Interserve is an international, interdenominational Christian organization. We seek to demonstrate and proclaim the Good News of Jesus through the use of our professional skills. We minister in areas where Christian preaching is often unwelcome, yet our practical assistance is greatly needed. We integrate our work and faith and bring the love of Christ through relationships and in everyday activities.  

We are also a mission agency that helps Christians use their skills to share Jesus' love in practical, wholistic ways where he is least known. We partner with you and your church to equip, support, and send.

Our work is wholistic and integrates various aspects of life such as word and action, personal life and professional skills, and our unique contribution to local faith communities. We learn to adapt these elements to be more culturally appropriate and relevant. Local Christians who put their faith into action can make the greatest change in their communities. Therefore, we partner with them to tackle the challenges they face, regardless of race, or gender. We express our faith authentically, building genuine relationships, teaching in real classrooms, growing businesses, and coaching sports without forcing Gospel conversations. Together, we cultivate love that transforms lives and communities.

Click Here to watch a story about Sarah and how she was impacted by wholistic ministry

Whether short-term or long-term, we will work with you and help you find a role that will fit with your interests, skills, talents, career paths, and vocational experiences - all of which are for Kingdom purposes.

Here are some places you can start:

An internship — our teams welcome people who are exploring wholistic ministry in cross-cultural settings. "On Track" is our short-term program, designed specifically to help you discern if God is calling you into a life of making Christ known among Asians and Arabs.

A mentoring group — our alumni are ready to journey with you, whether one-on-one or in a small group setting. We are ready to listen to God's guidance for you and with you.

A learning community — we have curated books and Bible studies, intending to advance the conversation on wholistic, cross-cultural ministry. Whether it's about discerning a calling, stewarding your vocation, or working your way into an international posting, there is a community for you.

Your local church — let your pastors know that you're interested in "going". Put us in touch with leaders in your church; together we can seek God's guidance. Interserve's international fellowship and your local fellowship are partners in His global mission. You won't be alone in your journey. When you join Interserve, you become part of a team, a community, and a global fellowship.

A missions-focused prayer group – Interserve (and other missions organizations) have launched prayer groups across the country. They typically meet once a month, pray through our Partners’ ministry updates (news and prayer letters) and learn together about God’s global mission.

You may also explore a thematic 15- or 30-day prayer guide. We have guides for praying through the month of Ramadan (Muslims observe a month-long daytime fast) or Diwali (Hindu festival). 

A course – We highly recommend the Perspectives Study Program, and its adapted version, the Kairos course. Both will examine God’s global mission through four “perspectives”: Biblical, Historical, Cultural and Strategic.

Check out our Next Steps page with some practical steps, considerations and questions you can ask a mission agency.

You are responsible for building a network of ministry partners to support you in various ways: prayer, logistics, emotional and spiritual support, and finances. Many Partners may feel hesitant to fundraise for what seems like their own salary. Soliciting and asking for financial support can feel awkward, uncomfortable, and daunting. We totally understand this as most Partners come from a professional background and have thus far been financially independent. With extensive experience, we will coach and guide you through the process of building a Partnership Team.  

Regarding finances, some members are paid a salary through their paid placements. Often, this is a very modest stipend which covers only everyday needs. Raising support will help provide the funds needed for expenses such as airfare, health insurance, professional development, CPP, and children’s school fees (to name a few).

We suggest a few ways of looking at the fundraising: 

1. Financially supporting Interserve Canada
   Donations received allow us to pay you. When we discuss your budget, we calculate what it costs Interserve to maintain having you in the ministry program. 
   
   
2. Supporting the cause
   Donations support the kingdom work and enable Partners like you to continue bringing tangible Love that transforms lives and communities.
   
   
3. Cultivating Relationships
   We are more likely to retain the support of your ministry partners when we can keep people updated and engaged. Write regular prayer updates that describe the praise items, the “ask” items, as well as stories about how God is at work in your life and in the lives of those around you.

The Church plays a crucial role in sending a cross-cultural worker. What you do “in the field” is an extension of the church, so when you share your ministry updates and prayer requests, it enriches the church's prayer life and their involvement and engagement in God's mission. 

Your church knows you better than we do, and they would be more familiar with your ministry experience, your spiritual growth, and your impact on the community around you over the years. 

When you are ready for deployment to serve cross-culturally, it will be your church who commissions you – with prayer and blessing – into a new assignment. When you return from the assignment, it will be your church who hears the reports and renews their commitment to support you. 

When life in another cultural context gets difficult, some of our Partners return weary and figuratively wounded. It is Interserve with the sending church who receive you and nurse you, with the Lord restoring you to health. We work alongside the church so it is essential we need to cultivate a good relationship.

You complete the online forms; we collect the references; you book the appointments with your doctor; we arrange the psychological assessment (for longer placements) and the follow-up interview. We meet with you at each stage. 

While you work on the online forms, the National Office is working with country team(s) to identify suitable placements. There may be 30-minute Zoom calls (outside of normal working hours) with country teams’ leaders to help you consider the possibilities. 

Application Process Summary:

1. Initial Interview:

Sometimes this is a placement that falls under our “On Track” program (1 month to 1 year), which includes medical elective placements and co-op terms for post-secondary students.

2. Online Application:

Step 1: Biographical information, CV, spiritual biography.

Step 2: $250 application fee, references (character, church, pastoral, professional/academic), medical clearance (completed 3 months before travel), university arrangements for co-op/practicum/elective.

Some placements require more—extensive assessment and additional background information. Please allow time for those procedures.

3. Budgeting: 

Self-financing or fundraising: Expense claims reimbursed from raised funds. Orientation includes an extensive Finance/Admin session with our National Office. Upon application acceptance, a project account in your name will be set up.

Additional Support from Interserve includes: 

• Orientation
• Introduction to country team members
• Debriefing support
• Liaison with your home church.

As quick as 3 months, but there can be bottleneck points along the way.

Sometimes it can take time to collect all the referees' remarks. It may be some time before other appointments can be arranged:  medical assessments (doctors' schedules, psychological assessment & debrief). Arranging for pre-departure courses (e.g., MissionPrep's IMPACT is offered 2x/year). Some placements require advanced security training before a candidate is deployed -- these schedules and yours may not match up for several months.

Yes! We can organize a Missions Exposure trip (within the On Track program). You can expect to spend 1-2 days with each ministry project, visiting several in a country or a region. The On Track Exposure trip would not be longer than one month. 

Typically someone from the Interserve Canada National Office would accompany you, making introductions with country leadership teams and ministry projects, and debriefing you along the way. We may suggest that someone from your support team or your church join us to share the observations and the discernment process.

If you are a very independent international traveller (e.g. budget accommodations, local transportation, do your own shopping and meals) then you may be sent without a representative from the National Office.

This is a deal-breaker. 

If you are only dating and marriage is possible but not certain, then you have time for serious evaluation: the placement might be On Track and you will return from it with a new perspective on God’s work among the nations. In what ways will your partner share in that experience and join you on the journey of putting faith into action? 

We expect that couples are deployed as a united team. Interserve will only deploy couples in which both spouses share a clear conviction that God has called you to serve cross-culturally in wholistic ministry. (This is about your purpose in joining a mission, not about “what you will do” or "who will lead or hold the visa-role"?).

We know from experience that the pressures of cross-cultural living will bring out the worst in us… and can bring about the end of a marriage. Consider seriously the future of your partnership with this person. Discuss this with a trusted mentor. Discuss with your pastor. Stay in touch with your missions coach / Interserve representative. We ask that you do not “go overseas” before you have prayerfully resolved this.

In different ways! Some of our members are engaged in projects that describe concrete deliverables: the number of storybooks translated; children who came illiterate and graduated school; hospital expansion completed; dictionary completed. Their metric will include quantitative data alongside the story of transformation and maturation that reflect the impact of delivering the project. 

Within Interserve, our metric is not strictly quantitative (e.g. how many new believers, how many Bible studies you scheduled, how many baptisms, etc.). The life of a disciple of Jesus is described in triumphs and challenges. We therefore measure “success” in our members’ ability to overcome difficulties, grow deep trust for the Lord, walk closely with Him and live putting our faith in action daily.

Our Communications team will send continual appeals for “stories” of impact, transformation, struggle, triumph, growth, alertness to the Spirit of God, etc. These stories convey “success”.

Absolutely! You can look at our recommendations below or check out our full page of resources for more.

Reading List:

• The Mission of God, Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative - Christopher J. H. Wright (2013)
• Called:?! -JD Walt
• The Call - OS Guinness
• Kingdom Calling - Amy L. Sherman (2011)
• Working Your Way to the Nations: A Guide to Effective Tentmaking - Jonathan Lewis (1996)
• Praying for Your Missionary - Eddie Byun (2018)
• Plum Tree in the Desert - Naomi Reed (2015)
• Ask Your Muslim Friend - Andreas Maurer (2011)
• After the Trip - Cory Trenda (2018)

Bible Studies:

• God's Big Idea
• Together with God
• Business as Mission

Courses:

• • Perspectives Canada
  • Kairos

Online Resources:

• • Global Missions Toolbox
  • Global Missions Podcast
  • "Shop Talk" Podcast by James & Brandi. (90% of their language is security-compliant.)

Here are some Online BAM Resources:

• BAM Global – Global Network of BAM Partners
• Business As Mission – BAM Resource Centre
• Global Mission Podcast Episode 036 – How Can the Church Engage in BAM?
• Business as Mission Bible Study – Interserve Study Guide