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Interserve Partners are people like you. Do you ever wonder where Interserve Partners come from, what led them to Interserve, what they do with Interserve and what skills they use? Our Partner Profile series is here to help you find out more about our Partners and to help you in your journey of following the call on your life.
During my time at university, I was confronted with the question: “What is my faith going to be?” Was is something I took on from my parents, or something I was going to live out myself?
This increasing draw to act out my faith coincided with an interest in engaging with Muslim people, particularly after the 9/11 attacks on New York’s World Trade Center. I could see mistrust and hate building between Muslims and the ‘Christian’ West and felt compelled to be a better version of who Jesus is to Muslims.
Language Skills and Learning from Others
I started by working for Interserve in the office, using my language skills as editor of GO magazine. While there I spoke with many Partners both in the office and overseas. It helped me understand a broader view of the Christian Church – that we as individuals are the Church, and our decisions and actions demonstrate much about Jesus.
Over time I realised that I wanted to work with Christian organisations but overseas in Muslim contexts. This was fuelled by working with Partners and seeing massive injustice in parts of the world where children are far more likely to suffer malnutrition or disease than my own – this couldn’t be in God’s kingdom plan.
Working for Interserve, my wife and I were in the perfect place to explore our work with Muslims overseas. We met experienced Interserve partners and the People Care team and asked lots of questions. We really liked the down-to-earth and straightforward approach of Interserve Partners. At a Partner conference, we had the joy of meeting with others who collectively had many decades of overseas experience. There was a no nonsense – we are here to do God’s work – attitude. We knew we were in the right place.
Media Studios and Muslim Nations
Once we had agreed to go overseas, we had a short preparation time with four months at All Nations College and Interserve orientation and training. We moved to a Muslim country and spent many years working in a media studio. During that time I was also invited and served as a board member and then chair for a Christian seminary. After several years in South Asia, we moved to Southeast Asia where I took up a position as Communications Officer for Interserve’s International Office. Just recently we moved back to the UK, and are working in Birmingham with a local church, helping them reach out to local Muslims.
An Outpouring of God’s Grace
When I look back over the different work we have done with Interserve, I do not see it as ‘going on mission’ or ‘being a Partner’. Going on mission is not a job to be organised, but an overflow of God’s love in your life. For me, that was wanting to work reaching out to Muslim people both at home as well as overseas in communication and media. Interserve’s wholistic approach to Partner support gave us the freedom to be who God has made us to be. That meant working part time with Christians in hard pressed places and developing our own relationship with Jesus to better reach out.
Through all this God has blessed us with work, a lovely family with four children, and time spent together that would not have otherwise been possible. We will continue to live our lives as an outpouring of His grace as we respond to the interests and calls placed on our heart, but what He has planned for us next is up to Him.
Are you interested in serving?
There are opportunities for almost anyone to serve. We serve as Teachers, Operations Managers, Midwives, in friendship-building, sports coaches, serving the homeless, in maintenance, working with people who have been trafficked, IT technicians, counsellors, creation care, fundraising, media communications, vets – the list goes on!
You bring your skills and experience and we will discern together what God is calling you to and where He is placing you.
To find out more and start your journey click this link: Long Term – Interserve