In Dory’s final episode with us, Jon and her discuss the rollercoaster ride that is experiencing teen angst and dive into the $10 word: contextualization. It’s actually much simpler than you think.

Jon & Dory are joined by Tyler Foster, a cross-cultural worker (CCW), who serves in Misahuallí, Ecuador at the Antioch school alongside his wife and young son. Located in the jungle, Antioch regularly receives short-term teams every summer, and Tyler is heavily involved in the process. If you would like to learn more about Antioch and the work Tyler does with Jungle Kids for Christ, log on to junglekidsforchrist.org. Remember, to visit TMS-Global.org to check out our Short-Term Team Training Manual, an excellent guide developed to prepare folks from all walks for their short-term experience.

In this episode Jon & Dory discuss the pros & cons of short-term missions; how sometimes they can actually do more harm than good. But if done well, these trips can serve as powerful discipleship and cross-cultural tools for the local church. Visit TMS-Global.org to check out our Short-Term Team Training Manual, an excellent guide developed to prepare folks from all walks for their short-term experience.

This week Jon & Dory discuss the best & worst Jolly Ranchers, the pitfalls of focusing too much on "God's Plan," and how The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 describe a way of Jesus that often is at odds with the reality of our culture, yet we are called to engage with the people in our culture. Join the conversation. When you sign up to give monthly at TMS Global, you get the opportunity to engage with our online community via our Discord server. Give monthly, and you won't just be supporting the work, but getting to know the community around it. Click here to join.

In this story from the field, Jenifer talked with some friends who are living and serving in Selma, Alabama. Selma was the site of many important events in Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's, perhaps notably the march Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led across Edmund Pettus Bridge. Back in January, the town was devastated by a tornado. TMS Global workers shared what it was like to serve the people of Selma after such a disaster, as well as the long term challenges that have been faced by the community.

This week, the mind picnic with Jon and Dory continues! This week, Dory wrestles with the unknown and how we address questions with no clear answers. Jon, having come back from attending several conferences, has been contemplating the diversity of Christian thought in the world, and what Jesus truly meant when told us to enter through the narrow gate. Jon and Dory examine Matthew 7 in addressing the latter question, and also take some anecdotes from the Chronicles of Narnia. Join the conversation. When you sign up to give monthly at TMS Global, you get the opportunity to engage with our online community via our Discord sever. Give monthly, and you won't just be supporting the work, but getting to know the community around it. Click here to join.

We're back with a new format and new hosts! Join Dory & Jon for a "mind picnic" as they share & discuss some of what they've been thinking about regarding discipleship & church multiplication. In this episode, Dory & Jon chat about lent, Jon's trip to the Exponential Conference in Orlando, FL, and TMS Global's Who is My Neighbor small group curriculum. For more information on Who is My Neighbor, a sample lesson, or to purchase it for your crew, click on the "Who Is My Neighbor" button here. Join the conversation. When you sign up to give monthly at TMS Global, you get the opportunity to engage with our online community via our Discord server. Give monthly, and you won't just be supporting the work, but getting to know the community around it. Click here to join.

A group of cross-cultural witnesses serving in the Balkans regions of Europe have been using the beauty of the countryside as a tool for ministry. Originally, they began taking weekend hikes to have fun with their neighbors but these excursions gradually took on a deeper purpose as spiritual matters came up in conversation. This evolved into an outdoors program aimed to equip young people with leadership skills and teach valuable life lessons. In this feature, you'll also hear about the common ground they have been able to find with their Muslim neighbors over the beauty of creation, the hope and excitement young people have discovered through these hiking trips, and the opportunities for discipleship that emerged from these adventures. 

In this edition of Stories from the Field, Jenifer talks to Amanda Davis (pseudonym), a cross-cultural worker who is learning South Asian language and music in preparation for overseas ministry. Davis is very passionate about worship, music, and the South Asian culture, and is combining these passions to help South Asian people worship God in their own language and cultural background.  

Jenifer Jones talks to Tyler Foster, a TMS Global cross-cultural worker in Ecuador. Tyler and his wife, Kaylan, lead Jungle Kids for Christ, a ministry empowering children who live in the Ecuadorian jungle so that they can break the cycle of poverty and abuse and share a message of transformation with their family, community, country, and world. In this conversation, Tyler shares his philosophy and strategy hosting short-term mission teams, how he and Kaylan are helping develop STEM programs (science, technology, engineering, math) for schools in Ecuador, and what life is like living near the Amazon rainforest.