By Nate Tatman, Associate Regional Coordinator for Global Strategy in Europe and the Middle East

NOTE: Nate and Stacy Tatman have been appointed as Global Strategy missionaries, working as associate regional coordinators for Europe and the Middle East. They are currently in the fundraising stage and plan to leave for the field in the summer of 2020. The Tatmans are one of the featured projects during Global Strategy’s year-end impactX2 campaign. Gifts to their ministry may be matched through the end of the year. To learn more, click here. (This piece was originally posted by Nate Tatman in February 2019.)

 

While we have had the opportunity to share with some of you, I want to explain further why we are making a transition to Europe, particularly from my work and ministry history within the region.

I have served as a pastor at Country Line Church of God in Auburn, Indiana, for the last 12 years. After a few years on staff, I took on the responsibility of overseeing local outreach and global missions at County Line. Specifically, on the global side, I was given the task of transforming our missions framework to better support County Line’s ministry partners in deep, relational ministry.

In 2009, I took my first trip, to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to visit with the missionaries and churches on the ground. That trip was the first of 25 that I would take to the Europe and Middle East region over the next 10 years.

Over time, my work in the region moved from working just on behalf of County Line to something much more personal. Not only was it challenging to work with churches from a different culture, it was fulfilling to experience the eagerness, appreciation, and optimism in the young leaders from these countries.

In traveling to Bulgaria, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Serbia, Spain, and Switzerland, my trips were a combination of advisory meetings, consultations, site visits, scouting trips, workshops, camps, conferences, and more. With each trip, I was able to meet and work with missionaries, pastors, and churches in the region.

Through my trips and the opportunity to both travel to these countries as well as host a few interns, Stacy was introduced to the people and ministries of the region. This opened her eyes to the possibility of living and working in the region as well.

Because of our history with the missionary team, pastors, and churches, we are not moving into this position with starry eyes. Yes, it’ll be great living in Spain and traveling throughout the region; however, we know there will be many struggles as we learn how to live and work in a new culture and context.

That being said, fear and potential hardship are not reasons to turn away from what God is asking us to do. Furthermore, we truly believe that the best is yet to come for this region. We are excited to join the work that has already been happening and to utilize our skill set and experiences in that work.

Below is a short list of reasons why we are making this transition.

1. We genuinely believe that God has provided this opportunity for us as a family.
2. We believe in the ministry and philosophy of the Three Worlds team.
3. We trust those who believe in us and think that we will make a great fit with the team and in the region.
4. Our immediate family is in a position to make this kind of transition. (God has positioned us for such a move!)
5. We (Nate and Stacy) get to work together in a full-time ministry capacity.
6. We are excited about the future for the pastors and churches in the region.
7. We are excited to work with a talented team of missionaries.

To learn more about Nate and Stacy and their ministry or to make a gift to their ministry, click here.

To read the previous article in the series by the Tatmans, click here.

To learn more about Global Strategy’s 2019 impactX2 campaign, click here.