About New Way Missions

New Way Missions was started in 2000 by Mary Lou Laird and Linda Parker. We work as partners, encouraging each other and mutually stimulating each other's thinking.

Together we have over 20 years of experience in the field of short-term missions. However, we are committed to staying on the "cutting edge" through reading, conferences, and contact with leading missiologists.

Mary Lou Laird went on her first short-term missions project at age 42 (a few years ago!) , became hooked and went off to seminary (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) to study missions in order to help other folks like her get involved. She has worked for the past 10 years as a full-time faith missionary with a large short-term missions agency. She has been privileged to introduce several hundred people to the mission field.

Linda Parker is an experienced project leader and can solve logistical problems in her sleep! She went on her first short-term missions project to Venezuela in 1994 and was so excited about it that she went on a medical project that same year to Guatemala. In 1995 she met Mary Lou and began working with her on a regular basis. Since then she has led several projects in Reynosa, Mexico. In 2000 Linda spent a month in Mexico, scouting for new project sites as well as leading a project. From Mexico she went almost directly to the Dominican Republic and led a large project in Santo Domingo. Linda is excited about New Way Missions' goal of helping short-term teams make a long-term difference in the areas they visit.

Mary Lou's strongest skills are research, writing, speaking, logistics, motivational encouragement, cross-cultural communication,networking and a strong sense of humor.

Linda's strongest skills are planning, training, leading, praying, money management and that much-needed sense of humor!

We work well together and approach tasks with an ability to divide the work according to our skills. And we are both committed to New Way Missions with our whole hearts.

We are dedicated to working with you throughout the preparation process to ensure that your ministry goals are met and your team experiences cross-cultural mission in a life-changing way. And, when your project is over, we will join you in giving all the glory and praise to our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We are firm believers in prayer.If you are excited about the possibility of taking a team from your church on a missions project, but doubt that you can get the minimum number of 10 to make up a team, here's our advice:

Pray about it for one week.
Ask the Lord to bring to your mind specific individuals to call and to give you creative ways to spark interest in missions in your congregation.
At the end of the week, we're sure you will have lots of ideas and interested people.Then give us a call and...GO FOR IT!