The Rest of God with Mark Buchanan
Rest can be one of the hardest things for missionaries and ministry leaders to embrace. There is always another person to help, another need to meet, another project to finish, or another problem that needs attention. Busyness can even begin to feel like a sign of faithfulness. But when we continually push forward without stopping, eventually something begins to suffer.

In this episode, we talk with author and professor Mark Buchanan about his book The Rest of God and why Sabbath is so important for those serving in ministry and missions. We discuss what Sabbath really means, why God designed us to rest, and what we risk when we refuse to slow down.

Mark shares practical insight into how Sabbath can keep us from becoming brittle and breaking under the pressures of life and ministry. We also talk about some of the internal hurdles that make rest difficult, including guilt, feeling lazy, and struggling to trust that things will still get done when we stop. Mark also addresses the practical challenges of creating space for Sabbath in the middle of demanding ministry schedules and cross cultural life.

In This Episode, We Cover:
✅ What led Mark Buchanan to write The Rest of God
✅ What Sabbath is and how we should think about it today
✅ Why Sabbath matters to God and why it matters to us
✅ The dangers of wearing busyness like a badge of honor
✅ How regular rest can keep us from becoming brittle and burned out
✅ Internal hurdles that keep missionaries and ministry leaders from resting
✅ Practical challenges to building Sabbath into a busy schedule
✅ How to overcome guilt and learn to trust God when we stop working
✅ Principles for sabbaticals and extended seasons of rest in missions

Sabbath is not simply about doing less. It is about learning to trust God, recognizing our limits, and creating space to receive the rest He designed us to need. Developing healthy rhythms of work and rest can help missionaries and ministry leaders remain strong, healthy, and faithful for the long haul.

Mark Buchanan is an author and professor who lives between Calgary, Alberta, and Enderby, British Columbia. He is married to Cheryl, and they have three adult children. His writing and teaching have helped Christians think more deeply about spiritual formation, rest, faithfulness, and what it means to live well in the presence of God.

Show notes and links:

https://www.kylefarran.com/missionslife/38-the-rest-of-god-mark-buchanan

We want to hear from you!
Have a question, story, or idea for a future episode?
Send us a message at kfarran@abwe.org with the subject “Podcast” or connect with us on Instagram: @kyle.farran
Whether it’s a challenge you’re facing, a topic you’re curious about, or just a quick note to say hi, we’d love to hear it.
Your feedback and ideas help shape the future of Missions Life!

The Peace Pursuit with Dr. Janeen Davis

Conflict is one of the hardest parts of missionary life and leadership, but it is also one of the most important areas for growth, healing, and unity. When conflict is ignored, teams suffer. When conflict is handled with humility, clarity, and biblical wisdom, it can become a doorway to deeper trust and stronger ministry.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Janeen Davis about The Peace Pursuit, a practical and biblical process designed to help people move toward one another in the middle of conflict. We discuss why missionaries and missionary leaders need to take conflict seriously, what often holds people back from addressing it, and how cross-cultural ministry adds unique challenges to reconciliation.

Dr. Davis shares her own story of discovering Peace Pursuit, explains how the process works, and gives insight into why this approach can be especially helpful in missions, leadership, and cross-cultural ministry settings. We also talk honestly about what to do when the process does not go well and where people can find tools, training, and resources to help them pursue peace.

In This Episode, We Cover:

✅ Why conflict resolution matters for missionaries and missionary teams

✅ What keeps people from dealing with conflict directly

✅ Unique challenges missionaries face in cross-cultural conflict

✅ Dr. Janeen Davis’s story and how she first encountered Peace Pursuit

✅ An overview of the Peace Pursuit process, roles, and resources

✅ How Peace Pursuit can help in missions, leadership, and team dynamics

✅ What to do when reconciliation efforts do not go well

✅ Encouragement for those currently walking through conflict

Conflict can feel overwhelming, but there is hope. God calls us to pursue peace, and with the right tools, support, and humility, even difficult conversations can become part of His work of restoration.

Dr. Davis is a doctor of psychology, marriage and family therapist, and former missionary who has served in cross-cultural ministry since 2007. She is a specialist in global member care and supervised a Member Care team that supported over 1,000 ministry workers. Through her company, Purpose & Peace Solutions, she delivers counseling and member care services and provides trainings on healthy teaming, biblical conflict resolution, and organizational health. Dr. Davis frequently speaks at conferences and retreats, and is known for her captivating, humorous style and her compelling integration of psychological insight and biblical wisdom in member care and ministry leadership.

We want to hear from you!

Have a question, story, or idea for a future episode?

Send us a message at kfarran@abwe.org with the subject “Podcast” or connect with us on Instagram: @kyle.farran

Whether it’s a challenge you’re facing, a topic you’re curious about, or just a quick note to say hi—we’d love to hear it.

Your feedback and ideas help shape the future of Missions Life!

What does it mean to grow up “among worlds”?

In this episode of Missions Life, we talk with Ruth E. Van Reken, co-author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, about the unique joys, challenges, strengths, and hidden griefs that often shape the lives of missionary kids and other globally mobile children.

For many missionary families, cross-cultural life gives children incredible gifts: a broader worldview, cultural adaptability, deep empathy, and the ability to become bridge-builders between people and places. But repeated transitions, unresolved grief, identity questions, and the constant cycle of hellos and goodbyes can also leave lasting marks.

Ruth helps us understand how parents can better recognize the needs of their Third Culture Kids, walk with them through loss, help them build a healthy sense of identity and belonging, and prepare them for re-entry into their passport culture.

In This Episode, We Cover:

✅ What a Third Culture Kid is and why their experience is unique

✅ The advantages and hidden costs of growing up cross-culturally

✅ How repeated transitions can affect children long term

✅ Why unresolved grief is so common for TCKs and their parents

✅ Helping kids process goodbyes in healthy ways

✅ How to answer the question, “Where are you from?”

✅ The “migratory instinct” and the struggle to feel settled

✅ Uneven maturity in TCKs and what parents need to understand

✅ Common relational patterns caused by frequent moves

✅ Preparing children for reverse culture shock and re-entry

✅ How TCKs can become leaders, teachers, and bridge-builders

✅ Encouragement for missionary parents in hard seasons overseas

Whether you are raising missionary kids, preparing to move overseas, supporting a globally mobile family, or are an adult TCK yourself, this conversation offers wisdom, compassion, and practical help for navigating life across cultures.

Show notes and links: https://www.kylefarran.com/missionslife/36-third-culture-kids-ruth-e-van-reken

We want to hear from you!

Have a question, story, or idea for a future episode?

Send us a message at kfarran@abwe.org with the subject “Podcast” or connect with us on Instagram: @kyle.farran

Whether it’s a challenge you’re facing, a topic you’re curious about, or just a quick note to say hi—we’d love to hear it.

Your feedback and ideas help shape the future of Missions Life!