Pastoral Contact

Crosslinks' Mission Department will maintain pastoral contact with mission partners by correspondence and on occasion by telephone and staff visits. The Pastoral Director holds chief responsibility for planning these. We hope that each supporting Church will keep up regular correspondence and Oven provide someone to whom a mission partner can write in complete confidence. A visit from a member of a supporting Church can be a great encouragement preferably after the first eighteen months of service. Before that, a visit might be unsettling and even hinder effective adjustment to the local culture. Crosslinks will be pleased to brief any visitors beforehand and to discuss the visit afterwards. But please remember that the primary responsibility for the pastoral care of mission partners in their place of work always lies with the Church leadership in that place.

Not all supporting Churches need, or should, take pastoral responsibility for their mission partners, but we recognize that 'sending' Churches (i.e. those from which mission partners come) have a legitimate role in such pastoral care.

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Leave

Crosslinks takes responsibility for each mission partnerand organises their programme when on leave. Crosslinks also arranges interviews with Mission Department staff and provides for medical examination, counselling help, in-service training and retreats as appropriate. Loving and sensitive care from supporting Churches is particularly welcome.

Mission partners may be glad of help in finding accommodation and a vehicle for their leave period. They usually have about half their leave for holiday and half for building relationships and promoting mission in supporting churches. We'll be pleased to discuss any of these matters with you.

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