OC Research

We of the Global Research Team have long believed that research and prayer go hand in hand. When we know about something, we want to pray. When we pray about something, we want to know more. Curiosity and intercession can be two sides of the same coin.

At the October 2022 US-MC Leadership Conference we agreed that we wanted to grow our corporate culture of prayer. We want all of our workers and teams to have a deep commitment to, and regular engagement in, corporate and individual prayer. We think that research can help stimulate that growth.

Recent editions of the OCResearch Link have focused on completed research projects realized by OC missionaries. Done and dusted, those projects blessed their teams by providing insights for action. In this Summer 2023 edition, we'd like to share a work in progress. It is a prototype for prayer deployment created by OC-UK missionary Chris Maynard based on geographical and cultural affinity data. We believe our team would benefit from some collaboration on this effort. We also believe that our collaborators can be blessed by working on this prayer project with us.

Here's a link to that in-process prototype. You will see there all the details you need to collaborate with us. Would you like to take a look at what Chris has already created? Would you like to help us develop it further? Read the Summer 2023 edition of Research Link here.

Teamwork has always been a part of our organizational ethos, hasn’t it! Our Guiding Principle of Community states that “We pursue genuine relationships and accountability in family, friendship, team, ministry, and local communities of faith.” We all know, however, that thriving in a team is not always easy. What causes some team dynamics to be not only ineffective, but toxic?

In this Autumn 2022 edition of OC Research Link, the Global Research Team continues its "Hey we hear you’ve done some research!" series and asks Emil to describe his study on the role of communication in effective cross-cultural teams. Get set to do some looking inward, as well as outward in your own context. You can find it here.

What moves us to put someone in the "we" category, and call others "they?" What makes it easy and enjoyable to partner with some colleagues, and hard (perhaps even disagreeable) to work with others? Might the uncovering of below-the-surface differences reveal hidden points of friction and suggest possible changes that could make collaboration between Christian groups more joyful, fruitful, and dare we say "holy?"

In this Summer 2022 edition of OC Research Link, the Global Research Team continues its "Hey we hear you’ve done some research!" series and asks Donovan Dugan to describe his research on the dynamic between Christ-followers born into Christian homes and Muslim-background believers in a Southeast Asian country. As important as it is to simply understand this reality, Donovan also shares how he hopes his research will influence for transformation. You won't want to miss this one.

Don't we all wish it could be said of us that, like the sons of Issachar, we "understood the times" (I Chronicles 12:32)?! Perhaps every generation of Christ followers has considered their particular moment in history to be unique. We certainly do: a mutating pandemic, delicate global inter-dependencies, wars of a sort that most believed would never again happen in our time, and so much more. We make Solomon's words our own: “Oh, God, give me an understanding heart.” 1 Kings 3:9

In this Spring 2022 edition of the OC Research Link, Paul Siaki describes the research he did to gain a current understanding of the perceptions of church leaders in South Africa regarding post-pandemic ministry. We trust you will consider his findings interesting and useful. Click here to view this issue of Research Link.

It's not just the GRT that does research in One Challenge. We all carry the OC DNA which encourages us to "ask" before we "assist." This issue of Research LINK is the next in our series entitled "Hey! We hear you've done some research!" We highlight a project Rahn Strickler did among East asians doing BAM ministry in the diaspora. Rahn shares what questions moved him to start the research, what went wrong, what went right, and what God showed him through the process. We think you'll find Rahn's story interesting and be inspired to persevere with your own field research projects. Click here to view of this issue of Research Link.

What factors build a team’s developmental culture?

In 2019, several members of the Global Research Team were tasked to answer this very question. To do so, members of three ministry teams having a reputation for strong team development were interviewed. From these interviews, three major factors were identified that contribute to a team’s development - Including one surprising practice that enhances a teams effectiveness. Read more to learn about this surprising practice.