This is written mostly with medical workers in mind, because that is what I am, and because I struggled over many months to compile resources that apply to medical missions, and I'm hoping to pave the way for future workers! This is everything in my own experience that has been formational over the last several years in shaping my now-career as a missionary.
"So how do you become a missionary?"
1. Pray! Talk to the Lord about whether or not He wants you to serve in this capacity.
2. Talk to people in your church (leaders, others who have served overseas) about any opportunities, either to go somewhere short-term or to volunteer cross-culturally right in your own community.
3. Pray about each opportunity! When you pray, if you don't hear a clear "NO," then move forward with the next step (send the application, contact the agency, etc). Keep moving forward until God says, "STOP." **Feeling uncomfortable due to the anticipation of being pushed outside your comfort zone is NOT the same as God saying "STOP." Fear does not come from God, it comes from the enemy! (2 Timothy 1:7) If you are dithering and making excuses about not following through on the thing that scares you, it's probably because it's going to be AWESOME and it's going to bring GLORY TO GOD, and Satan wants nothing more than to prevent you from doing that thing!!** Keep praying about it, and take it one step at a time! (P.S. I've found that God rarely says, "Stop completely"; it's more often, "wait" or, "let's take this detour!")
4. Get a mentor. Ask around your church for mentorship opportunities (ideally someone who has served overseas in the same capacity or the same area of the world) or use the website by Medical Missions to find an experienced worker, a mature Christian of the same gender. They should be willing to meet up to once a week, but at least once a month, to offer guidance and support.
5. Critically assess your finances. My greatest resource was Dave Ramsey's book, "The Total Money Makeover." Many churches offer his Financial Peace University seminars (for a fee) and you can check out Ramsey's website for advice and resources. Whether you're going to go on short-term trips or are considering long- term service, you need to assess your financial stewardship and pay off as many outstanding debts as possible Between my car loan, student loans, credit cards, medical/vet bills...when I added all of those together, I owed hundreds of thousands of dollars at one point. Imagine my dismay when ilearned that most mission agencies require you to repay your debts before you can depart overseas! But by sticking to a budget, taking baby steps, and working multiple jobs, I reduced my total debt to under $37,000, which is my student loan balance.
6. Speaking of student loans... MedSend is a non-profit organization that offers grants to medical missionaries in order to continue repaying their student loans while they are serving overseas. Once you are accepted with a mission agency, check out their website for the next application deadline (usually 4x/year).
7. Learn about missions. When I thought that maybe God was calling me to go overseas long-term, my two biggest influences, the things that confirmed I was on the right path, were the Global Missions Health Conference (held annually in Louisville, KY), and the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course (13 weeks long, ongoing basis).
8. Read about missions. Look for books on cross-cultural ministry, evangelism, missiology, biographies of missionaries, books written by believers in your region of interest, etc. You can start with my recommendations, which are posted on Goodreads under the heading "Missions Resources," but your church, mission agency, and mentor probably have great ideas, too. If you prefer learning by listening, or if you spend a lot of time in your car, try audiobooks; check out christianaudio.com, audible.com, or ask your local library if they participate in hoopla emedia.
9. Study theology. You can't tell others what you believe if you don't know what you believe! My favorite authors are Liz Curtis Higgs, C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Boenhoffer, Elyse Fitzpatrick, Priscilla Shirer, Brennan Manning, Lee Strobel, and Beth Moore. Read their books. Listen to good sermons online (in addition to attending church). Be a student of the Word. Enroll in the FREE Dimensions of the Faith program, a series of courses from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Make use of their study guides and stay on track with their quizzes.
10. GO!!! You'll never know until you try... so the best thing to do is to get experience in a new culture on a short-term trip, either with your church or one of hundreds of organizations that need medical workers. Go with open heart, open mind, and open hands, ready to serve and ready to learn. When you come back, debrief with your mentor or other cross-cultural workers.
11. Keep praying!
"So how do you become a missionary?"
1. Pray! Talk to the Lord about whether or not He wants you to serve in this capacity.
2. Talk to people in your church (leaders, others who have served overseas) about any opportunities, either to go somewhere short-term or to volunteer cross-culturally right in your own community.
3. Pray about each opportunity! When you pray, if you don't hear a clear "NO," then move forward with the next step (send the application, contact the agency, etc). Keep moving forward until God says, "STOP." **Feeling uncomfortable due to the anticipation of being pushed outside your comfort zone is NOT the same as God saying "STOP." Fear does not come from God, it comes from the enemy! (2 Timothy 1:7) If you are dithering and making excuses about not following through on the thing that scares you, it's probably because it's going to be AWESOME and it's going to bring GLORY TO GOD, and Satan wants nothing more than to prevent you from doing that thing!!** Keep praying about it, and take it one step at a time! (P.S. I've found that God rarely says, "Stop completely"; it's more often, "wait" or, "let's take this detour!")
4. Get a mentor. Ask around your church for mentorship opportunities (ideally someone who has served overseas in the same capacity or the same area of the world) or use the website by Medical Missions to find an experienced worker, a mature Christian of the same gender. They should be willing to meet up to once a week, but at least once a month, to offer guidance and support.
5. Critically assess your finances. My greatest resource was Dave Ramsey's book, "The Total Money Makeover." Many churches offer his Financial Peace University seminars (for a fee) and you can check out Ramsey's website for advice and resources. Whether you're going to go on short-term trips or are considering long- term service, you need to assess your financial stewardship and pay off as many outstanding debts as possible Between my car loan, student loans, credit cards, medical/vet bills...when I added all of those together, I owed hundreds of thousands of dollars at one point. Imagine my dismay when ilearned that most mission agencies require you to repay your debts before you can depart overseas! But by sticking to a budget, taking baby steps, and working multiple jobs, I reduced my total debt to under $37,000, which is my student loan balance.
6. Speaking of student loans... MedSend is a non-profit organization that offers grants to medical missionaries in order to continue repaying their student loans while they are serving overseas. Once you are accepted with a mission agency, check out their website for the next application deadline (usually 4x/year).
7. Learn about missions. When I thought that maybe God was calling me to go overseas long-term, my two biggest influences, the things that confirmed I was on the right path, were the Global Missions Health Conference (held annually in Louisville, KY), and the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course (13 weeks long, ongoing basis).
8. Read about missions. Look for books on cross-cultural ministry, evangelism, missiology, biographies of missionaries, books written by believers in your region of interest, etc. You can start with my recommendations, which are posted on Goodreads under the heading "Missions Resources," but your church, mission agency, and mentor probably have great ideas, too. If you prefer learning by listening, or if you spend a lot of time in your car, try audiobooks; check out christianaudio.com, audible.com, or ask your local library if they participate in hoopla emedia.
9. Study theology. You can't tell others what you believe if you don't know what you believe! My favorite authors are Liz Curtis Higgs, C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Boenhoffer, Elyse Fitzpatrick, Priscilla Shirer, Brennan Manning, Lee Strobel, and Beth Moore. Read their books. Listen to good sermons online (in addition to attending church). Be a student of the Word. Enroll in the FREE Dimensions of the Faith program, a series of courses from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Make use of their study guides and stay on track with their quizzes.
10. GO!!! You'll never know until you try... so the best thing to do is to get experience in a new culture on a short-term trip, either with your church or one of hundreds of organizations that need medical workers. Go with open heart, open mind, and open hands, ready to serve and ready to learn. When you come back, debrief with your mentor or other cross-cultural workers.
11. Keep praying!
