An Ongoing Partnership
For Dylan Harper, saying “yes” to a short-term mission trip with Resonate Global Mission meant stepping outside his comfort zone.
Along with his wife and 12-year-old daughter, Harper traveled to a Southeast Asian country as part of a Timothy Leadership Training (TLT) and Calvin Theological Seminary partnership. Their time during this internship was split between two regions that were strikingly different in culture, each offering a unique window into the global church.
What stood out most for him, said Harper, were the tangible relationships he was able to build along the way. “Honestly, I don’t think there was an interaction I had that wasn’t meaningful,” he added.
One connection in particular, he said, involved a ministry partner who shared with Harper his hope to visit the United States. Less than two years later, that same leader came traveling across the U.S. to visit with partner churches, including Harper’s own.
It was a reminder, said Harper, that mission isn’t one-directional. It’s relational, ongoing, and often unfolds in unexpected ways. While the short-term trip he engaged in didn’t directly lead Harper into overseas missions, it reshaped how he sees the global church today, he said.
“It opened my eyes to the ways other Christians are living in parts of the world that are so different from ours,” he said. “It gave me an appreciation for what we often take for granted and for the importance of supporting ministries that are faithfully serving with limited resources.”
Since the time of his cross-cultural seminary internship, Harper’s deepening perspective has led into an ongoing partnership. He returned to the country for a second visit, and today his congregation in the U.S. supports one of the ministries they connected with during the internship.
“Much fruit has been produced by an initial ‘Yes, God, send me/us,’” Harper reflected.
Today, Harper serves as the lead pastor of a church in Merced, Calif. In just two years he has witnessed remarkable growth following a healthy pastoral transition. The congregation has nearly doubled in size, and he continues to see lives transformed as people encounter Jesus, he said.
“It’s amazing to see God do what he does best,” Harper reflected. “We’re simply trying to keep up and not get ahead of him.”
Harper said his hope for the future is rooted in the vision of a church in which people don’t just attend but actively live out their faith, making disciples throughout their city.
Looking back, Harper said, the advice he has to offer is simple: “Take a risk. The greatest growth happens outside your comfort zone.”
Interested in taking a first step into mission? Check out opportunities to volunteer with Resonate at resonateglobalmission.org/serve.
