"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller. Johan Linder MI secretary, MI link April 2025

In 2001, while living in Bangkok, I witnessed the incredible power of collaboration among Christian organisations and churches after the devastating tsunami in South Thailand. Relief agencies and churches came together to provide long-term support, helping people rebuild homes, restore livelihoods, and receive medical care. This united effort led to the establishment of new churches and many people coming to know Jesus. This experience profoundly changed my understanding of how God works through His people when they unite with purpose, a lesson that resonates deeply with Missions Interlink New Zealand's vision as we enter a new season of ministry.

Connecting Across Boundaries

The global mission landscape has transformed dramatically over the past decade. Western agencies no longer dominate; instead, we see a diverse mosaic of sending churches and organisations from every continent. In East Asia, some of our most fruitful partnerships are with Korean, Filipino, Chinese, and indigenous mission movements, each bringing unique strengths and cultural insights that Western missionaries cannot replicate.

Missions Interlink focuses on connecting diverse mission expressions across New Zealand, highlighting the true breadth of God's work. These connections reflect the fundamental unity of the Body of Christ, transcending organisational, denominational, and cultural boundaries. For Kiwi mission workers, this connectivity provides critical support structures, especially in high-pressure or restricted-access environments. The Kiwi approach—humble, adaptable, and relationship-focused—serves as a bridge between different mission methodologies and cultures.

Collaboration: More Than Just Working Together

True collaboration goes beyond mere coordination. Missions Interlink's vision encourages genuine partnerships where the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. In East Asia, collaboration has led to shared language learning resources, combined expertise for community development projects, and united prayer initiatives. These efforts not only yield practical outcomes but also demonstrate the unity of the Body of Christ, showing that our identity as followers of Jesus is more important than our cultural identity.

Collaboration often brings unexpected, impactful results. For example, Thai people have come to know Jesus through agencies working in Taiwan and Singapore. In New Zealand, effective ministry to migrants from India, Pakistan, Sudan, and China requires churches and organisations to work together.

Catalysing New Mission Movements

The most exciting aspect of Missions Interlink's new vision is its focus on catalysing new movements and approaches to mission. The Holy Spirit working through ordinary believers has always been the greatest catalyst for mission. Our role is to create environments where God can call and equip New Zealanders from all levels of society for global mission engagement.

This catalytic function is vital in the current New Zealand church environment, where many churches face post-pandemic challenges and younger generations question traditional mission paradigms. Missions Interlink's role in reimagining pathways to mission engagement is strategic. One initiative, the Migrant Alliance Integration Network (MAIN), helps churches and Christian organisations reach out to migrants in their communities, recognising that migrant churches are often more vibrant and growing faster than indigenous churches.

Challenges and Opportunities

This new season brings challenges such as resource constraints, shifting global dynamics, and the need to articulate the relevance of cross-cultural mission. However, these challenges also present remarkable opportunities. Increasing global connectivity, the wealth and diversity of the NZ church, rising mission movements from the Majority World, and creative approaches from younger generations suggest we stand at the threshold of a new era in global mission.

Young Kiwi professionals are using their vocational skills in creative access contexts, pioneering approaches that traditional mission structures might not consider. Missions Interlink's support for these innovations represents the kind of catalysing ministry needed today. Navigating this new season requires wisdom, flexibility, and an unwavering commitment to the core biblical mandate of making disciples of all nations.

Moving Forward Together

The future of Missions Interlink depends on our ability to embody connection, collaboration, and catalysing functions. For mission agencies, denominations, and churches, this means embracing partnerships that may challenge our comfort zones and recognising that Kingdom impact matters more than institutional credit. It also means creating space for new voices and approaches that may differ from traditional paradigms.

The future of mission from New Zealand is about a movement of God's people united in purpose and diverse in expression. Missions Interlink's new season offers an opportunity to participate in this movement in fresh, dynamic ways that honour our rich heritage while embracing God's continuing work in our changing world. Collaboration is key to achieving this. By focusing on a greater goal and working together, we can change the outlook and direction of the whole church. We saw it happen in Thailand after the tsunami, and we are praying earnestly that God will do the same in New Zealand.

As we step into this new season together, let us do so with courage, creativity, and an unshakable confidence in the God who continues to build His church among all peoples.

Johan Linder, MI's Secretary, serves as Director of OMF, a Christian missionary agency working among East Asian peoples. He has served in cross-cultural mission for over 30 years and is passionate about collaborative approaches to global mission.

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