International (MNN) –
MissionTeach.com was designed to end the "disconnect" between churches and the
mission field.
Wycliffe Bible Translators' Jamie Farr explains that the website
matches ability with need. Specifically,
it matches teachers and other support candidates to the international schools
that need their services.
These positions could be in mission-sponsored schools, secular international schools that serve the mission
community, or international Christian schools. They could also involve
non-traditional settings such as homeschools or one-room school houses.
As globalization continues to affect
every discipline, the divide between need, agency and people has stretched into
a chasm. MissionTeach.com is a courting
process that streamlines effort. Farr
says, "It's the first time that the public around the world can see the
true number of needs across mission agencies. And they can find a meaningful
way to use their gifts and qualifications to find the place that would be
perfect for them to serve and find the organization and school in which to do
so."
After posting their profiles on
MissionTeach, candidates receive a "shopping cart" of schools that meet their
preferences. The schools receive a shopping cart of candidates who meet their
qualifications.
MissionTeach.com is a safe place to explore, and there is no
cost to submit a personal profile. People can indicate the criteria
they're interested in–perhaps it's a
length of time, or a place, or even a specific focus they're feeling drawn
toward.
Right now, Farr says, there are a couple hundred
postings. That's likely to go up as more
agencies catch on to the concept. Wycliffe also recently began to lay the foundation for cultivating young
people. They've begun working with
universities, where college students have already shown a passion for Gospel
impact.
Wycliffe's
investment in MissionTeach.com is ultimately for Bible translation, says Farr. How do these two connect? "The biggest reason families leave is
because of the lack of educational support and options for their children. Today, less than half of
the positions that are posted worldwide in missions are filled. We need to
bring understanding to the worldwide church about how they can better support
missionaries."
