseas, prayer relationships are vital. Living cross-culturally is guaranteed to have trials.
Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Jesus guarantees we will have trouble in the world. He wasn’t specific about living in a foreign culture. Still, I dare say there will be even more tribulation living cross-culturally. Knowing people are praying for you will bring the Lord’s peace to your life.
Relationships Are Key
Inviting others to partner with your ministry is about more than them praying for you and sending a monthly check. Take the time to develop deep connections with others while you are on deputation. You will need relationships with people who are genuinely concerned for your heart and your spirit, those who will ask the hard questions. Those are the people you will be able to call on when the tribulation comes.
God Reveals Our Strengths
During deputation, I struggled to find what I had to offer in the way of ministry. If your journey is like mine, you may wonder about what you bring to your ministry as well. It may take a while to figure out your role during your support-raising time. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have everything figured out. It’s not just about the phone calls, emails, and presentations. If you allow God to work in your heart and do what comes most naturally to you, He will show you your strengths in the most remarkable ways.
As we neared the end of our deputation time, Bryan shared a scene he witnessed time and time again. Of those who would chat with us after a presentation, the men would typically come up to him and ask him technical questions. They would ask questions about aircraft, like “What kind of plane do you fly?” and “What size engine is in that?”
As we cleaned up one morning, he told me that after our presentation, as he was fielding these technical questions, he looked over and saw me chatting with another lady. Both of our faces were wet with tears, and we were hugging one another for probably the sixth time during that single conversation.
He told me he marveled at how quickly I could connect with others and that he could never accomplish that. He said, “When you find yourself questioning what you bring to this ministry, I want you to remember this scene. And remind yourself that you can connect with people on a level I never could.”
Gifts That Complement
I began seeing how God could uniquely use me as Bryan’s partner. I brought an aspect of relationship-building to this ministry that had been missing. Before we were married, Bryan was in this ministry alone. God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18). God established me as that helper fit for my husband. Bryan and I have very different gifts, which complement one another.
As a team, you and your spouse can minister to others more fully than you ever could on your own. And you do not just minister through the organization you are with or the work you are doing, but with your lives and how you relate to others. Each of you ministers to different people on different levels—yet another reminder that we are all beautifully broken, and God can use us in the most unexpected ways.
Life is guaranteed to have trials, living cross-culturally is likely to intensify those trials. Having a relationship with Christ, and prayer relationships with others are key to your peace.
I invite you to pray with me.
Father God, thank you that you have overcome the world! Lord, I claim your peace for the tribulation that is to come. Thank you for the people you have already selected to be part of our ministry team, to walk beside us in our ministry, and provide the prayer, emotional, and financial support we will need. I pray you would prepare their hearts for how they want to be involved in our ministry and prepare our hearts for how we may minister to them as well. Thank you, Lord, for your provision, wisdom, and guidance. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Today’s post is adapted from my book Living Uprooted: Encouragement for the Missionary Wife
You can find the ebook online at the Redemption Press bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
If you would like to hear a little more about the heart behind Living Uprooted, tune into my interview with Angie Baughman on the Steady On podcast from March 30th.
Steady On Ministry and Podcast Interview
Live Steady On with Angie Baughman
“The focus of Steady On ministry is to identify the lies we believe, the places we are stuck, and finding Biblical application to help us move forward.”
Take a listen as Angie and I discuss how great God is through the difficult seasons of life.
Listen to a preview below:
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