Effectively Navigating
Life’s Challenging Transitions

We offer high quality debriefing, training, life planing and facilitated workshops.

WHO WE ARE

To equip cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel and pastors to effectively navigate life’s challenging transitions

To maintain continuity and consistency with our Christian heritage, Mission Lyfe requires all program applicants to agree with, personally adhere to, and support the following doctrinal statements:

  1. The one true God who lives eternally in three persons — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
  2. The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.
  3. The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God—fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.
  4. The dignity of all people, made male and female in God’s image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgment.
  5. The incarnation of God’s eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ — born of the virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.
  6. The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God.
  7. The bodily resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Savior of the world.
  8. The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.
  9. The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness.
  10. The Church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers — given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit’s gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.
  11. The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfill the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgment, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.

In order for our equipping, debriefing, training, and life planning to be effective and long-lasting, it must:

  • Be Christ-centered
  • Be Holy Spirit empowered
  • Be rooted in God’s word
  • Be integrated and holistic
  • Be respectful of the person’s journey
  • Be focused on head and heart issues
  • Attend to character development
  • Emphasize vitality, contentment and joy

  • Be rooted

Point those we serve to the word of God, the foundation and pattern for living life

  • Be a model

Trust God and His plan even when it is difficult, this helps those we serve keep things in perspective

  • Be responsible

Manage what needs to be done with diligence and excellence, being someone those we serve can count on

  • Be caring

Allow the struggles and needs of those we serve to touch our hearts and move us to tender responses

  • Be authentic

Appropriately express our true selves and respectfully offer our gifts, ideas, and beliefs to those we serve

  • Be an empathetic listener

Hear more than words and discover the meaning of what those we serve are really saying

  • Be trusting

Open our hearts to let those we serve in without erecting barriers, especially when we encounter difference

  • Be respectful

Allow those we serve to make personal choices and decisions without attempting to control them

  • Be humble

Acknowledge we don’t have all the answers and are not always right; we will not be afraid to ask those we serve for help

  • Be courageous

Take risks and overcome challenges, stand fast with those we serve depending on the Holy Spirit in the face of difficulties

  • Be creative and innovative

Stay relevant to those we serve by formulating new ideas and ministry approaches, and trying new ways of doing things

  • Be ethical

With gentleness do what is consistent and right, no matter what the cost

  • All people have great worth

We have value and dignity because we are created in the image of God. Likewise, those we serve have great worth.

  • Christ redefines every aspect of our lives

Our sin, weaknesses and failures do not define who we are. Rather, our identity is a perfect identity based solely on faith in Christ, an identity that defines every aspect of our lives. Because of this good news, we no longer have to hide from our sin and imagine we have it all together. God knows and loves us as we are, not as we pretend to be. This same Gospel is true for those we serve.

  • The Holy Spirit powerfully transforms and empowers us for relationship and service

We have an inability to change ourselves, yet our Father has invited us to confidently face our fears and pretenses about life, and the worst things about ourselves. His desire is that we place our trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to convict us and lead us to Christ, transforming us into Christ’s likeness and empowering us for service. Building upon this premise, we guide those we serve, to trust the Holy Spirit to grow them into their calling, gifting and unique God-given potential.

  • We strive to understand and fulfill God’s purposes for us in every area of life:

We understand that real meaning and significance comes from understanding and fulfilling God’s purposes for putting us on earth. Our desire is to continue to live the life God created us to live and not be driven by our cultural values. We invest our energy, resources and time in equipping those we serve to thrive with a sense of purpose and meaning especially in the midst of life transitions, challenges and unavoidable losses.

Mission Lyfe’s
Facilitators

Over the past five years the Allens have spearheaded Mission Lyfe that equips cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel, pastors and church leaders to effectively navigate life’s challenging transitions so that they will thrive in life and ministry whether on the mission field or here in the USA. In addition, the Allens steward The Refuge, a retreat center that is set apart for hosting those wearied by their Kingdom endeavors.

Rob (South African/Naturalized US Citizen) and Heather (Canadian-American) have four daughters ranging in age from 26 to 12. The Allens have served in missions these past 30+ years. Most notably making an impact in Sierra Leone and Nigeria as well as Australia, England and the USA. Other ministry ventures included Thailand, Japan, China, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Pakistan, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Having earned their stripes through being bruised and battered on the mission field, they then spent 12 years training and debriefing missionaries through Mission Training International. In addition, Robin has served for several years as a pastor in rural Colorado.

If you are ready to invest your time, treasure and energy in real change, Mission Lyfe’s experienced facilitators, Robin & Heather Allen, who not only share your Christ-centered faith and values, but understand the many unique challenges of working cross culturally and pastoring, will walk alongside you. They will provide perspective, support and encouragement as you process where you have been and empower you to get to where you want to go. Robin &/or Heather will graciously offer what’s needed for you to personally dig deeper and discover the riches of this significant season while enabling you to effectively move forward.

WHAT WE DO

A Guide to Everything That We Offer