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.

1030 Make a Committment

MAKE A COMMITMENT

Write Your Commitment

Make a commitment, but don’t look too far ahead

If you've watched the videos in this series, you should have a better understanding of missions. There’s more ahead, but you only need to think of the current commitment. Until you complete it, you won’t need the rest. Then God can lead you in many different directions.

Tell God you’re willing: 

  Several years ago I visited the Philippines and stayed in a mission guesthouse. I was struck by the friendly and efficient way it was run and asked the couple in charge how they became involved. They told me, “We went to a mission conference. The pastor said, ‘I believe God can use any of us if we let Him. Let’s tell Him we’re willing;’ so we both did. Two days later, a mission director called. He said, ‘We need someone to run our guesthouse in the Philippines. As I prayed, your name came to my mind.’ We both knew right away that this was God’s response to our declaration of willingness, and we just love what we do.”

Your experience may not be that dramatic, but it will be unique to you. God will lead.

To Dig Deeper, click here.

1031 Your Committment

YOUR COMMITMENT 

1. Write down your commitment

You may want to write your commitment in your Bible or your notebook. Or you could frame it, or put it on your refrigerator. The choice is yours. The main thing is to have a record that you can look at from time to time. Writing it down adds a sense of purpose. How you express it is your decision, but if you say, “Some day I’d like to do something,” it will probably never happen. Be intentional.

2. Check (tick) one or more of the following phrases, or re-write them in your own words.

• I’m willing to be used by God 
• I want to make an investment in missions 
• With God’s help, I will prepare myself by following the steps in this book 

3. Read and review your commitment daily

• Tell God you really mean it 
• Tell Him you are expecting great things 
• Ask Him to show you what to do when the right time comes