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OPPORTUNITIES MINISTRY POINT PEOPLE NEEDED We are looking for several Ministry Point People (MPP) as we seek to develop our work. Our MPPs play a key role in connecting workers who are involved in similar ministries around the world as they reach communities living and dying without the gospel. The MPPs invest in our workers,
grow networks, open new opportunities and help entities in pioneering work. We need MPPs for our work among Buddhists, among Muslims, among Hindus, and for our diaspora and migrant work. We are also planning to have MPPs for church planting and for media. If any of these
SIM ZAMBIA COUNTRY DIRECTOR SIM Zambia is searching for a Country Director who can work alongside the Board to develop a strategic ministry plan for the future. The director will also provide leadership and pastoral care to the office team and the 30 personnel who are working throughout the country in a range of ministries, including healthcare, youth, discipleship, education and community development. You will also help us strengthen and expand our ministry partnerships. For more information, or to apply, please email Jeff Shaffer (zambia.admin@sim.org).
roles interest you, or you know of someone they would interest, please contact our Global Director of Ministry Outreach, Emma Brewster (gdmo@sim.org) as soon as possible. A full list of MPPs and their contact details is on Port – use the link from the dropdown menu on the home page of Port.
SIM CHAD PARTNERSHIP LEAD All SIM people in Chad are seconded to partners and this role will be responsible for leading the strategy of developing those partnerships. Good collaboration, communication and networking are essential if ministry and workers are to flourish. The role is part time (approximately 20-30 per cent) and can be carried out alongside another ministry role. Candidates must have a good level of fluency in English and French. It is strongly preferred that the Partnership Lead lives in, or near, Chad. For more information, or a job description, email the search committee chair, Helen Heron (international.personnel@sim.org). The closing date for applications is June 13, 2022.
DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR SEARCH PROCESS
Everyone in SIM will soon be invited to send in nominations for the new International Director. The current director, Joshua Bogunjoko, is stepping down no later than February 2024, by which time he will have served more than two five-year terms. Joshua is asking all of us to dedicate June 1 as a day of fasting and prayer for the process of discerning who should succeed him. The search committee, led by International Board chair Gill Philips, are most grateful to all who responded to the recent survey regarding the opportunities and challenges likely to face the mission over the next 5-10 years. They have now written person and position descriptions and a ‘background to the mission’ document. They are about to invite anyone in SIM to suggest who they think has the right qualities to lead SIM for the next five years. The best way to do that will be to respond to an email (from international.idsearch@sim. org) that will shortly be sent to all sim. org users. In that, you will be asked for your nomination and the reasons for the suggestion. Paul’s prayer for the church in Philippi is very much the theme of this search process: “This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more
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in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11). We know the next five years will be just as challenging as the last five years, so our prayer must be that God raises up a gifted and godly leader. This is very much a time of discernment, after which the search committee will consider the nominations and work towards producing a short-list of candidates for interview early next year.
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THE CASE OF THE SONGHAI IN NIGER BY JOHN DEVALVE
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SIM worker John DeValve has published a book examining how music and culture combine in the worship practices of the Songhai in Niger. Drawing on extensive research conducted over a six-year period, John explains the relationships between music, culture, and worship, using the Songhai church as a case study. In the process, he builds a model for further research and experimentation in how other Christian communities worship. The book is available on Amazon.
CLOUD OF WITNESSES The Cloud of Witnesses obituary section on Port has been updated with several new entries, including Andrew Creswell, Donna Welch, Joyce Beacham and Ruth Clark. To add an obituary, please email our Internal Communications Editor, Dan Muchai (dan.muchai@sim.org) with the details. MAY 2022 • VOL 4 ISSUE 2
BINGHAM ACADEMY IS LOOKING FOR NEW TEACHERS TO START IN AUGUST Bingham Academy needs new teachers in a range of subjects to start in August, 2022. The school, based in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, offers high-quality Christian education to the children of mission workers, of Ethiopians and of expatriates. It gives Christian teachers a great opportunity to share their faith through their work. There are openings for primary and secondary teachers in all subjects, including maths, sciences, English, geography, history, music and PE. To apply either go to binghamacademy@recruiterbox.com or email the Recruitment Coordinator (recruitment@binghamacademy.net).
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