Frequently Asked Questions
TCK stands for Third Culture Kid
Please see http://www.interactionintl.org/tcks.asp for more information on the details of who we are and the impact cultures have on us and your world.
In this age of advancement and technology, there are still remote areas of the world where the education needs of missionary children cannot be met without support. Without support ministries like Sahel Academy, many missionary families are forced to return home abandoning their ministries in order to meet the needs of their children.
Through the services of Sahel Academy, I seek to meet the needs of missionaries and other ex-patriots by using the experience and gifts God has given me as a tool for God to use in forming this specialized group of youth into the future leaders of our world who will take a stand and make choices that honor God alone! I plan to impact the lives of TCKs thru leadership, discipleship, and time investment making it possible for many missionary families carry on the ministry God has called them to while their own families thrive as well. My desire is to remain flexible to meet the needs to the school. At this point, I plan to meet their need as a dorm assistant – helping a missionary family care for the housing needs of student who live too far away to commute to school. In times when that is not a need (perhaps filled by another) I will assist the youth pastor as a youth leader as well as help the school as an administrative assistant.
* discipleship ~ leading Bible studies, mentoring individuals and small groups, and modeling daily how to life a life pleasing to God and submitted to His will.
* nurturing ~ providing a home for boarding students and investing time into the lives of all the students (including local and visiting home schooled children) through athletics, service projects, and youth events.
PRAY: Pray is vital to our ministry. Without God's help, ministry doesn't happen.
GIVE: We appreciate any financial support you are able to give.
SERVE: Consider volunteering your time and services as a short-term missionary.
There are four characteristics that indicate whether or not a person has what it takes to be a cross-cultural servant— humility, teachability, flexibility, and humor. With these four qualities a candidate will be a well-rounded person, able to adjust to living and ministering in cross-cultural situations.
First, a potential candidate should be humble. Most would think, yes, all believers should be humble. But humility is something that is easier to talk about than to accomplish. In Western society, individuality is a top priority. People believe they have rights to things from health insurance to professional fulfillment and success. The Bible portrays the Christian life as one that surrenders rights. Jesus said that his followers show attitudes like that of servants; people who did not have “rights” in biblical times.
Those who are considering ministry should be teachable. If one adopts the attitude that there is always something new to learn, then they keep on open mind. Even when someone is an expert on a particular subject, there is still something new that they can learn. Being teachable shows a willingness to see others’ ways of doing things as having intrinsic value. That’s especially important for building cross-cultural relationships.
Flexibility is more than just changing your schedule in the course of your daily activities. It means being willing to do a job when asked to do so. While being purposeful in goals and tasks is necessary to avoid a haphazard lifestyle, it is vital that cross-cultural servants be available to do a needed task for ministry—even when it may be something they are not trained to do, nor have previous experience doing.
Finally, humor is indispensable for a healthy outlook in ministry. Let’s face it, we all make mistakes. And mistakes are more glaring when done in a culture other than one’s own. Missionaries inevitably commit faux pas in other cultures like mispronounce words and misread social expectations. The easiest way past these blunders is to laugh at oneself and be willing to apologize. That completes the circle, bringing us back to the first quality—humility.
You have the ability to manage and create your own FAQ's. To learn more about FAQ's and how to create and use them visit the training series. The videos are located at:
? http://training.beracha.org/faqs
