Engage West Africa: Fresh Training for West Africa’s Cross-Border Missions

“The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but its sending capacity.” — Mike Stachura

The newly rolled out Engage West Africa (EWA) combines decades of experience in missions and education with the wisdom about the unique contexts of the African sending church.

The EWA 2024 Training Program is designed to empower participants to leverage their skills and passions to spread the Gospel in critical areas. Held at Miango Rest Home in Nigeria, the inaugural event gathered 110 participants, and included SIM leaders from Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Ethiopia, office staff, and missionary hopefuls. Through a comprehensive curriculum, facilitators helped participants to discover their personal and life objectives, discern God’s plan for their lives, and seize missional opportunities.

EWA’s central emphasis is on partnerships for missions. Participants are encouraged to network with like-minded people and organizations, fostering collaborations that amplify impact among unreached people groups. Discussions and daily devotions challenged participants to harness their resources in more creative and bold ways for the Kingdom of God.

In addition to a training event and curriculum, the program curates opportunities for mentorship, internships, and various specialized training. Alongside traditional fundraising missions, international student programs and marketplace evangelism are just some pathways to reach the unreached.

At its core, EWA is a new and contextualized solution to a 2000-year-old mandate: Go and make disciples of all nations. Participants are guided to step out of comfort zones and engage meaningfully with unreached communities.

EWA’s success is bolstered by strategic partnerships facilitated by the SIM West Africa Missions Office team. Partnering with other SIM entities across Africa and with organizations like the Great Commission Movement, EWA connects participants to extensive mission opportunities.

Seven mentorship groups are underway today, and each group meets every 2 weeks, with the goal to deepen participants’ spiritual growth, enhance their missional skills, and provide personalized guidance as they prepare to engage in cross-cultural missions. These sessions aim to equip each member with practical tools and a supportive network to effectively carry out their calling and make a lasting impact in the mission field.

In conclusion, EWA serves as a potent mobilization tool, empowering individuals to begin a journey into cross-cultural missions. Through training, resources, and mentorship, EWA equips believers from diverse backgrounds to fulfill their roles in God’s mission to the nations.

How You Can Join

If you feel called to serve but are unsure how to start, EWA may be the perfect fit for you:

• Visit SIM WAMO at simwamo16.org: Explore upcoming EWA training opportunities and align your skills with mission needs.
• Become a prayer warrior: Sign up to uplift missionaries and the mission field.
• Donate to support missions: Your contributions of any size will advance efforts to share the Gospel.
• Volunteer with SIM WAMO: Whether short-term or long-term, your expertise will make a difference on the mission field.

By empowering individuals, fostering connections, and providing ongoing support, EWA enables the church to fulfill the Great Commission and bring hope to the unreached. Join the movement today at the SIM WAMO website.