Seminar: Help! We're Going on a Short-Term Trip! • Marietta, GA • Jan 2027

CULTURELink equips leaders to disciple their teams with a biblical perspective, cultural sensitivity, and Christlike humility. SEMINAR OVERVIEW CULTURELink seminars and resources are designed to equip you to make disciples of those who will make disciples of all nations. CULTURELink partners with mission organizations and churches to train them in the “how-to’s” of team development while preparing them for cross-cultural challenges. This class allows team leaders the opportunity to experience being part of a team themselves prior to assuming their leadership roles. While simulating the process of equipping a short-term team, our seminars are informative, interactive, and highly relational. Each participant receives a Team Leader’s Manual complete with lesson plans for training sessions, step-by-step guidelines for discipling team members, and directives for planning the logistics of a short-term mission trip. Participants also receive a Team Member’s Manual filled with a collection of articles, devotions, and worksheets that cover all aspects to develop effective cross-cultural servants. Whether providing disaster relief, correcting social injustices, meeting physical needs, or expanding and developing Christian ministries, CULTURELink's practical training and resources prepare teams to successfully integrate into new cultural environments. SEMINAR INSTRUCTOR Led by an experienced CULTURELink instructor, seminar participants are guided through ten training sessions that equip them to prepare their teams before, during, and after their cross-cultural experience. This seminar will be taught by Larry Ragan, founder of CULTURELink. Larry brings experience from over 50 countries. He has led professional exchanges, English language classes, outreaches, prayer teams, building projects, disaster relief teams, and more. He has led or overseen more than 250 teams. Additionally, Larry teaches for Perspectives on the World Christian Movement courses. He previously served as a Missions Pastor and Teaching Pastor at two different churches. Larry and his wife, Karen, also served as missionaries in Budapest, Hungary. They live in Atlanta and have two kids, a dog, three cats, one fish, and one frog…the animal count changes daily. *On occasion, the class instructor changes due to scheduling conflicts. WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING "I have experienced the damage, locally and globally, that short-term teams can cause to the work that took long-term missionaries years to build because of a lack of training. Having now received numerous teams trained by CULTURELink, our local and global ministries have been blessed. This training helps to deploy servants who build up our work and partner with us for the long haul." ~ Adili Kea • Liaison, Royal Kids School (Kenya) ----- "CULTURELink’s combined offerings—consulting + curriculum-based training—have been transformational for our church. They helped us: • Define a biblical and strategic philosophy for cross-cultural missions • Implement practical processes for vetting, funding, and supporting global partners • Equip short‑term teams with deep discipleship and intercultural tools We highly recommend Culture Link to any church seeking to serve global missions with wisdom, spiritual depth, and measurable outcomes. ~ Matt Russell • Mars Hill Community Church (Powder Springs, GA) ----- "I highly recommend CULTURELink and their training curriculum for short-term mission teams. Their resources are rooted in sound biblical teaching and are designed to equip participants to make disciples who, in turn, make disciples of all nations. The CULTURELink training process fosters both spiritual growth and practical skills, ensuring teams are prepared to share Christ’s love effectively and multiply disciple-makers wherever they serve. I am confident that those who use this training will be empowered to make a lasting impact for the Kingdom." ~ Bruce Mewbourne • New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary SEMINAR SCHEDULE FRIDAY • JANUARY 29 8:30 - 9:00AM: Registration 9:00AM - 12:30PM • Short-term Missions Training Philosophy • Session 1: Getting Started • Session 2: Cultural Research 12:30 - 1:00PM: Lunch 1:00 - 5:30PM • Session 3: Becoming Cross-Cultural • Session 4: Ministry Preparation • Session 5: Team Building SATURDAY • JANUARY 30 8:30 - 9:00AM: Continental Breakfast 9:00AM - 12:00PM • The Seven-Step Process • Session 6: Travel, Packing, and Health • Session 7: Final Countdown 12:00 - 12:30PM: Lunch 12:30 - 3:00PM • Session 8: Living the Experience • Session 9: Debriefing and Re-entry