Jennifer Reynolds Interview
Jennifer is a recruiter for New International Ministries, an organization that coordinates and provides administrative oversight for many different missionary endeavors. The mission Rexanne and I are involved with, Open Door Libraries, is also under their wing.
Jennifer, what first attracted you to overseas mission work? I grew up in a Bible college environment and became friends with many of the women who were studying to go on the mission field. During a week of jr. high camp, I made the decision to go into full-time mission work. Since many of the women who had invested in me were focused on Haiti, I initially made that my focus as well. God had different plans and would later redirect me to Taiwan.
What was your major at Central Christian College of the Bible, and what classes/professors inspired you? Starting out my major was Christian Education but during my time there they added a Cross-Cultural ministry degree. Rather than staying an extra semester I ended up getting a double minor in Christian Education and Cross-Cultural Ministry. The professors at CCCB were all great but I really enjoyed mission’s classes with Dr. Curtice. He was passionate about what he was teaching and an advocate for women in missions and ministry. I also loved Dan Schantz, our Christian Education professor. He modeled what it looked like to make students feel welcome in a classroom and gave creative and encouraging feedback on tests and assignments.
How long were you in Taiwan and how did that mission work? I lived in Taiwan from January 2001 to June 2014. While there I worked with Team Expansion doing church planting in the capital city of Taipei. My team worked with university students and young professionals teaching English Bible studies and planting simple churches. We gained access to the universities through previously existing relationships with Taiwanese professors who had been students in the US and became Christians through campus ministries. When they returned, they had the desire to introduce their students to the gospel. An open door to do that is to use English. Our relationships with students began at their university but outside of class we would spend time with them on weekends and special occasions. Our goal was for them to know Jesus, but it was important that we approach the relationships without an agenda, showing the love of Christ regardless of their response. One of my favorite events was my annual Thanksgiving dinner at my apartment. It started out as a way to share my American tradition, but by the time I left it had become a great combination of foods from different places and a chance for Taiwan students to know Taiwan Christians.
Did you need to learn Chinese? I learned Mandarin Chinese. Many of my students were from working class families so they also spoke Taiwanese and taught me a few phrases. Learning the language where serving is so valuable because it helps you dive deeper. It can also be very challenging, helping instill a good sense of humility and understanding of how God works through our weaknesses.
After Taiwan, what was the transition into your next phase of mission work? After Taiwan I had the opportunity to work in Newcastle, Australia for four years. I worked in a local church helping lead the children’s ministry. I also taught scripture classes in the local schools. Although Australia is a modern, English-speaking country with access to the Bible and churches, the percentage of practicing Christians is shrinking rapidly. The majority of kids we taught in the schools had never heard key stories from the Bible, so teaching scripture classes was a great opportunity to be in the community and share the story of Jesus each week with those who had never heard it.
Where else has your role as a recruiter for New International taken you? My main focus has been on colleges and universities in the Midwest. I’ve traveled with interns to Europe and the Middle East. Our recruiting and mobilization team is growing so in the future we would like to visit more of our on-field affiliates to learn about their day-to-day ministry and how we can recruit more effectively. I’m also taking on the role of Director of Short-Term Projects which will hopefully give me the opportunity to develop prayer trips to new locations and fulfill our mission of connecting the local church to the global church.
What differences have you noticed between the church overseas compared to the church in the U.S.A? My time in other countries has shown how big God is. Christians in Taiwan make the choice to follow Jesus despite strong societal and familial pressure. In Australia they do community well because of the culture they come out of. New Zealand Christians live in a highly secular culture that removes any political benefits of being a Christian, yet they recognize that their situation is similar to the first century church, choosing to follow Jesus faithfully because he is enough. These experiences challenge and grow my faith in a way that it would not have if I’d never left Missouri.
From your experience, what do you wish American Christians had a better grasp of? The mission of God is to make himself known but we often get distracted by our busyness and our politics, our buildings and our programs. There is a beauty in letting go of the cultural Christianity you’ve grown up with and just simply following Jesus. Obeying Jesus by loving your enemies, forgiving and extending grace and mercy really are things that can change the world just as they did in the first church.
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing your experience. Many prayers are with you for the days to come.
(also found on Rick’s blog: rickwilliswrites.wordpress.com)
Jennifer, what first attracted you to overseas mission work? I grew up in a Bible college environment and became friends with many of the women who were studying to go on the mission field. During a week of jr. high camp, I made the decision to go into full-time mission work. Since many of the women who had invested in me were focused on Haiti, I initially made that my focus as well. God had different plans and would later redirect me to Taiwan.
What was your major at Central Christian College of the Bible, and what classes/professors inspired you? Starting out my major was Christian Education but during my time there they added a Cross-Cultural ministry degree. Rather than staying an extra semester I ended up getting a double minor in Christian Education and Cross-Cultural Ministry. The professors at CCCB were all great but I really enjoyed mission’s classes with Dr. Curtice. He was passionate about what he was teaching and an advocate for women in missions and ministry. I also loved Dan Schantz, our Christian Education professor. He modeled what it looked like to make students feel welcome in a classroom and gave creative and encouraging feedback on tests and assignments.
How long were you in Taiwan and how did that mission work? I lived in Taiwan from January 2001 to June 2014. While there I worked with Team Expansion doing church planting in the capital city of Taipei. My team worked with university students and young professionals teaching English Bible studies and planting simple churches. We gained access to the universities through previously existing relationships with Taiwanese professors who had been students in the US and became Christians through campus ministries. When they returned, they had the desire to introduce their students to the gospel. An open door to do that is to use English. Our relationships with students began at their university but outside of class we would spend time with them on weekends and special occasions. Our goal was for them to know Jesus, but it was important that we approach the relationships without an agenda, showing the love of Christ regardless of their response. One of my favorite events was my annual Thanksgiving dinner at my apartment. It started out as a way to share my American tradition, but by the time I left it had become a great combination of foods from different places and a chance for Taiwan students to know Taiwan Christians.
Did you need to learn Chinese? I learned Mandarin Chinese. Many of my students were from working class families so they also spoke Taiwanese and taught me a few phrases. Learning the language where serving is so valuable because it helps you dive deeper. It can also be very challenging, helping instill a good sense of humility and understanding of how God works through our weaknesses.
After Taiwan, what was the transition into your next phase of mission work? After Taiwan I had the opportunity to work in Newcastle, Australia for four years. I worked in a local church helping lead the children’s ministry. I also taught scripture classes in the local schools. Although Australia is a modern, English-speaking country with access to the Bible and churches, the percentage of practicing Christians is shrinking rapidly. The majority of kids we taught in the schools had never heard key stories from the Bible, so teaching scripture classes was a great opportunity to be in the community and share the story of Jesus each week with those who had never heard it.
Where else has your role as a recruiter for New International taken you? My main focus has been on colleges and universities in the Midwest. I’ve traveled with interns to Europe and the Middle East. Our recruiting and mobilization team is growing so in the future we would like to visit more of our on-field affiliates to learn about their day-to-day ministry and how we can recruit more effectively. I’m also taking on the role of Director of Short-Term Projects which will hopefully give me the opportunity to develop prayer trips to new locations and fulfill our mission of connecting the local church to the global church.
What differences have you noticed between the church overseas compared to the church in the U.S.A? My time in other countries has shown how big God is. Christians in Taiwan make the choice to follow Jesus despite strong societal and familial pressure. In Australia they do community well because of the culture they come out of. New Zealand Christians live in a highly secular culture that removes any political benefits of being a Christian, yet they recognize that their situation is similar to the first century church, choosing to follow Jesus faithfully because he is enough. These experiences challenge and grow my faith in a way that it would not have if I’d never left Missouri.
From your experience, what do you wish American Christians had a better grasp of? The mission of God is to make himself known but we often get distracted by our busyness and our politics, our buildings and our programs. There is a beauty in letting go of the cultural Christianity you’ve grown up with and just simply following Jesus. Obeying Jesus by loving your enemies, forgiving and extending grace and mercy really are things that can change the world just as they did in the first church.
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing your experience. Many prayers are with you for the days to come.
(also found on Rick’s blog: rickwilliswrites.wordpress.com)
Posted in Waking Up Eutychus