SIM’s heart is to make disciples of Jesus in least reached communities all around the world. The way that this is outworked varies across the diverse cultural contexts of the 70+ countries we are present in. Each person within SIM brings a unique set of skills and giftings, which is reflected in the organisation’s ministries. SIM’s Mobilisation Team focuses on helping individuals seeking to serve find the right ministry and location where they can utilise their strengths to share the Good News and make disciples.  

Any vocational skill or gifting can be valuable in cross-cultural work and ministry settings. God has intentionally designed each of us with a unique personality and specific gifts. These abilities not only allow us to build meaningful relationships within new communities but also complement the efforts of other SIM workers on our teams.  

Sending mission workers to serve with their skills also allows SIM to be strategic in placing workers in secure locations. As we facilitate mission workers to restricted access locations, securing visas for a growing number of countries is becoming increasingly difficult. SIM is building a skills-based mission sending model so that our workers have pathways to enter countries and effectively share Jesus’ love in these communities.  

Brett and his wife Kathy served with SIM at Bingham Academy in Ethiopia for seven years.  Brett explained, “SIM gave us an opportunity to serve using the skills we already had. Kathy, as a teacher, and I was an associate pastor and had been a youth pastor. Serving at Bingham was an opportunity to continue using those pastoral ministry skills with young people.” 

Now serving as a Mission Mobiliser, Brett mentors those looking to serve with their skills in mission. “SIM has lots of different opportunities and it enables people to have a wider variety of ideas that they could consider and then potentially pursue,” he said. “Enquirers with SIM appreciate that there is such a variety and breadth of opportunities available within SIM.” 

Currently, Brett has been talking to one couple who is considering serving in a secure country in Asia. The wife, who works for NSW Health, wasn’t sure how she could use her skills in this location. “We had a chat with the Field Director, and he could see all kinds of opportunities that she could be involved in,” said Brett. There are opportunities for her to serve with her medical skills in training, teaching and writing the curriculum. There were also opportunities for her to serve in Personnel with her administration skills. “Her skills open up a wide range of opportunities and she was quite excited by that,” Brett explained. “It’s not a one-size fits all.” 

GO: Do you want to serve with your unique skills and gifts? Get in touch with a Mission Mobiliser today by filling in the form on the back page or visiting sim.org.au/startaconversation.