posted on January 1, 2023
aXcess: Evangelism and Discipleship Using the Creative Arts in Mexico
The C&MA Guadalajara (GDL) team seeks to grow reproducing communities of faith in the least-reached areas of GDL and our surrounding region. This position is for those who are creative, self-motivated, and have a strong call to evangelize and disciple in innovative ways via the arts and culture. This opportunity involves serving on a team that is starting a network of multiplying campus sites in a population that tends to be resistant and suspicious of anything other than the traditional religion. Consequently, this requires being a positive presence in the community by meeting societal needs and building relational bridges that can bear the weight of the gospel. We are looking for those desiring to be part of a team doing missional church development in the heart of the Circle of Silence in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Position Type
- International worker (IW)–aXcess–Clergy Track
- Church planting, community development (urban and rural), discipleship, evangelism, leadership development, youth and national missions, digital media experience
- Single or couple
Responsibilities:
- Serve on the Guadalajara team and minister in the local churches of Aliento de Vida (Breath of Life)
- Minister through evangelism to the unreached of Guadalajara and specific indigenous groups
- Provide discipleship training for children and youth
- Form community development ministries in the local churches
- Form local mission teams and train leaders for evangelistic outreach
Required Qualifications:
- A recognized bachelor’s degree
- Completion of at least 30 hours of Bible/theology/ministry and 15 hours of intercultural studies
- Spouse must hold a recognized bachelor’s degree and have completed at least 18 hours of Bible/theology, 12 hours of missions/ministry studies (with a minimum of 6 hours in cross-cultural or missions studies)
- Completion of Alliance Polity course
- Completion of Alliance ordination/consecration
- Minimum of two years successful Alliance Licensed Ministry Experience
- A minimum Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 20
- A clear call to cross-cultural innovative evangelistic outreach ministry.
- Willingness to live in a setting that is resistant to evangelical Christianity
- Effectiveness in the use of one of the following: evangelism, discipleship, amd church-planting strategies and methods
- Teaching gift and mentoring ability
- Ability to evangelize and disciple using the creative arts
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience developing youth mission teams and coordinating mission project development
- Ability to initiate new ministries and/or production events for evangelism
- Skill in developing new digital and social networks based discipleship and outreach tools for local churches
- Experience in developing summer children and youth camps
Biblical Characteristics Desired:
- Kingdom-minded
- Biblically grounded
- Spirit-dependent
- Competently skilled
- Self-aware
- Self-disciplined
Timeline for Deployment:
Summer/fall of 2024. Following appointment, and once fundraising goals and other qualifications are met, the appointee is required to attend a cross-cultural and language-acquisition program and pre-field orientation prior to deploying.
General Information:
Joshua Project – Mexico
Language Expectations:
Language is an essential part of ministry. Those who do not know the language will attend a language study program. The goal will be to speak, read, and write the language at a functional level in order to mentor, teach, and train others.
Language learning in Mexico will be accomplished by attending a full-year program of Spanish language study at an approved school either in Costa Rica or Mexico to be determined by regional leadership. A second year of language study in Mexico will also be required. The goal of language study is fluency. Also, our desire is for the school or academy to be in the country of service to reinforce local usage of spoken and written Spanish and to avoid an additional move for the IW.
Expectations for Spouse:
Spousal roles vary based on the spouse’s gifts, training, and abilities as well as the needs of the team. It is expected that both spouses will be meaningfully involved in meeting ministry objectives depending on the nature of family roles, children, etc.
It is expected that both spouses will be meaningfully involved in meeting ministry objectives, serving in the local church, team, and community.
Children’s Educational Plan and Options:
Education for children is widely available in Guadalajara, Mexico. In conjunction with our regional educational consultant and conversations with current workers in the area, a recommended plan for families with school-age children will be developed.
Compensation Package
The successful applicant(s) will receive a full compensation package with the expectation that, once appointed, efforts will be made to raise a portion of support costs through the applicant’s network of friends, family, local church, or other resources. Information on support costs will be made available upon application. Training and/or coaching in fundraising is available.
Importance Clarification
Applicant(s) should be aware that serving in the international world often requires a higher degree of grace and flexibility. For example, overseas teams can be suddenly and unexpectedly impacted by illness, government decisions, financial realities, team changes, or other factors beyond the team’s control. The challenge for applicants is that these factors can sometimes necessitate the sudden redefining of a position, which may take place before, during, or after the application/interview process has begun or is completed.
Questions?
Please email the IPO office at [email protected].
Whole-Life Health
As part of an evangelical denomination, we are committed to biblical holism, which is modeled and reflected through our work. Due to this commitment, part of the required qualifications includes optimal emotional, spiritual, and physical health. These will be assessed during the application process.