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Whole
Person Training
Gateway
is a unique missionary training community
that focuses on equipping the whole person
for service in another country or culture.
The program is structured to lead a trainee
through a process that will enable him/her
to face the very real challenges of cross-cultural
work. Experienced staff members offer mentoring,
guidance and counsel all along the way.
Understanding is created through carefully
designed study modules. Skills that are
essential to the missionary vocation are
also developed through practice and hands-on
experiences. A well structured and supervised
field internship produces maximum learning
in a context similar to the one the trainee
hopes to serve in. Gateway's dynamic "action/reflection"
model of learning is used throughout the
program. Trainees move from the context
of a caring learning community, to an active
cross-cultural experience and then back
again to Gateway where they are debriefed
in order to promote the greatest growth
and understanding. Most trainees will be
"field ready" when they complete
the course. Those who need extra time or
preparation will be well aware of the areas
they need to work on. Gateway staff monitors
the entire process and assists the candidate
to chart a course for successful service.
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A
Study Centre
Trainees
spend their first months at the Gateway
centre in beautiful British Columbia. They
work through modules that are designed to
produce a foundational understanding of
the rationale and strategy of missions,
inter-personal relations, team dynamics,
missiology, cross-cultural adaptation, communications,
and language skills. Growing in these key
areas of understanding, attitude and skill
development is the essential core of pre-field
preparation. Modules covering cross-cultural
evangelism and church planting also have
extensive hands-on experience that brings
theory into the realm of practicality. Courses
in Bible are also offered in partnership
with nearby Pacific Life College, Christ
for the Nations and other schools.
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Hands-on
Training
Once
the initial residential component is finished,
the trainee travels to exciting and challenging
internship opportunities that are tailored
to meet their geographical and service interests.
This is not a typical short term missions
experience — it is a well organized and
complete learning package. A major portion
of the time is dedicated to language and
culture learning, utilizing skills that
have been developed and practiced during
their first months at Gateway.
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A
Caring Learning Community
Gateway
has a great mix of people. Missionaries
in training are invited to join permanent
residential staff and visiting missionary
trainers. Trainees come from different countries
and this multi-cultural component is helpful
to learning the art of appreciation for
other cultures. The supportive relational
environment helps build strong and enduring
foundations that will hold up to the stresses
of cross-cultural service. Life in Gateway's
"intentional community" builds faith, character,
disposition, determination and other important
attitudes necessary to missionary success.
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