First Steps

As you begin discerning a possible call to missions, it is wise to discuss your thoughts with your church pastor and other home church leaders.

Schedule time to share your heart for overseas service and ask for their perspective and counsel.

Local pastors often have experience guiding prospective missionaries and can provide spiritual mentorship. They know your gifts and maturity level through church involvement.

While ultimately it is between you and God, your home church can confirm or raise considerations regarding your readiness. Their support and blessing is an important foundation before pursuing missions abroad.

Be open and honest about your thoughts during these early conversations.

Pioneers USA has created a short video explaining why we need sending Churches:

Before considering overseas mission work, it’s important to be actively involved in ministry in your home church and community.

Serve in ways that align with your strengths and gifts, whether that’s teaching, evangelizing, youth work, worship, etc.

Avoid the “747 principle” of trying to transform into a “superhero missionary” upon arrival – you will fundamentally be the same person, with the same habits and abilities.

If you are not already engaging your gifts in ministry where you are, it will likely be much more challenging to step into ministry in another culture.

Commit to your local church body and develop your spiritual leadership. This experience and growth will equip you for future overseas work in ways that simply researching or imagining life abroad cannot.

Stay grounded in present service while discerning future calling.

Once you begin feeling a pull toward missionary work, make connections with people who have served as missionaries previously. This could be through your church, denominational boards, or ministry networks.

Schedule phone calls or in-person meetings to hear about their firsthand experiences serving abroad. Ask about their motivation for going, the realities of day-to-day life and ministry, the challenges they faced, things they wished they had known.

Listen with an open mind, not just seeking confirmation.

Every situation is unique but learning from others’ lived experiences can help you discern if this calling aligns with your personality, skills, and life vision. Connecting with missionaries gives invaluable perspective beyond surface-level research. Let their wisdom guide your exploration.

Participating in a short-term mission trip can provide initial cultural immersion and ministry experience. However, it’s important to acknowledge short-term visits are very different from committing to years of overseas service.

View the trip mainly as a chance for self-reflection to gain perspective – observe how you respond cross-culturally, what draws or challenges you.

Use it as one input, not the deciding factor. Debrief afterward about what resonated or gave pause.

Remember that long-term adaptation and sustainable service differ greatly. While valuable, short trips should supplement, not replace, wise discernment regarding long-term overseas missions based on prayer, counsel, research, and your spiritual readiness.

The International Missions Board has a free short-term training course.

Elim Missions has a free short-term training course.

Oscar provides assistance to help you research your locations:

Free Re-Entry EBook After Short-Term Cross-Cultural Trips

As your missionary calling comes into focus, it is wise to discuss your thoughts with mature Christian mentors who know you well. Share transparently and seek their godly wisdom. Listen sincerely, not just for validation.

Be aware they may have biased hopes for your life either towards or against missions. While their counsel is valuable, ultimately discernment comes through prayer. Friends and family may struggle sending you overseas or have idealized notions.

Take all feedback humbly but filter through continual prayer. The calling lies between you and God.

Counsel helps test motivations and readiness but rely on prayer above all else as you process opinions from those who care about you.

Throughout the discernment process, continually reflect on your deep motivations and goals related to overseas missions.

Ask yourself sincere questions:

• Are you pursuing this for godly reasons or more personal ones?
• Is it driven by spiritual calling or other desires like adventure, cultural interest, or escapism?
• What specific needs compel you?
• How do your gifts align?
• How open are you to alternative paths if God closes this door?

Missionary service must flow from humble obedience, not self-glory. Examine your heart often for purity of motives and willingness to follow God’s guidance.

Let your ultimate goal be bringing Him glory, regardless the path. Sincere self-reflection paired with prayer keeps your vision clear and focused.

Once you’ve spent time reflecting and seeking counsel about your missionary calling, start researching potential opportunities.

When you’ve got clarity on your gifts, dig deeper to find an agency whose existing work aligns with your vision and gifts. Reach out and ask about their locations, service needs, training, expectations, and how they care for missionaries. Ask lots of questions upfront to understand their approach and culture.

Build personal connections to find the best fit. Use this to learn about realistic options when you’re ready to apply down the road.

Choose carefully – the right sending agency means ongoing support overseas. Take time to check options thoughtfully and listen for God’s guidance.

Websites like these can be a helpful starting place:

• Global Connections
• Oscar
• Mission Next
• The Traveling Team
•  Mission:TEACH place teachers in international Christian schools.Christian Connections for International Health and MedicalMissions.com are designed for medical personnel and those interested in medical work.
• https://askamissionary.com/mission-agencies-choosing/

Articles

Here are some free articles if you want to read more:

Do I Really Need to Join a Mission Organisation? (Syzygy Mission Network). Considerations on a question many are asking.

How Do I Choose the Right Mission Organization? (Syzygy Mission Network). Top tips on finding the right organization, a choice crucial to the fruitfulness of your ministry.

Choosing the Right Mission Agency: Five Things to Consider (BAM360.org). Key areas to explore in finding a fit for yourself.

Going It Alone (Syzygy Mission Network). Advice for those who are going without significant support from a sending agency.

Is This the Team for Me? by Ellen Livingood (Catalyst Services). Prospective missionaries often invest considerable time and effort in choosing the right mission agency. But joining the right team may be even more important.

Choosing Sending Partners: Agency Services, by Ellen Livingood (Catalyst Services). What services should an agency provide? Article describes ten areas where agencies should provide added value.

Once you’ve spent time in prayer and deep reflection and feel totally ready in your spirit, look into submitting those missionary application. Don’t rush into it prematurely, but when you have full conviction and confirmation that this is your calling, go for it!

Make sure you’ve walked through all the preliminary discernment steps first though – chatting with your pastor, learning from missionaries, gaining local ministry experience, and checking your motivations.

Just be real with yourself and with God as you evaluate if you’re truly ready. Don’t move ahead based on impatience or surface-level passions. Take it from someone who’s been there – wait for God’s timing and for clarity about this life calling. The mission field needs more sincere, devoted servants like you when the time comes.

Interested in Doing Some Further Reading? Check out these free articles for those exploring a call to mission:

https://oscar.org.uk/resources/enquirer

Free Online Exploring Missions Course:

The GOer Group videos are a free 7-lesson series addressing the major questions and barriers students encounter as they pursue cross-cultural ministry. Each video features insights and advice from experienced people who have either spent time on the mission field or have helped many people to get there.