By Executive Director John Yoder

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Did you know that one of the most common struggles missionary kids face is a sense of cultural in-betweenness?

Missionary Kids, also known as Third Culture Kids (TCK’s), are citizens of one country who grew up in another. In adolescence as well as adulthood, they feel as if they’re never 100% part of any country or culture. They experience a sense of cultural restlessness.

We chose the name The Hyphenated Community for our online platform serving second-generation immigrants because they are frequently referred to as hyphens (as in, Mexican-hyphen-American).  Many have embraced the term because it vividly expresses their feeling of hyphenation and in-betweenness.

While Third Culture Kids aren’t exactly the same as second-generation immigrants, they clearly share that feeling of hyphenation. TCK’s are highly likely to resonate with the testimonies of second generation young adults you’ll hear inside The Hyphenated Community.

TCK’s can struggle to find a church where they fully feel at home, or a ministry that fully engages their giftedness. Their missionary parents had a clear sense of going from one culture into another. But TCK’s don’t have such a strong sense that any culture is theirs.

This can be a huge advantage in ministry. While it’s natural for their parents to envision ministry to immigrant peoples, TCK’s are more likely to envision ministry alongside immigrant peoples. They are likely to develop peer relationships with the second gen, realizing they’re both struggling to figure out where they belong.

Christians of all nations and ethnicities should inspire their young people to serve in overseas missions. But there is also great wisdom in encouraging TCK’s to serve alongside second- and third-generation immigrants in their parents’ homelands.

What can you do? If you know a missionary kid, whether they are in their teens or their 50’s, point them to The Hyphenated Community.  Their response might just be “Finally, somebody understands me!”