Future Missionaries

Future Missionaries

What is missions?  What is a missionary call, and do I have one?  What does missionary life look like? Most importantly, how do I take the first step? Please take a few minutes to explore the resources below. See if our frequently asked questions are yours too, and read the answers. These videos will inspire you, including Emmanuel Kwizera’s vision for Africa and The Distant Boat, a movie which tackles issues you may be facing, too. Be sure to click on resources of note to discover even more relevant topics for every prospective missionary.

Featured Resource

What are your study goals for 2026? We want to add one more thing to your list: The Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course. This is a 15-lesson study program designed to educate believers concerning God’s ancient and global purpose, first developed for college students in 1974 by Dr. Ralph Winter and the US Center for World Mission. Find out how to take the course here.

Resources

Resources you shouldn’t miss

Why every Christian should consider being a missionary Kairos – a course to open your heart to God’s callTen reasons not to become a missionaryGo-er Groups – a guide to exploring your callWhat If my parents oppose my becoming a missionary?

The Fork in the Road – will you go?

SIM is old. Over a hundred years ago a group of missionaries found themselves at a fork in the road. They went one way, and to this day, there’s been much fruit. But many are remembering that fork in the road and are curious where the other way leads. There’s an untrodden road that leads to communities where Jesus isn’t known. Join the team headed there.

The Distant Boat

The Distant Boat tells the fictional story of Max, a young urban Kenyan who has it all. Max’s whole life and perspective is challenged when he meets Yusef, whose people have no church and no Christian witness. Although he wants to help, opposition from family and friends almost causes him to give up. This movie addresses uniquely African challenges in doing missions, and will change the hearts of all who see it.

FAQ

What is a missionary? Collapse

A missionary is a person who is sent out to work cross-culturally, often in a spiritually dark place where others have not heard the Gospel.  They leave their homes, extended families, church, and comforts to minister to others, often at great cost.

Hasn’t everyone around the world heard the Gospel by now? Expand

Surprisingly, no.  Not even close!  It is estimated that over 7,000 of the world’s 17,000 people groups do not have a community of believers living among them.  And these are not small groups:  over 42% of the world’s populations are included in those ethnic groups.

I keep hearing the world “mobilization” related to missions. What is that? Expand

To “mobilize” someone means to get them active and moving toward a goal.  So, mobilizing people for missions describes the process of teaching them WHY we do missions, HOW we do missions, and WHAT they can do to be involved.  It may involve helping someone hear their missionary call, or getting your church to be involved in missions through prayer, financial support or encouragement of missionaries.

How can I get a job as a missionary? Expand

Very few people are “hired” as a missionary.  In most cases, you are sent out from a church or a group of churches, and they put the money together to support you.  Or, you must run a business to cover your expenses in your ministry location.  If God has called you to a particular location, He will confirm that calling by providing the funding needed, but it may mean that you live at a much lower standard of living than you would have in your home country.  Missionaries often suffer financially.

How can I get my pastor and family to help me go? Expand

There is no “formula” for being sent.  It may be that you need to spend a significant time working in the local church to become trusted and skilled in such work.  It may be that God needs to touch the hearts of those in authority over you.  It may be that you need to save money, or learn a trade you can use in the ministry location, before they will release you.  God commands us to be in submission to our leaders, but He also commands us to do His will rather than the will of man.  You must be very careful to do what is God’s will, which usually is to be under the authority of our leaders.

How do I get training to be a missionary? Expand

There are Bible schools and universities which offer courses in cross-cultural communication, church planting, and theology.  It is very important that each missionary have a thorough understanding of the Bible and be able to share that with others in a way they can understand.   Ask your pastor or experienced missionaries what they would recommend.  See our issue on Mobilization for a list of church-based courses.

Is being a missionary exciting and glamorous? Expand

It is certainly exciting to go out as a missionary.  However, the lifestyle is anything but glamorous.  It often involves a low standard of living financially, isolation from people who understand you, missing out on family events or being unable to be with your family when they need you  It can be very discouraging to try to communicate in a foreign language, or have your motives misunderstood by the people you are working with.  It may be very hard for your spouse to adjust, or for your children to feel at home.  Those whom God calls, He equips.  But do not make the mistake of thinking that missionary life is just an adventure: it is a lot of hard work in difficult places.

What if my spouse does not want to go as a missionary? Expand

You must not go to the field with a spouse who does not have a missionary call.  Pray for your spouse to receive a missionary call; but if they do not, you should ask God to give you other opportunities closer to home.  God does not desire for us to abandon our spouses and children, or to force them into a life to which He has not called them.  He has given us our spouse and children as a responsibility.

What are those international missions organisations all about? Expand

Most of them were started many years ago, when the West started to send missionaries.  Some were started by individual churches; some by groups of people who formed alliances.  Often people prefer working with them because they have been sending missionaries for many years and have a lot of experience in overseeing missionaries, screening who should go and who should not, and helping missionaries succeed on the field, along with many other things.  These days, quite a few of those organisations are interested in working with local African churches to help them send their own missionaries, and can provide some of the experience and support that local churches can’t provide.

Are there African missions organizations? Expand

There are!  CAPRO, based in Nigeria, is one.  As you look for a good fit for you, be sure to look at both local and international organizations, and the one you choose will be based on what your needs are.  Do you need an organization to receive donations for you and then send them to you, or an organization that can oversee your work or put you on a team of people?  What language do you prefer to work in?  There are a great many things to be considered.

I have a calling. How do I get to the field immediately? Expand

Go slowly, dear friend.  In order for you to be most effective in the place to which you are called, you may need skills, experiences, or maturity that you do not yet have.  Trust in God’s timing for your journey, knowing that if you are well-prepared, you will serve much longer in that place, and more effectively, than if you rush out ill-equipped.   If you read missionary biographies like Hudson Taylor or Amy Carmichael, you will see that they served in their hometowns, building their skills and experience, before they were sent.  Then they changed the world!  Your journey may be the same.