A Riddle and An Explanation

Image you’ve stepped onto a bus full of children. First, you hear a little boy exclaim, “I saw the most giganticus whale in the world!” The kids in the next row are equally excited. “I rode on the big brown horse, which one did you ride?” From the back of the bus you hear a group of older kids. “I’m going to the first person to walk on Mars!” Now, how many stops has this bus made?

The answer is: one! Earlier this summer I (Dave) rode a school bus full of students on a field trip to the Public Museum in Grand Rapids. Our students had a great time, and each one left with a different impression of the overall experience.

Erika and I have discovered a similar phenomenon as we follow-up with people who have heard about our ministry in Croatia. Some people bring up the camp ministry and ask why we are moving to Croatia for two weeks of summer camp. Others ask us why we need to study the Croatian language if we are only working with English-speaking TCKs (Third Culture Kids). These are good questions that we are happy to answer. The interesting thing is that these questions pertain to only one aspect of the broad ministry we are called to.

…so, we’d like to briefly outline the ministry of SEND International and our part in it—in an effort to keep the dialogue flowing.

S is for Starting and Serving churches.

In our case, we will be serving a church in Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia. The next three letters describe how churches are started and served.

E is for Evangelization of the lost.

While we will have scheduled involvement with English-speaking TCKs (kids who aren't Croatians, but are living in Croatia) our aim isn't limited to them. “E” includes anyone God brings across our path—Croatian or international.

N is for Nurturing and discipling new believers.

Our ministry will involve discipleship both as part of the local, Croatian church, and also through our involvement with summer camp and on-line follow-up.

D is for Developing leaders in ministry.

This aspect illustrates the diversity of our role. We will 1) direct a program through the camp called Counselor Helpers, 2) develop further opportunities to get MKs and TCKs involved in hands-on ministry, and 3) help develop Croatian church leaders.

We hope this sheds light on the big picture and explains why we sometimes get caught up in certain details. Please continue to ask us questions—that’s how we get better at keeping you informed.

Cheers!