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Join a diaspora TIMO team in Belgium

Bring your gifts and skills to a TIMO team sharing the gospel with unreached Africans right here in Europe. You will be prepared and equipped for a lifetime of minstry, as you live and serve among African diaspora people in Belgium.

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.’ 

This team will be located in Belgium, reaching out to African immigrants and refugees.  

Belgium is an increasingly diverse country. Cities are comprised of mixed Muslim people groups from Morocco, Turkey, Syria, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran, and more. Team members will focus efforts on building relationships with these mixed Muslim people groups with a priority for African unreached peoples. We want these people to encounter Christ and accept the gospel. They will grow in their personal relationship with Jesus and share their faith with others (Diaspora and Belgians.) 

Vision & Strategy 

Our vision for the Diaspora is that they will hear and fully understand the good news of Christ. We pray that they will respond with a complete surrender. We desire that in response to his unconditional love, they will honour God in their daily lives. We want to see them grow in a personal relation with him, in reading and understanding the Word. 

We strive for them to find a place within the body of Christ, where they can pray, encourage and study the word with other Christians. We desire that the Holy Spirit leads them to the right place where they can be part of this body. Our desire is that they will share the gospel with their friends, family and neighbours. We want to support the Flemish churches in their outreach and we hope that the TIMO team will result in engaged Christians choosing long term or intensive ministry. 

The TIMO team will be lead by a couple who are already in Belgium, ministering to immigrants and refugees and working with local churches and organisations to identify opportunities for team members to volunteer and partner in outreach.  

Ministry & Type of Work 

TIMO team members will be expected to spend at least 20 hours per week in language learning (Dutch or French) and cultural learning, this will likely involve formal classes in language schools where there will also be opportunities to meet African immigrants also learning the language. The team language will be English. All team members will be housed in multicultural neighbourhoods and will build relationships within these neighbourhoods. As a team we also will organise outreach events for refugees and immigrants. As team members may be living in different cities, some distance from one another (30-60 minutes by train) each member will need to be self-motivated, both in terms of learning language and initiating ministry. 

Every team member will spend a lot of time in building deep meaningful relationships with neighbours, friends, neighbourhood, shop owners, etc. Within these relationships and in a one-on-one way the gospel will be shared. We want to involve individuals from the local church so we can be an example to them. Besides this, every team member will do volunteer work within the partner churches and organisations 

In cooperation with other partner organisations we want to organise special outreach events like a sports week for neighbourhood kids, Holiday Clubsmums’ groups, etc. As a team we will contextualise our ministry efforts to those we are seeking to reach while maintaining our identity as Christians and relationship and ties to the local church. 

Qualifications and Experience 

  • A degree or diploma of some sort is often required for visa purposes depending on your nationality
  • Some cross-cultural experience desirable  
  • A heart for refugee and immigrant peoples
  • Team player, flexible, spiritually mature 

FAQS

Yes, TIMO is open to singles, couples and families.

On almost every assignment you will need to learn another language and sometimes we recommend some language training before you leave. We recognise the value of building relationships and making disciples by communicating with people in their own language. This is especially true for those applying long term. Language learning is part of the TIMO programme, and when necessary, language school (in the UK, Africa, or elsewhere) is an option. In some positions and areas English might be enough to get by, but we strongly emphasise local language learning as a way to engage and reach local people with the gospel.

Yes. The Bible makes it clear that the church sends missionaries (e.g. Acts 13) and has an ongoing pastoral responsibility for them. As much as AIM is a key partner in the process and facilitates ministry in Africa, we will not accept into membership anyone who does not have a positive recommendation and support from their church. AIM will discuss your application with your church leaders – after all they know you better than we do – as together we seek to discern that this is God’s calling for you.

Listen to Tim Matthews, one of our Mission Advisors, talking about the churches role in sending missionaries:


A number of pastors also share their thoughts in these clips:

Luke Herrin 

In Acts 18:10, the Lord told Paul that he should keep speaking clearly because he had many people in Corinth. The Lord has many people in your city. We just need to find them. And the best way to do that is just to talk to them. 

Interested? Get in Touch

Hi, my name is Debbie. If this opportunity interests you, or you have any questions, please do get in touch.​

Interested in serving form

Long term ( Over a year )

Our passion is to see Christ-centred churches among all African peoples. Currently there are over 1,000 people groups in Africa or 316 million people, who are waiting to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Our vision is to engage with these unreached people, partner with churches in Africa to raise up gospel workers and equip African church leaders to strengthen the church. Could you play a part?. LEARN MORE

United Kingdom & Europe

Ministry in the United Kingdom & Europe ranges from being a part of mobilising offices, to teaching in Bible colleges to being involved in work among the African Diaspora across the continent. LEARN MORE

TIMO

TIMO is Training In Ministry Outreach. It is a two-year programme that trains new cross-cultural workers from around the world to do ministry in Africa. LEARN MORE

Diaspora

Taking the good news of Jesus to Africa’s hardest to reach people does not always mean a move to Africa. Today, millions of Africans live outside of Africa: in North America, Europe, and around the globe – the African diaspora. LEARN MORE
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