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 Clubs, mums’ 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