Many Christians struggle with the notion of a spiritual hierarchy and a dichotomized approach to life. The spiritual hierarchy has lay people at the bottom, those in full-time ministries high up, with missionaries and martyrs at the top, on a pedestal. For the lay person, such thinking invalidates a big chunk of one’s active life.

Having the right theology or biblical perspective on work is critical whether we are called to serve locally or overseas. We outline three approaches to work in relation to mission:

• Work and Mission
• Work for Mission
• Work as Mission

Check out the full article and the related stories. Do you find these approaches helpful? Where are you in regards to work vs. mission?

Finding the right job overseas has everything to do with calling. It is not just about the right fit.

About half of our associates found their own jobs and came to us for cultural orientation, support and accountability. We assisted others in job placement by providing career counsel as well as referrals to employers, headhunters and like-minded professionals on the field.

With career as missions, some people are passionate about what they have been trained to do. Others are happy to do anything they are qualified for as long as they can support themselves and witness to the people around them. The stories of our associates illustrate how they found their jobs and expressed their faith through them.

Are you interested in working in China for two years or more? Explore…

On April 15-16 (Friday evening to Saturday evening), we will have a Career As Missions Weekend Retreat in the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time in 2011.

It’s designed to fit into busy schedules without sacrificing meaningful interaction and fellowship.

Take a look at the details and invite your friends! Space is limited so don’t miss out – sign up now!

Are you in IT or engineering?  You won’t want to miss the stories of IT professionals and engineers in this issue.

Is your family preparing to move to China? We have something on that, too.

If you haven’t gotten a copy by email or by mail, let us know so you will be ready for next year.

Want more? Go to Tentmaker Stories.

Which story do you find most helpful in your journey?

We’re all about using our education, career and resources to serve God. Work is a big part of our lives. Why not use it to reach others for Him?

We’ve two job openings in marketing and communications. Check out our jobs page and contact us today!

Don’t miss the opportunity to use all that God has blessed you with to bless others. And share this with your friends. We would love to hear from you!

Kyrgyzstan continues to move on after the quick overthrow of Bakiyev and we are anticipating that the situation will continue to be quiet. The news has been reporting that things in KG seem to be quieting down and our contacts in KG have been corroborating this. People seem to be going back to their lives, all hoping that the government will begin to be more trustworthy.

Q. What can I do right now?

A) One thing you can do right now is become better informed. There have been many excellent news articles on this event. One in particular which we feel is helpful is a TIME article offering a brief history of KG which outlines some of the reasons behind the recent events. You can also learn more about the country of Kyrgyzstan here.

• Pray for local believers there. Ask the Lord that this would be somehow a moment for believers to testify to their neighbors. Pray for Christians to boldly offer prayer to others and proclaim Christ and the hope in him.
• Pray for long-term workers in KG and for their approach to this.
• Pray for our summer project this year. There is unrest from time to time and we don’t need to overreact, but we do want to be prudent. Pray for our discernment as this situation plays out.
• Pray for Kyrgyzstan itself. They are under pressure from all sides–energy problems because of their neighboring states, rising Islamicism, and poverty to name just a few.

Q. What precautions is GLS taking on the Muslim World Project?

GoLiveServe has many years of experience in navigating these types of situations. For example, just as when we faced the SARS epidemic in 2003, we will again be taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all of our summer project participants. We are in contact with the long-term workers in Kyrgyzstan (both KG locals and foreign long-termers) and are having them help make the decisions about whether KG will be ready to greet us in July. We will be heeding all State Departments travel warnings (the present travel advisory for Kyrgyzstan because of this unrest will expire May 9).

In addition, we have an OCMT (Overseas Crisis Management Team) in place to advise us before and during the trip in the unlikely event that the present course changes. Our precautions, therefore, will certainly continue while we are abroad. Participants and their parents are encouraged to contact us if they have any questions.

Q. Will the Muslim World Project still be on for this summer?

Our summer project will not be canceled and is planning on moving ahead. As each day passes we are more and more confident that the KG portion of our trip will be able to safely take place. However, should the present course of peace change, we will elect to “redirect” to another location other than Kyrgyzstan for the 3-week portion of our project. Contingency plans are being made which will ensure both the safety of our participants and the Muslim World Project’s intended purpose of exposing participants to a variety of Muslim contexts and peoples. We will be monitoring the situation and making our decisions regarding this in the next few weeks.

Q. Should I wait to apply?

As mentioned above, we are planning an abundant summer experience for you–one that will be safe yet challenge your soul, offer you opportunities to meet and befriend average Muslim people, learn about outreach, grow as a part of a team, and have an overall incredible summer. Although this summer might require a bit more flexibility on your part, the objectives for the project are the same, so if you are interested in growing in your knowledge of and ability to outreach to Muslims, you should not wait to apply. The application process is still open.

Feel free to leave any comments or email us to discuss further.

To recap:

1. It’s short, so you’re more likely to read it
2. It has good introductory materials on the basics of Islam
3. Offers you cultural clues for interaction (although it seems a bit skewed toward Arab culture)
4. Even gives some possible responses to common vexing questions you could be asked