1050. Where Do I Start?

IF I WANT TO BE A MISSIONARY,
WHERE DO I START?

Let’s imagine someone who is called to be a missionary. That’s only the first step. There are multitudes of options that give rise to many questions.

Should our missionary go out alone?  Unless a person has a very specific calling, going alone is not the wisest choice. The apostle Paul took a team with him on his missionary journeys. In the early days of modern missions, pioneers like Hudson Taylor and William Carey were forced to initially go alone, but they worked hard to form societies and find others who would join them.

What are the advantages of joining a mission organization?  Among others are a sense of belonging to something greater that yourself, credibility among Christians who are considering supporting you, and a share in the combined wisdom gained by years of experience.

What types of organizations are there?  They are varied, but we can generally classify them as follows:

1. Denominational missions. They have a broad base of financial support and can usually pay their missionaries a regular salary.  
2. Inter-denominational missions. Missionaries often rely on a number individuals and churches for their support.
3.  Faith missions. These missions don’t generally solicit funds but rely on God to lead individuals and churches to support their work.
4.  Specialist mission organizations. 

 Can I work among a specific people group or in a specific country? Operation World has information under each country about the missions that serve there.

How much do missionaries get paid? Most missionaries are near the bottom of the pay scale, but closest to the top in job satisfaction.

Do missionary organizations work together? Everyone has the same ultimate goal so there is little competition. Agencies are increasingly partnering toward specific objectives. More than 190 missions and churches representing 35,000 evangelical missionaries deployed in every country have formed an association called Missio Nexus.

What else should our prospective missionary check out?

• The Internet. This is a good place to start. Practically every mission has a web site. 
• Check out Preparing to Go website. They cover subjects like "Get Guidance" "Assess Readiness" and "Explore Options." Click Here 
• Doctrinal Statement. Most evangelical missions have very similar statements. However prospective missionaries need to make sure that there isn’t something that they would be uncomfortable working under.
• Missionary-Blogs.com includes active blogs from 500 missionaries worldwide. Their website says, “See what God is doing first-hand, as these missionaries share their hearts.” 
• God’s calling. Even if everything seems to click, every step in the process should be covered in prayer.