Missions Launch

Christian mission organizations have prioritized the sector of the world between 10 and 40 degrees above the equator which includes Northern Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. It is important for us to focus on these countries because its inhabitants are largely unreached, meaning that they have not yet heard the Gospel. Other world religions such as Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are indigenous to these nations and the window also hosts the most poverty-stricken populations.

Emphasizing this window has its drawbacks as well as strengths. The drawback of focusing on the 10/40 window is that these nations are very unreceptive to Christianity.  Many people in these countries could lose their jobs or their lives by converting to Christianity, and often church planting is very difficult. The social and political oppression cause missionaries to consider if God’s time to share the Gospel in these nations is right now. Also, by keeping a narrow focus on the world’s mission field, we may abandon other nations that are currently receptive to the Gospel. Some countries have very small Christian populations, but they are not included in the 10/40 window. 

There are great strengths, though, in focusing our efforts on these nations. The recent interest in sending missions to the unreached people causes many to enter into long-term service.  Some choose to reach these communities through vocational opportunities. These nations are about 57 percent of the world’s population, while only 18 percent of missionaries go there. Let’s remember these nations and pray about new strategies that the Lord would use to reach them.

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After making that decision to become a long-term missionary, the next step is to choose a location. Even if you know the country that you feel called to, there are several questions that you need to explore before deciding on a destination.

When selecting a ministry to work with overseas, rely on recommendations from people that you trust. When you start communicating with this contact, try to determine what their philosophy of ministry is. When I was researching churches in Italy, I considered working with a particular ministry until I discovered that we had incompatible evangelistic methods. This church also had little freedom for diversity in ministry approaches.

Researching as much as you can about possible missions sites is very important. A pastor in Ivory Coast stressed this idea to me. He had seen missionaries come to African villages without doing homework beforehand. There are some villages that are so dangerous that the pastors have been killed, which is the reason why there is not currently a church. Historical, social, and spiritual details such as these are critical to be aware of before making a decision.

Probably the best thing that you can do when deciding what country to go to is take a short-term trip. These trips can expose you to various people groups and different forms of cross-culture ministry. They also give you a picture of what life would be like living there. During your stay in each location attempt to determine if you could plausibly do long-term missions there. I know a married couple who are taking six months to travel to a few different countries to see where they would like to do missions long-term.

It is very risky to whole-heartedly commit to long-term missions without substantial information. As the Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Invest some time in research and short-term trips, and gain all the knowledge you can.

Photo by Y

Many people don’t realize the wealth of easily-accessible resources that connect people into missions and often give up because they simply can’t find a starting point. Here are some places that can help you get connected.

1. Start at the Church

Many churches have missions programs they can link you to, which may include local opportunities as well as ones abroad. Even if your church doesn’t have anything currently established, they will most likely have the names of any missionaries connected with the church. That leads us to door number two…

2. Long-Term Missionaries

If you know of anyone who is ministering long-term in another country, you should try contacting them. Let them know you are wanting to get involved in some way. Missionaries can almost always use a little more help in one way or another, and even if they don’t need the extra hands at the moment, they will greatly appreciate your desire and might be able to give you another lead.

3. Missions Organizations

Missions organizations are non-profit groups, usually unconnected with a single church, whose vision is to see people go to the nations. There are nearly unlimited opportunities found within these types of organizations. Many will have trips designed to fit certain gifts that you may have. For example, I lived in Perth, Australia on the base of a missions organization called Youth With A Mission (YWAM). They offer schools of worship, media, visual art, and evangelism just to name a few, in bases around the world. Each of this schools involved a short term (2-3 month) outreach that taught students how to use their skills in ministry. There are many organizations, like YWAM, that provide amazing opportunities to go to the nations.

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Missionaries go to unfamiliar patches of Earth and spend their time in service to others. There are different kinds of missions, but they all will include service.

Evangelistic trips have the main objective of sharing Christ cross-culturally. Common ways this message is shared are through sermons, tracts, or even drama. It is very important that people on evangelistic missions remember that they must be learners before teachers. Learn about the new environment and all you can about the people. God is already working in the culture and He will present opportunities to share.

Other trips are focused on service projects that help meet a specific need. Sometimes that need is building a home for a family, or constructing a church or school. Other needs are health-related, and medical missions supplies nurses, doctors and medicine to help meet the physical needs of the community.

Orphanage ministries are another common focus for missionaries. Orphanages in developing countries are often understaffed with the caregivers being far outnumbered by the children. Those who enjoy working with children will find their gifts greatly appreciated by kids who need daily love and attention.

If you have discovered the type of trip that fits your skills and interests, pray and research what country needs that mission work. On the other hand, if you feel confident about your destination, be sure to tailor the type of ministry that you will be involved in to that country’s need.  

“If God calls you to be a missionary, don’t stoop to be a king.” — Jordan Groom

At first we may not readily associate a king’s crown and throne as being trinkets of a lowly position, but the kingdom of God is different than any earthly reign. God became a man and chose not to be served, but to serve others.

Photo by soldiersmediacenter

There are many people who dream of helping others and traveling the world. Both long- and short-term missions are great for this very reason. You can go just about anywhere for any length of time when you sign up for a missions trip, from an exotic location across the globe or right in your own state. So how do you decide whether to take a long or a short mission? Here are some points to consider.

Time to travel
When considering what type of missions trip you’re interested in, one of the first things you will want to consider is how long you can travel. If you have a job at home that you love and you do not want to leave it for good, then you need to look at a short-term mission. However, if you are not tied down to job, you are between jobs, or you are willing to quit, then a long-term mission is a possibility for you.

In addition, you may not be the type of person who likes to leave home for long periods of time. If that describes you, perhaps a short-term mission is best. If you are adventurous and don’t mind the idea of leaving the comfort of home for months or longer, then you should look at long-term missions.

Leaving it behind
When you sign up for a short-term missions trip, you will come back home fairly quickly. You do not have to worry about your home, pets or leaving family members behind for a long time. If you go on a long-term mission, these are all things to consider. You may not have the personality where you can leave it all behind for months or years, but you’ll need to factor what you’re leaving behind very carefully before choosing a mission.

Type of missions work
The next thing to consider is the actual type of mission work. Think this through carefully. Mission work is not an easy vacation, it is work and you will be expected to put in hours each day. Mission work is emotionally taxing and can cause high stress. You can certainly take a one- or two-week mission to build a church or help repair a school or homes. And that type of work, although difficult, will likely be easier than ministering to the very poor in a remote country for months on end.

You may not have the skills or inclination to work construction, but the idea of teaching or ministering may more closely match your interests and skills. These are all things to consider when choosing a mission.

Your calling
Of course, you may have a very specific mission in mind. You may feel it is your calling. In that case, think about your decision very carefully and talk to members of your church family who can help guide you through your decision-making. The decision to go on any length of mission should not be taken lightly.

Photo by malias