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5. E N G L A N D :
JOINT TRAINING PROGRAM SHARES MISSIONS' STRENGTHS
AN INNOVATIVE JOINT training program has brought together two international missionary organizations to prepare workers for overseas service.
Students who have completed the first, classroom phase of the cooperative program organized by Youth With A Mission and Wycliffe Bible Translators have recently been heading out on their field assignments.
Following four months of study, they will be applying some of the things they have learned as they work alongside missionaries involved in church planting, translation and literacy work in Africa, and Central and East Asia.
The new program, held at YWAM's Harpenden training center, brought the two markedly different groups together to gain from each other's strengths - YWAM known for recruiting thousands of short-term volunteers for a wide range of evangelism programs each year, and discipleship training, and Wycliffe for long-term commitment to Bible translation projects.
"We very much value, and many young people in churches today appreciate, YWAM's strength in discipleship training," said Wycliffe coordinator Adrian Parker.
"We have gained some wonderful teaching on cross-cultural issues, literacy and linguistics. and team dynamics," said YWAM's Brian Brewer, who directed the school. "It has been a positive experience working with another organization, and trying to mix the two and their God-given areas of strength."
While the collaboration had not been without its teething problems, in addition to the benefits to each organization, the joint program - likely to be repeated in the future - "we hope sends a signal to the church that missionary organizations can work together rather than be seen to be competing", added Parker.
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