Competent Professionals

Who we are

Competent professionals with in-depth subject knowledge, skills and understanding that is relevant to the complexities of the contemporary world.

Questions to consider

In all of the Wellbeing Guides these same 5 questions are applied to the Characteristic being highlighted. They are an invitation to reflect on the Characteristic and to consider for yourself why it is important.

Why does being a competent professional matter?

What impact do professionally competent people have?

What does this mean for you in practice?

How might you be able to grow in professional competence? 

If you are in leadership, how are you encouraging others to grow in professional competence?

If you would like to be reminded of all the Characteristics in the Wycliffe Profile, go to the following page:

Introducing the Welcome Guides

Spiritual Foundations

for Competent Professionals

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…”

Phil.2.3-5/Col.3.23

Attitude matters – it impacts deeply how you approach everything you do. In these verses, having an attitude of humility is clearly in focus. As a competent professional you might spend time thinking about, for example, your gifts and skills, your future direction and your interactions with colleagues. However, as a competent Christian professional, looking at these areas through the lens of humility and doing one’s best could raise some interesting and challenging questions. This space is an opportunity to embrace change, new thinking and personal development as you take the time to reflect on what it means to you to work at something with all your heart.

In the Wellbeing Guides you will find paragraphs (like the one in the green box below) that express what the particular Characteristic being highlighted might look like using active verbs such as: ‘I am maintaining’, ‘I am seeking to grow…’. These paragraphs try to capture aspects of what each Characteristic is about as holistically as possible.

In terms of spiritual foundations, the same paragraph is used in each Guide, but is applied each time through the lens of the Characteristic in focus. Hence, very different questions arise from exploring the idea of, for example, ‘extending grace to others’ as Adaptable Communicators and as Innovative Investigators.

I am maintaining and deepening my spiritual walk, seeking to grow more like Christ through God’s grace. I am extending that grace to others, whole-heartedly participating in community life and demonstrating the fruit of the spirit. I am seeking to grow in understanding and engagement with the leading of the Holy Spirit, through prayer, study and reflection with others.

The word competence contains a whole world of meaning – it has a real sense of knowing what you’re about; it includes the idea of doing what you do well and doing it to the best of your ability. Jesus received direct affirmation from the Father about what he was doing (Mk.1.11) and he spoke about how he only did what he saw the Father doing (Jn.5.19). He could do this because he was secure in his identity, knew who he was and understood what he was about (Jn.13.3). As you pray about having ‘the same attitude as Christ’ when it comes to staying focused on what you are doing and when it comes to using your gifts and abilities, may it be increasingly true for you that you can engage in what the ‘Father is doing’ from the same security of knowing who you are in Christ, and with a humility that reflects Jesus.

YOU AND KNOWING WHO YOU ARE

“If you plan to build a tall house of virtues, you must first lay deep foundations of humility.”

Augustine

“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”

1 Cor 4.7
  • How well do you know your gifts and abilities?
  • How intentional are you in praying about and developing your gifts and abilities?
  • Recognising that our gifts and abilities are a gift from God, how do you express gratitude for this and steward what he has given you?
  • How easy is it for you to consider yourself with ‘sober judgment’ (Rm.12.3) and find a balance between pride and humility when thinking about your gifts and talents?
    • How might the knowledge of your identity as a child of God help you when you struggle with this?
  • Are there ways in which you could use your gifts and abilities more effectively in your context? 
YOU AND STAYING FOCUSED

“Vision is the ability to see God’s presence, to perceive God’s power, to focus on God’s plan in spite of the obstacles.”

Charles R. Swindoll

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

Prov 16.9
  • What motivates you to get up in the morning – or put another way – how would you articulate your vision for what you do?
  • What helps or hinders you to engage in planning and stay focused?
  • What do you do to connect your daily activities with the big picture of your vision?
  • Given the complexity of life in the contemporary world, what challenges do you see that might impact your ability to live out your vision?
  • What does the perspective offered in the verse from Proverbs above say to you as you consider your plans and vision?
GOING DEEPER

Here we highlight ideas and resources, which you are of course free to explore or not. We have tried to come up with different ways to engage with the topics, suggesting activities, books, blogs, videos….that may interest you. We also encourage you to browse our Library of Resources and/or talk to others, including your Pastor or Spiritual Director or mentor, if you have one, for some recommendations.

Exploring Gifts and Abilities
  • If you want to spend some time thinking a bit more about gifts and abilities, this article ‘Spiritual Gifts’, from CRU, contains ideas and a quiz to help with this. Wycliffe has access to a range of psychometric tests (as do some areas if you are with SIL), which can help with self-awareness about gifts and abilities. Contact your PCC for more information on how to makes use of this.
  • Paul talks about ‘eagerly desiring the greater gifts’ (1Cor.12.31) – as we get older we can become quite entrenched in opinions of what we are good at or not good at…God can often surprise us with what he wants to do in our lives, in us and through us. Take some time to pray about your openness to new things and new gifts.
  • Have you thought about volunteering for, or trying out, something completely different that takes you out of your comfort zone – something that might bring you alongside people who think or believe differently to you?
Gratitude
  • When we receive gifts we usually say thank you as an expression of gratitude, and expressions of gratitude are something which the Bible is filled with. From offerings starting with Cain and Abel to building altars such as Jacob’s at Bethel, from Mary’s extravagant pouring out of perfume to Paul’s letters where he has whole sections about thanksgiving for the people he is serving (eg Phil.1.3-11), the Bible shows us the many and diverse ways we can say thank you to God. Here are a few ideas to help with this:
    • Have a go at the practice of finding three things to give thanks for at the end of every day – decide to share this with a friend and/or your spouse/children.
    • Read Ann Voscamp’s book One Thousand Gifts about finding joy in chaos or Barbara Brown Taylor’s book An Altar in the World all about finding the sacred right where you are.
    • Think of someone who has made an impact on your life, but may not know it. Write or call them to say thank you and tell them what they have done.
    • The other side of gratitude is giving – consider looking for creative and imaginative ways to give to others that do not involve money but do involve you e.g. babysitting, offering respite to people who are caring for family members, doing some shopping for someone, calling someone up to encourage them, inviting someone for coffee or a meal…..
Focus, vision and the leading of God
  • When we first join Wycliffe, or need to re-engage with partnership development, we are encouraged to consider our ‘Why?’ – what sits at the core of our being and motivates us to do what we do? If you haven’t re-visited your ‘Why?’ for a while (2+ years), consider taking some time out to specifically ask God to help you see what he has put in your heart.
    • Simon Sinek in this Ted Talk, articulates a bit about why speaking from our ‘Why?’ matters – and that’s just for motivating others. If you want to rekindle your own sense of purpose, then his ideas, when prayerfully considered, are a good place to start.
    • Balance out his ideas with listening to this speech by Martin Luther King Jr. – What is your Life’s Blueprint? (it properly begins at about 3mins).
  • As you open your heart to God about what he might be saying to you about what you are doing, be open to him doing new things (Is.43.19). As we move through life stages, career stages and faith stages, change is part of growth.
Inside Wycliffe
Outside Wycliffe
  • Your Pastor/Vicar or your someone on your pastoral team, an elder or deacon
  • Spiritual Director – you can ask your parish priest for the name of a spiritual director, or you can click here and you will be taken to a London based page that lists spiritual directors from around the country
  • Your prayer support team – if you don’t have one, chat to your PCC about making this happen
  • An independent life coach can be found by googling on the web. However it is as likely that people in your network will know of coaches to recommend.
  • Refresh and Renew
    • Emmaus Retreat All Nations Christian College
    • Scargill Movement – A Christian Community in the Yorkshire Dales, offering a wide variety of retreats throughout the year, with discounts available
    • Lee Abbey – A Christian Community in Devon, offering a wide variety of retreats throughout the year, with discounts available
    • Penhurst Retreat Centre – offering individual & group quiet days and retreats

Competent Professionals and…

Engaging with Personal and Professional Development

In terms of being Competent Professionals, some key ideas apply related to career development and the changing world of work. The following paragraph will be used to explore these ideas.

I intentionally pursue personal and professional development. I take responsibility for identifying my own areas of growth and learning, taking appropriate action to cultivate these and to remain up-to-date with trends and changes in my area/s of expertise.

If Covid has reminded us about anything, it has to be that plans can be derailed easily and quickly, so some preparation for the unexpected is a good thing. This Wellbeing Guide is an invitation to look up, to look out and to look around and consider how you can stay up-to-date and remain ready and open to new approaches in a complex and changing world.

OWNING YOUR CAREER

“Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.”

from Desiderata by Max Ehrman

Career: an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress.

Oxford Languages
  • How ‘interested’ or well-informed would you say that you are about your own career?
  • How self aware are you when it comes to thinking about your career, making plans and being proactive about your professional trajectory?
  • How do you go about making realistic decisions about your career and career transitions?
  • When you are asked about what you might see yourself doing in 3, 5 or 10 years time, what are your thoughts?
RESPONDING TO THE CHANGING WORLD OF WORK

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road….unless you fail to make the turn.”

Helen Keller
  • How aware are you of opportunities for growth and new directions when thinking about your career?
  • How up-to-date are you with developments in your area/s of expertise?
  • In your current context, what does it mean to be professionally competent?
  • What will it take to remain professionally competent if your context changes?
  • What are you doing to pursue continuing professional development?
  • How employable are you outside of our family of organisations? Why does this matter?
GOING DEEPER

Here we highlight ideas and resources, which you are of course free to explore or not. We have tried to come up with different ways to engage with the topics, suggesting activities, books, blogs, videos….that may interest you. We also encourage you to browse our Library of Resources and/or talk to others, including your Pastor or Spiritual Director or mentor, if you have one, for some recommendations.

Owning your career
  • A Professional Development Plan is best developed together with your line manager. For those of you who do not have a line manager, or who need to develop a plan independently:
  • Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is important for multiple reasons such as, keeping your skills and knowledge up-to-date and preparing you for current and future responsibilities. It is also important for future planning and remaining employable in the wider context of work. Here are some resources where courses are offered for CPD, but you are encouraged to discuss this with your line manager as well as with other colleagues.
    • The Workday Hub has Learning and Development courses which you can access to support aspects of your CPD (Continuous Professional Development) – do note the link takes you to the access page and you will need to navigate to the Hub Home -> Professional Development – > Learning and Development Resources.
    • If you are with, or can access SIL’s resources, course-connections is a good place to look for input and your Operational Unit or Area may have coaches available to support you – do note the link takes you to the access page and you will need to navigate to the courses you are interested in.
    • If you are with the Seed Company they have a hub with various points to access learning including resources from Missio Nexus and LinkedIn Learning. Contact Carson Phillips for more information.
  • External Benchmarking: As you think through what CPD might look like for you, it might help to see what would be expected of you outside of Wycliffe. In the dropbox below are links to various professional bodies which may help you to benchmark your career against external competency frameworks and standards, as well as connect you to their CPD resources.
Competency Frameworks and CPD Resources
  • Translation/literacy/linguistics/scripture engagement/media – as academic domains these seem best connected to the Researcher Development Framework developed by Vitae. This offers a helpful tool for getting an idea of external expectations and resources for CPD.
  • Human Resources – take a look at:
    • The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Profession Map to get an idea of how to benchmark professional standards, and their explore their information on CPD.
  • Finance – take a look at:
    • The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) which has a Competency Framework and information on CPD
    • The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) which have a Career Navigator and information on CPD
    • The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) which has a set of Key Competencies and information on CPD.
  • Management & Leadership – take a look at:
    • The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) which has a Professional Standard with four levels to explore and information on CPD which you can access if you join.
  • IT – is somewhat more complex than other areas in that it is highly varied and rapidly changing. As a consequence it is more helpful to look at the Researcher Development Framework developed by Vitae and adapt it to your context in IT, than to look at particular frameworks.
    • For CPD the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers has some useful and relevant input.
  • There are many roles in our family of organisations, not just those listed above. Competency Frameworks are usually available through professional bodies, or, in the case of teaching, government standards are outlined on the government website. Here are a few other options to explore – Project Management, Teaching, Fundraising, Secretarial – but otherwise, do look up your professional body to see what areas and competencies they expect you to be maintaining and developing. The examples above all connect to competency frameworks in those areas.
Career Decision-making
  • Career Guidance has been defined as “…interventions designed to enable individuals to make and implement well informed, realistic decisions and manage subsequent transitions …”(Nottingham Trent University, Career Development).
    • How well-informed do you feel about changes in Wycliffe and the world of work? See below and the next section for some more thoughts about this.
  • Self awareness and opportunity awareness work hand-in-hand to help you make ‘well-informed and realistic decisions‘.
    • If you feel you need to better understand your strengths then
      • Try reflecting on any psychometric test you have done previously (Myers-Briggs, Strengthsfinders, Belbin etc) which might help you focus. Often it is not the specific test that is important but the conversation it can generate about what you want from work and what you are able to give.
      • If you think you might need to refresh your understanding, these test are available via Wycliffe (and some of our partner organisations). Do talk to your PCC for how to access these tests if you feel they would help you in career decision-making and transitions.
    • If you are thinking about change and are wondering about opportunities:
      • Look around you and talk to people who are working in similar roles elsewhere in Wycliffe/partner organisations and/or similar roles in other missions/charity sector.
      • Look outside the Bible Translation world and talk to people working in your area/s of expertise in non-mission contexts, picking their brains for what they consider essential competencies to be developing.
Knowing the times
  • If you would like to know more about the changing world of work, the World Economic Forum have just published a report WEF The Future of Jobs 2023 – there is also a series of Infographics including the Top 3 Drivers for Change and the Top 10 Growing and Top 10 Declining jobs. Below is an example related to Top 10 Skills
  • If you are a line manager at any level, how equipped do you feel to help people with career development? If you recognise a gap in this or any other areas, do consider what might make things easier and do please talk to your PCC and ask for some input.
    • If you can access SIL’s resources course-connections has several courses related to staff engagement and mentoring that may help – do note the link takes you to the access page and you will need to navigate to the courses you are interested in.
  • Creativity (no. 2 above) is an important aspect of future-proofing your career. Consider what you are doing personally and professionally to cultivate your creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. Some ideas are:
    • Attend a creative workshop – art, dance, music, theatre, poetry/prose writing, metalwork sculpture, gardening….
    • Visit a museum or gallery once a month
    • Go on a creative retreat at places like Scargill House or Lee Abbey (see the Courses to Consider tab for links)
Inside Wycliffe
Outside Wycliffe
  • Your line manager
  • Colleagues working in similar contexts
  • An independent life/career coach
Continuous Professional Development
  • All professional groups have courses that are accredited externally – talk to your line manager and/or PCC regarding continuous professional development opportunities
  • Some areas to consider for ongoing development
    • Communication skills
    • Conflict management
    • Leadership
    • Spiritual/Mental First Aid
Creative retreats
  • Scargill House – – runs a varied programme of retreats that include some creative opportunities based in the Yorkshire Dales
  • Lee Abbey – runs a varied programme of retreats that include some creative opportunities based in Devon

Competent Professionals and…

Workplace Culture

Competent professionals are able to act as role models both in terms of their approach to work and in terms of their ability to network and understand their contexts. The following paragraph will be used twice in this Guide to explore these ideas.

I demonstrate Wycliffe’s core values in my words and actions. I act respectfully and professionally towards colleagues and all in leadership within Wycliffe (including our partner organisations), working in accordance with their structures and processes. I understand both the historical development and the current working philosophy and values of Wycliffe, and I recognise that Wycliffe functions in a variety of contexts as one part of the mission of God.

When thinking about people who are truly competent professionals, one notable aspect is that they engender respect, not just for what they know, but for who they are as people worthy of esteem. Everyone wants a workplace culture that is healthy and brings about things like trust, cooperation, safety, risk-taking, accountability and equity, but it is the people within that culture that have the power to make that happen. In this section you will be able to reflect on your own context and what you can do to help build a healthy culture that honours God and the people around you.

YOU AND WORKPLACE CULTURE

“Culture is the environment that surrounds us all the time. A workplace culture is the shared values, belief systems, attitudes and the set of assumptions that people in a workplace share….. A positive workplace culture improves teamwork, raises the morale, increases productivity and efficiency, and enhances retention of the workforce. Job satisfaction, collaboration, and work performance are all enhanced. And, most importantly, a positive workplace environment reduces stress in employees.”

Forbes
  • What words would you use to describe a healthy workplace culture? How well do they describe you and your workplace?
  • What opportunities do you have to proactively build trust and connection in your context?
  • Where trust has been broken and where there is conflict and disconnection, what opportunities could you be taking to mend it?
  • What positive activities happen in your workplace that reduce stress? How much do you participate in them? Are there any you could initiate?
YOU AND PROFESSIONALISM

“Faith-integrated professionalism describes an integral relationship between faith and knowledge, or the process of integrating the content of one’s faith with the subject matter of one’s professional discipline.”

Susan Evans and Glenda Devlin (see article in Resource Library – Professionalism)

“…Christian faith gives us significant resources…which, if lived out, will differentiate believers in the workplace”

Tim Keller
  • There is a saying that ‘professionalism is not the job you do, it’s how you do the job’ – if you had to describe in three words how you do your job, what would they be (for some ideas click here)?
  • Think of a time when you have been impressed by someone’s professional behaviour. What impacted you in particular? How do you see those same things reflected in your own approach to work?
  • How ready are you to put yourself out for the benefit of the wider team?
  • Living and behaving in a manner that engenders respect is challenging and can get complicated when cross-cultural dynamics and expectations are added into the mixture. In your context:
    • What does professional and respectful behaviour look like in terms of interpersonal communication and dealing with conflict?
    • What about in terms of behaviours such as dress, punctuality and follow-through?
    • How are you doing with reflecting those in your own behaviours?
GOING DEEPER

Here we highlight ideas and resources, which you are of course free to explore or not. We have tried to come up with different ways to engage with the topics, suggesting activities, books, blogs, videos….that may interest you. We also encourage you to browse our Library of Resources and/or talk to others, including your Pastor or Spiritual Director or mentor, if you have one, for some recommendations.

Workplace culture

  • If you processed the questions above and are wondering what you can do to promote a positive workplace culture, consider the following:
    • Read this article from Mind Tools, Creating a Healthy Workplace, which explains more and has some good ideas about this.
    • Engage in some honest reflection about your own approach to work (see the point below: The dark side of autonomy) and if this area is a challenge for you, talk to your line manager, seek out an accountability partner or chat to your PCC.
    • Consider working your way round the ‘office’, inviting people to have coffee. This could be on zoom if you are in a virtual team, just try to avoid it turning into a work meeting.
  • Faith-integrated professionalism is as an important aspect to consider for all Christians. Susan Evans and Glenda Devlin have written about this in Client-led Spiritual Interventions: Faith-integrated Professionalism in the Context of a Christian Faith-based Organisation if you would like to explore this further.
  • The dark side of autonomy: One thing that is notable about the missionary lifestyle is that it can afford us a great deal of autonomy, which for some is a blessing and for others is not. This is because the flip side of autonomy is lack of accountability which can result in some pretty challenging and unhelpful attitudes and behaviours that can and do impact workplace culture. Scan these questions and see if any of these behaviours resonate.
Workplace Culture Quiz
  • Would being asked to account for your time make you squirm? This can be due to too much or too little work!
  • How consistently do you complete work given to you in a timely fashion?
  • Do you find the boundaries between work, home and church life are blurred and that one suffers more than the others?
  • How often do you put work off, or certain work tasks, choosing to do other things?
  • How regularly do you say yes to new work, even when you cannot complete it in the time frame?
  • How often do you find yourself spending more, or less, time/energy than is necessary on a task?
  • How often are you late for meetings, and work in general?
  • How much do you work in the evenings and at weekends?
  • How often would you find yourself interrupting, putting down or shouting at colleagues?
  • How worried are you about voicing your opinion in the workplace?
  • How open are you to adjusting your dress to suit the workplace such as wearing a tie/jacket, professional clothes?
  • How willing are you to take on additional tasks that need to be done? (Teamwork will be covered more fully in the Flexible Co-workers Wellbeing Guide)
  • There are, of course, any number of reasons why the questions in this quiz might touch a nerve. Stress, work overload and under-stimulation are just a few reasons that might cause you to respond in some of these ways. However, even though these questions are only indicators, they are indicators of an issue that needs to be addressed. Read this article by Michelle Phoenix MK’s, Missionaries and Disordered Work Ethics for some more thoughts about this.
  • If you decide this is something you would like to work on, perhaps talking to Rebecca Ford who is a life coach, or finding someone through your own networks, might help. Take a look at the next tab, People to Talk To for ideas.
Wellbeing and Stress
  • All work involves pressure – under-stimulation and isolation can be just as harmful as over-commitment and unfiltered busyness. Both too much and too little pressure will turn into stress which can become harmful when you feel that the mental or emotional expectations placed upon you are impacting your ability to cope.
    • In their article Occupational Stress, Burnout and Fatigue the World Health Organisation says that “Time pressure, lack of control over work tasks, long working hours, shift work, lack of support and moral injury are important risk factors for occupational stress, burnout and fatigue…”. These are very real issues. If this describes you, do explore our section on health/stress and burnout in the People of Integrity Guide and in the Library of Resources.
  • If you find yourself needing to take some time and space to think more intentionally about interpersonal dynamics consider the following course, Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills, details of which are listed in the Courses to Consider tab. This book by Henry Cloud and John Townsend – Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life also provides some useful ideas for making and setting healthy boundaries.
  • If assertiveness and conflict are particularly challenging you might wish to consider a specific course about this, such as Assertiveness Skills: How and When to be Assertive
Inside Wycliffe
Outside Wycliffe
  • Your Pastor
  • Spiritual Director – you can ask your parish priest for the name of a spiritual director, or you can click here and you will be taken to a London based page that lists spiritual directors from around the country
Short Courses
  • All Nations Christian College – offers a number of advanced short courses covering topics such as: Methods and Models of Contextual Theology; Principles and Practices of Community Transformation; Staff Care and Wellbeing – Principles & Processes, and Issues & Application; Leadership; Multicultural Ministry; Planning and Managing for Transformational Change…
  • London School of Theology – offers all their modules in a Lifelong Learning package – some of these include: Christian Life & Work; Christian Life & Today’s World; Going the Distance; Introducing Christian Ethics/Christian Doctrine/New Testament/Old Testament….
  • Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills: This course is run globally by ITP, International Training Partners with workshops both Online and In situ. It covers a range of interpersonal dynamics including listening to others, boundaries, conflict and stress.
    • If you are with SIL this course may be run in your Area.
  • Assertiveness Skills: How and When to be Assertive – this course has been recommended by SIL colleagues, although it is expensive.

Competent Professionals and…

the Wider Context

This second look at the paragraph below will help you to explore ways in which Wycliffe and the wider context of mission matters to your current work.

I demonstrate Wycliffe’s core values in my words and actions. I act respectfully towards colleagues and all in leadership within Wycliffe, and our partner organisations, working in accordance with their structures and processes. I understand both the historical development and the current working philosophy and values of Wycliffe, and I recognise that Wycliffe functions in a variety of contexts as one part of the mission of the God.

Remaining up-to-date with mission trends, and taking the time to engage, or re-engage, with organisational direction, values and structures is not an added extra: it is a critical part of your professional responsibilities. Here you have an opportunity to explore what is happening in these contexts, and to reflect on how you can meaningfully engage with any changes that impact you and your work.

YOU AND WYCLIFFE

Our emphasis over the last few years has been to “…lay a foundation for future growth through strengthening our staff team, modernising our systems, and developing a sustainable operating model. Building on this, we are now ready for a new phase in our development with a stronger focus on increasing our ministry impact around the world…”

James Poole, Wycliffe Strategic Plan 2021-24
  • How engaged with the Vision and Mission of Wycliffe are you? 
  • How well can you explain these to others?
  • Which of Wycliffe’s Values most impact you at the moment?
YOU AND THE BIGGER PICTURE OF MISSION

“We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.”

John Stott
  • Reflecting on the quote above, what does it mean to be a global Christian?
  • How well can you articulate God’s vision for and mission in the world?
  • How engaged with the wider context of the Bible Translation Movement are you? 
  • In what ways can you engage more meaningfully with the wider world of mission?
GOING DEEPER

Here we highlight ideas and resources, which you are of course free to explore or not. We have tried to come up with different ways to engage with the topics, suggesting activities, books, blogs, videos….that may interest you. We also encourage you to browse our Library of Resources and/or talk to others, including your Pastor or Spiritual Director or mentor, if you have one, for some recommendations.

Wycliffe
  • If you want to know more about what is happening at Wycliffe
    • Read Wycliffe Now and attend Wycliffe Gatherings – for regional gatherings contact Hilary Oatley
    • The Workday Hub is designed as a one-stop shop for information about Wycliffe including Handbook, Policies, Helpdesk, Continuous Professional Development Resources, Partnership Development Resources….
    • Subscribe to the news updates on wycliffe.org.uk for some encouraging stories from around the world.
    • If you are interested in the history of Wycliffe and stories about people who have served with us, we have an Archive with interviews, photos and stories. Consider browsing this and contributing to it if you would like to do so. If you would like to send anything in, write to Sharon Morgan.
Global Mission
  • To extend your reading
    • Try these books
    • Have a look through these sites for other ideas
      • Evangelical Missions Quarterly – an international, peer-reviewed journal which reflects and respectfully engages with the evangelical Christian faith
      • Chris Howle is a seminary professor based in Kampala. His ‘Mission Hits’ is a monthly collection of links to stimulating and significant resources (articles, podcasts, books and more) related to God’s worldwide mission purposes.
      • Read some of Eddie Arthur’s posts on Kouyanet, also consider getting a book from his Essential Reading on Mission book list.
  • Consider finding people who work in a different part of the mission world in a similar role to you – chat to them about the challenges and opportunities they have – consider setting up a community of practice if one does not exist.
  • Consider attending regional or global mission focused conferences to broaden your experience and be encouraged by what God is doing.
Inside Wycliffe
Outside Wycliffe
  • Talk to other mission partners at your church, or in your locality, to get some different perspectives on global missions
Short Courses
  • All Nations Christian College – offers a number of short and advanced short courses covering topics such as: Leading Across Cultures; Mission Strategy; Engaging Islam and Intercultural Coaching.
  • London School of Theology – offers all their modules in a Lifelong Learning package – some of these include: Bible & World, and Islam at Certificate Level; and Church in the World at Diploma Level.
  • Knowing me, Knowing you: Worldview and Interpersonal Dynamics is an SIL run course for Staff Care practitioners and anyone who has staff care as part of their job description. It is intended to provide you with the opportunity to grow in your awareness of your own and different worldviews, and their impact on interpersonal relationships. To know more contact: dineke_devries@sil.org; sharon_merz@wycliffe.ch or johannes.merz@wycliffe.org.uk 

Competent professionals with in-depth subject knowledge, skills and understanding that is relevant to the complexities of the contemporary world. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Eph.3.20