Bring your gifts and skills to a TIMO team sharing the gospel with unreached Africans. You will be prepared and equipped for a lifetime of minstry, as you live and serve among unreached people groups in Chad.
Background
TIMO stands for Training in Ministry Outreach and is a model of team that brings together training and ministry. A new missionary joins a small, multi cultural team with experienced leaders and commits to living for two to three years in a particular outreach location. During those years they are trained for mission while simultaneously being involved in ministry among Africans. The goals of TIMO are summed up in its mission statement: ‘Compelled by Christ’s love for Africa’s unreached people groups, TIMO trains gospel-centred teams from the global church to plant reproducing churches.’
The population of this city in Chad is comprised mainly of various unreached people groups from the east and centre of the country, all of whom speak Chadian Arabic as the main language of the city and region. At the moment there are no known missionaries working in the city and very little outreach work being done by Chadian churches. The churches in the city are comprised of southern Chadians who have migrated to the area for work. They historically and culturally come from Christian ethnic groups and find themselves as a minority both ethnically and religiously in the Muslim-dominated central and northern regions of Chad. Chad’s history of inter-religious fighting and ethnic clashes has meant that there is a deep rift between the Muslim northerners and Christian southerners of Chad. This means that very little evangelism or church planting work is currently being done by the Chadian church among the many unreached Muslim people groups of Chad
Vision and strategy
It is our desire to help catalyse and mobilise the believers in these churches to think and live missionally right where they are at. Just as we desire to faithfully proclaim the gospel to the unreached Muslim people groups of the area, we want to see the local church take up the commission that the Lord has given them to be light and salt in their communities. To this end, we will actively participate in the local church – seeking to encourage, challenge, teach, motivate, and provide missional opportunities for the believers. We will seek, as much as is possible, to incorporate the local church in the outreach ministries that we are involved in to the local community.
Ministry and type of work
Creating cultural centres helps to get to know the local community. Through teaching English and French, computer courses, sports, and making available a small library, AIM has found open doors for building relationships. The TIMO team will explore what activities best fit their skills and context and will help them to build relationships in order to share the gospel.
Qualifications and experience
No training or academic qualifications are required, but Bible training and a TEFL certificate would be desired.
What are the personal (not academic) characteristics required?
The personal characteristics we are looking for are teachable, team player, self-motivated, passionate about the lost, resilient, flexible, ability to live simply, ability to cope with extreme heat, willingness to adapt to the local culture (specifically when it comes to how women will be asked to cover themselves up when going out in public).
