What kind of training will I need?

There are four main areas of training individuals need to complete (Please note: requirements will vary from position to position): Biblical studies, Missiology, Linguistics/Language Acquisition and a four month residency in Dallas, TX. See Jobs and Training for the role specific course requirements.

About the Residency Program in Dallas

One of our core values is incarnational ministry–following Jesus’ example of “the Word becoming flesh and making his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). We believe each of us learns more by doing than by hearing. Our focus is not as much on study as it is on experience. Thus, during your four months in Dallas, we want to facilitate skills which will help missionaries accomplish the goals God has for them on the field. Note: The four month residency is required for all support personnel, scripture impact specialists, church planters, and community development specialists.

Rationale 

Why do we do this?

• We want you to do ministry in your own culture before you attempt to do it overseas.
• We want to help you take steps to ensure long-term spiritual survival.
• We recognize the number one reason why missionaries across the world have come home from the field is due to unhealthy conflict with other missionaries. We want to help recruits learn how to speak the truth in love, communicate areas of tension and be intentional in formulating a healthy response to conflict.
• We want to make sure new teams get know one another in our own culture before they go overseas.
• We want to model healthy spiritual interaction and conversation (in this experience)
• Focus on who we are as an organization.
• We want to develop life skills that will lead to healthy, successful field teams.

We want students to feel comfortable telling Jesus stories and openly sharing their faith.

How are we going to accomplish these goals? What will we do to try to make this happen?

Core Elements

• Encourage and facilitate real, live ministry interaction during your time in Dallas with people of other cultures.
• Teach personal evangelism skills and Pioneer Bible Translators’ core values.
• Facilitate small group worship experiences analogous to worship on the field.
• Reading Scripture and journaling, spiritual processing.
• Facilitate team development and debriefing of ministry experiences.