By Michael Smiel — “Get involved in missions!” they say, but how? The world of missions is vast and figuring out how to get involved can leave you in a daze or simply intimidated. Here are ten ideas for growing your involvement in missions so that you can take one step further into the world of missions. 

1. Pray for missions, missionaries, the lost, and unreached peoples 

What if I told you that you are already in possession of the greatest catalyst for reaching the unreached? Prayer is exactly that! The truth is that, apart from God, we cannot accomplish the mission Jesus gave us, but that’s why he said he has all authority and would be with us (Matthew 28:18-20; John 15:5). Start praying and see what happens.  

2. Learn from missions-specific teaching and training in the church 

You don’t have to take this journey alone. See if you can join your church in learning about missions or if they will join you. What is your church already offering? Nothing? Let people at your church know you are interested in learning more about missions and see if you can get something started. Look at that! You are already involved in missions and getting others involved too! 

3. Meet a missionary and hear about their work 

Many people’s involvement in missions began when they met a missionary and heard their story. Ask your church about having a missionary come for a visit or if you know a missionary, ask them to meet with you.

4. Grow as a disciple of Jesus and learn to make disciples 

Disciple making is one of those topics that is broad, feels very abstract, and the steps forward are hard to see. Being a disciple and making disciples is what every follower of Jesus is called to do (Matthew 28:18-20). But how?  

5. Minister to people from different nationalities, cultures, and religions in your local area 

I recently drove past an area near where I live and noticed people were wearing clothes that stood out to me as different, signs were in a language I couldn’t read, restaurants advertised food I’d never heard of and there were several Mosques nearby. I had stumbled across a Pakistani community in my city. Is there an area where a people group and different culture is obviously congregating? Go there and eat at a restaurant, shop in the grocery store, try to interact with people. That is a majority of missionary life. See if you can make a friend or two by regularly frequenting a place! 

6. Pursue additional missions and Bible education 

Maybe you’ve been to Bible college or seminary but didn’t learn very much about missions. Maybe you’ve never had any formal Bible training. That’s okay! See if you can find a nearby Bible college, seminary, or church that may offer a class that would fit you. 

7. Receive encouragement toward missions and ministry 

When you read the word “encouragement”, who did you think of? When I began to consider getting involved in missions I approached my mentor because I thought he was a mature believer who knew me and knew about missions. He was not only able to encourage me to get involved in missions but he also encouraged me throughout my time on the mission field as well! Who is your encourager? 

8. Attend missions events and conferences 

I never quite know what to expect from a conference or event. How will God use it to inspire, encourage, or edify me? I usually walk away from a conference with at least one concept or idea that I want to implement in my involvement in missions. 

9. Take the Kairos missions education course 

Kairos is a course with a vision to see the whole Church mobilized for cross-cultural mission to the world’s least-reached peoples. I have seen people energized and inspired to get involved but they also knew how to do so after completing the course. 

10. Hear sermons about God’s heart for the nations, evangelism, and missions

We began this list of ideas with prayer. It’s fitting that we end it with hearing God’s Word. Sermons can often be one refreshing form by which we are exposed to the Scriptures. Hear what God has to say about the nations and his love for people. In 2012, David Platt preached a sermon at the T4G conference and John Piper tweeted, “This may have been the most powerful missions message I’ve ever heard.” It’s worth a listen!