Explore Panel:‘If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering missions, what would it be?’
As we wrap up 2021 and consider what might come in 2022, our panelists have some advice for anyone who might be considering missions. In this month's Explore News email you will find what our missionary panelists think is the most important advice from their experience on the field.
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Involve Your Home Church
Involve your home church as much as possible. Be a faithful member there, allow them to evaluate your aspiration to the mission field, and let them help you discern what gifts you may have to offer.
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Consider More Seriously
Consider more seriously! Don’t just consider. Pray purposefully and research intently. Educate yourself, while you talk to Jesus about it. And spend lots of time in silence with the Lord so you are sure to hear Him well.
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Your Story is Your Story
Your story is your story. There are different pathways and timelines to missions. I had the unique opportunity of living overseas as a child (Mexico) and serving overseas in a completely different country with a brand new language (Japan). That piece for me is my story and the connection between the two countries for me is one that God has uniquely intertwined together. Be curious—explore, and see about the possibilities.
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We hope this advice will point you in the right direction on your missions journey!
Photo by: Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash
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Start Now
Start doing the work NOW. Don’t wait until you get on a plane to start the work. This doesn’t have to mean getting involved with a big church program... Whatever setting you are in currently, simply start seeking to be discipled and discipling others, which when it comes down to it, is what the life of a worker looks like.
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Get a Variety of Experience
My best advice for someone considering missions is to get experience in different ways. First, find opportunities in your home church and through local mission efforts. Migration and globalization are bringing more cross-cultural opportunities to almost everywhere in the world, and connecting with people from other cultures is a great first step. If this can be paired up with local church ministry, that is the best. Also, if at all possible, find local churches that are actually working to start new churches and do cross-cultural work to gain experience and see how things can be done- not to come away with a formula for church planting, but to see something that far too many going to the mission field have never seen. Beyond this, taking advantage of a short to mid-term mission trip can be hugely eye-opening and can open our hearts to what God is already doing around the world. This experience has been so vital to so many who are serving long term on the mission field.
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The path to missions can feel overwhelming! Our experienced mission coaches will walk alongside you every step of the way.
• Find out how you can become a SEND missionary.
• Explore where and how you can serve with SEND.
• Subscribe to Explore News, to hear real-life stories from our missionary panelists every month.
