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Self Reflection for Lifelong Learning
Around SEND: Training Best Practices
New Courses Offered
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Training Tracks

SEND U

Dear <<First Name>>,
I (Beth) am just finishing a Grow2Serve course called Onboarding 101. It has been great to recall my own onboarding experiences that have run the gamut from the proverbial hand holding to showing up in a city without a single coworker or resource. There have been a lot of practical take-aways that I will share in Training Tracks to come, but perhaps the most encouraging one to me in my current role in SEND U was the reminder of the importance and contribution of lifelong learning to the longevity of our workers.

One of our assignments was to read an article on choosing a training path. The article outlines several different training and learning options, as well as this helpful diagram that illustrates the four vital factors for lifelong learning according to missionary Fred Holland.

In SEND U we attempt to practice good adult learning practices. We understand that all of us come to training or development opportunities with additional knowledge, experience and information. We also understand that we all experience gaps and need input, especially input that is relevant and practical. And of course, none of us would resist the notion that spiritual formation is a key to healthy lifelong learning. In the illustration, this forms the bedrock of the two tracks of input and experience. Spiritual formation must be an ongoing, lifelong process. The author states "You cannot 'front load' all you need to know for the complexity and seriousness of cross-cultural ministry before going to the field."

The part I found the most intriguing, however, was the article's commentary on "dynamic reflection." Dynamic (ongoing, current) reflection is what helps us connect the dots between our experiences and input. Reflection helps us examine our preconceived ideas and challenges our presuppositions when we hit up against cognitive dissonance or experience something that doesn't click with our previously held beliefs. It makes perfect sense to me in light of what I have been learning about in both emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence. Pausing to reflect on why I feel a certain way or why I responded as I did is the key starting point to producing new, desired behavior.

How can we encourage dynamic reflection in our teams? What does it look like to create a lifelong learning culture in SEND? A few suggestions include personal journaling, sharing your IGP learning, creating a learning community with other missionaries, or simply finding ways to share your learning experiences informally with a friend and/or coworker. What method do you use to reflect on your life long learning pursuits? How can you plan for dynamic reflection in your lifelong learning endeavors?
So Many Books, So Little Time!
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of books there are to read? Thankfully both the SEND U wiki and the SEND U Blog have great book reviews to give you a summary of great books and help you weed through what would be most helpful for you to read. You can search both archives for recommendations. You can also read Ken's helpful post on how to decide what to read here.
Upcoming Courses
There are now 3 consecutive courses that you can take on the topic of Exploring Culture.      
  1. Contextualization and Culture Study (EC2) – June 26-July 3
  2. Foundations of Culture Study (EC3) – July 10-24
  3. Gathering Cultural Data (EC4) – July 31- August 23
The online course Team Leader as Supervisor is going to be facilitated by Ken January 6-February 15, 2020. Click here to add your name to the list. This course is a great follow up to the Team Leader Orientation course.

Dr. Gary Ridley will once again offer his course Animism and Folk Religion. Tentative dates are October 10-November 2, 2019. Click here to read the full description and add your name to the waiting list.

Training Practices around SEND

What are some of the best training practices happening around SEND and when do teams fit them in? We asked our SEND U Regional Reps to gather data from their regions. Last month we focused on Europe and Asia; here are some examples from North America and Eurasia.


Northern Ministry Training (NMT)
Northern Ministry Training was held again this year in Soldotna, Alaska May 27-31. The five-day training event covered a variety of topics arranged in four tracks (tracks 3 and 4 offered alternative years). Track 1 covers topics like Youth Ministry, History of Missions in Alaska, Do’s and Don’ts in the village, Alaska Native Perspectives on Culture, Codependency and Healthy Relationships, Spiritual Warfare, and Buried Beliefs. Track 2 covers topics like Teaching with 1 Point, Dealing with Trauma, Transitioning to Spiritual Discussions, and Alaska Church Doctrines. Track 3 deals with topics such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Alaska Discipleship, and Teaching Elders. 

A highlight of this year was two sessions on the two sides of discipleship with Doug Smarch and SEND missionary, Derek Baker. It was an insightful discussion from both the disciple’s and the discipler’s perspective. Another highlight was the end of the day discussion time, processing what the participants learned. Attendees were given the chance to develop action steps to implement when returning to their ministry locations.

Eurasia
Like many other fields, the Eurasia region has employed various book studies and learning communities. One thing that has been effective is creating Leadership Cohorts with members not currently serving in official leadership capacities. These groups research and discuss various topics related to the individual fields and make recommendations to area leadership on various topics. This has been a great way to utilize more minds on the field. In addition, our Russia field has put a lot of time and effort into the Guided Discovery Program for cultural adaptation. This material has been edited to apply to any culture and can be found here.
SAVE THE DATE!
SEND U is busy planning for the second Muslim Consultation December 9-14 in Manila. If you are working in a Muslim context, we want to see you there. Contact Ken or Beth for additional information and invitation criteria. If you received an invitation already, please fill out the registration form now.
Keep learning,

Ken
Ken Guenther
SEND U Director based in Russia
&
Beth
Beth Eckstein
SEND U Assistant Director based in Taichung, Taiwan

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Some SEND U links:

* Wiki: https://senduwiki.org
* Blog: https://sendublog.com/
* SEND U site on SharePoint
* Upcoming training events
Copyright © 2019 SEND International, All rights reserved.


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