culture

Meet an Agency: Africa Inland Mission (AIM)

Reading Time: 5 minutes

We heart this new, ongoing series–a cup o’ joe with organizations to help you go there, serve Him, and love them even better. (For more thoughts about why you might join an agency–and a handful of reasons you might not–make sure to check out He Said/She Said/You Say? “Should I go overseas with an organization?”, both the pros and the cons.)

Today, we’re grabbing a cold brew coffee with Africa Inland Mission (AIM). Grab a chair.

TELL US WHAT YOUR AGENCY SPECIALIZES IN. WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT?

AIM specializes in outreach to unreached African people groups. These groups can be found in some of the most difficult to access places in the depths of Africa and in some of the most modern cities on the planet. (Want to start praying for unreached people groups? Here’s a Go. Serve. Love’s free printable prayer guide.)

Wherever there are African people groups who have no access to the Gospel, AIM either already has a presence there or is looking for a way to bring the gospel to those people.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AROUND, AND HOW LARGE ARE YOU GUYS? IN WHAT COUNTRIES ARE YOUR GLOBAL WORKERS LOCATED?

AIM was founded in 1895 and has had a consistent presence in Africa since that time. We are currently involved in 27 African countries and in various countries across the globe where African diaspora members reside.

While our focus is on gospel outreach, we utilize many different tools to this end. We have farmers, doctors, engineers, teachers, translators–you name it. AIM also has a comprehensive support system including a world class counseling center, an aviation wing, and financial services.

TELL US ONE STORY THAT EXCITES YOU FROM WHAT YOUR ORGANIZATION IS DOING.

While AIM has been active for over 100 years, we are constantly innovating and following God’s lead into new areas of ministry. We are a truly global organization with offices and missionaries from around the world. Currently we are working hard to make sure that our organization is ready and capable to help mobilize Africans to reach Africans with the gospel.

From aimstories.com:

Paul and Helen [after two short-term stints in western Uganda], went back to their mission leaders with a gutsy question. “You know the needs on the field,” they said, “so if you could send us anywhere, where would you send us?”The Shepherds were told of an unreached people group in Uganda.

Though Paul and Helen had never heard of Kotido Town or met any of the Jie (a sub-tribe of the Karimojong people), when AIM asked them to serve in Karamoja, they readily agreed. And so they leapt into the unknown, without a lick of language or existing relationships, and found that God had faithfully gone before them. Despite a reputation for toughness, the Jie have been gracious and helpful, enfolding Paul and Helen—and especially their children—into the earthy rhythms of Kotido life.

In this region, known to be the poorest in Uganda, the Shepherds could easily spend every clamoring minute of each day attending to medical needs. “But what we really want is to see the gospel go out,” Paul explains. “We want to see people get saved; we want to see churches grow and thrive here. We want to see the Karimojong go from an unreached people group to a reached one.”

This is the heartbeat of AIM, because we believe it’s the heartbeat of God. May we continue to follow Him into lands wild and uncharted, bearing the lambent hope of the gospel.

5 WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR ORGANIZATION’S CULTURE. GO.

We can even start them with the same letter! Booyah.

Seeking
Service
Sacrifice
Suffering
Submission

WHAT’S DISTINCTIVE ABOUT YOU GUYS?

AIM is the largest mission agency that focuses solely on African people groups. Our drive is to see all unreached African people groups have an indigenous, reproducing church that reaches its own people and other people groups with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

LET’S TALK BRASS TACKS. GIVE US THE 411 ON YOUR APPLICATION AND TRAINING PROCESS.

Since AIM is a global organization, each office has a slightly different application and training process. However, all offices will ensure that the right candidates find the right fit in the right place. Our global offices are in close communication with our various field offices and are well aware of the various needs on the field and type of personnel that can fulfill those needs.

Once a candidate is accepted into service they will receive training in their home area before departing for the field and then will receive a three-week training on the field when they arrive. All members will also participate in a yearlong process of mentorship as they get started in ministry.

WHAT KIND OF GLOBAL WORKERS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? PAINT US A WORD PICTURE.

We are looking for passionate people!

We want people that are passionate to see unreached African people given the gift of the gospel. Whether you are a doctor, teacher, pastor, evangelist or just someone who is looking for a way to make an impact on the world with the gifts that God has given you–if you are someone who is passionate about seeing unreached African people groups reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can work together!

WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER “RED FLAGS” IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS?

We are concerned about applicants who seem inflexible. Africa is an unpredictable place and ministry is constantly changing even in the most stable environment. To succeed in outreach work to unreached African people groups an applicant must be prepared and able to handle ambiguity and change.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE LOOKING IN AN OVERSEAS DIRECTION?

Find an agency that is passionate about what you are passionate about. Go with a group of people that can support you and whom you are able to confidently support. Teamwork is critical and it is hard to change your team once you are overseas.

So do your homework and find the right team before you go and make sure that they have resources and infrastructure to back up their promises before you go.

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Go. Serve. Love

After seven years on staff with Cru, Janel and her husband packed up their family of six to--yup, Go. Serve. Love in Uganda with Engineering Ministries International (EMI). EMI focuses on poverty relief and development, providing structural design and construction management for Christian organizations in the developing world. After 5.5 years there in East Africa, Janel and her family recently schlepped back to the U.S., where they keep working on behalf of the poor. She writes and loves on her family from Colorado. You can find more of her ideas for practical spirituality and loving each other at AGenerousGrace.com.