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Traveling to a different culture is intimidating, to say the least. The people think differently, dress differently, have different mannerisms and different opinions of hygiene. Culture is one of the exciting aspects of missions but also the most frustrating. It is the mountain you need to climb to understand how […]

Making the Connection

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I remember when I was planing to move to Africa as a missionary I heard from a few different people something along these lines – “why don’t you just leave those people alone. They are fine with their own culture and their own way of doing things. Why do you […]

You’re Going to Change Their Culture!

I think tis is a plague that follows most missionaries. And the bottom line is that it is pride. We believe that we are superior because we are from the west, we have resources, we  have education, etc… We are the schoolmasters and they are are little pupils. Of course […]

The Superiority Complex

I have been to over 20 different countries and most of them very third world. There are a few that I remember distinctly. Haiti for example, I remember my first trip there (I’ve been there 4 times since then) the plane door opens and a rush of hot humid air slaps […]

First Impressions

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I have interviewed way to many perspective missionaries who have next to zero training, tones of zeal and no time before they depart. This is crazy! Usually I end up as the bad guy because I put on the breaks and tell them to postpone their trip. The zero training […]

Preparation

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The phenomenon of short-term missions team has exploded in the west. Churches are sending out team in record numbers. Which is amazing! However, there are some perspectives that need to be considered for each short-term missionary, team, pastor, and the long-term missionary that will be hosting the team. First, let’s […]

The Impact of Short-Term Missions

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“Short-term missions doesn’t change the world but it does create world changers.” We typically categorize a short-term missionary as someone who is planning on living in a particular country from anywhere between three months to two years. Short-term missionaries are a vital part of boosting a long-term work. They come […]

What is a Short-Term Missionary?

I have met many individual missionaries that come home from the mission field because God crossed the door. However, they feel like and are often received home as failures. But is this true? Did you fail in your calling or did you simply misunderstand your calling? When talking about calling […]

How Long is the Call?

I will often here this statement from people – I know I am called to missions, I just don’t know where. What should I do? First, off be encouraged because God has a plan for you He just needs to prepare you first. Here are some pointers that I will give […]

What Should I do if I Don’t Know Where I ...

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Needs and the mission field go hand in hand. The needs are more often then not completely overwhelming. We hear emotional appeals from the pulpit about the starving kids in Africa or the victims of sex trafficking in India and we are stirred to the core to do something. Helping with […]

The Needs are too Great

“Not called!” did you say? “Not heard the call,” I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to […]

The Call to Missions

“Missions is the province of every Christian, not just of specialists.” – On Being a Missionary The very existence of the New Testament church is because we are suppose to be an evangelistic entity. The role of the pastor/teacher is for the “equipping of the body for the work of […]

Is Missions For Everyone?

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In the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 9 Jesus gave a commission to His disciples – “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” I think we are afraid to […]

Why We Are Afraid to Pray

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I have heard many financial appeals from well meaning individuals that say something like, “western missionaries are not needed anymore. It costs to much money. They are two high maintenance. It will take them 10 year before they are really ready and useful for the ministry in such-and-such country because they […]

Should we still be sending missionaries?

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When we approach the topic of missions and missions training the task is daunting. Missions is a HUGE topic with many paths that need to be considered. Global missions today has greatly changed over the past 50 years. The west is no longer the missionary sending hub that it once […]

The Missions Venture

Part Six – Understanding how culture shock affects you and your ability to think and act properly.

Culture Shock pt. 6

Part Five – Understanding how culture shock affects you and your ability to think and act properly.

Culture Shock pt. 5

Part Four – Understanding how our Christian values have shaped our culture and worldview.

Christian Value pt. 4

Part Three – Understanding how our Christian values have shaped our culture and worldview.

Christian Value pt. 3

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I get approached by people all the time who want to go to the mission field and my first question to them is always, “what ministries are you involved in right now?” The answer to this question will tell me a LOT. Most people will rattle off all the ministries […]

The Need for Training & Preparation

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There are no quick fixes when it comes to support raising. I could end this post here but I won’t. There is no magic pill. I get asked all the time by missionaries – “how long does it take to raise support?” Well, that is an extremely hard question to […]

No Quick Fix

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There is no such thing as a quick path to support raising. Often times missionaries think that it is about sending out one support letter and sitting back to watch the check flood in. They are always sorely disappointed. If God is calling your to become a full-time missionary you […]

Obstacles to Support Raising

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“Don’t ask people to give money; just ask them to pray.” I have encountered many missionaries that deploy this method of support raising. I respect their convictions, assuming they are from the Lord and not from some other reason, and would never seek to persuade them otherwise. However, I get […]

The Osmosis Method of Fundraising

A missions support dinner is a great tool for new and veteran missionaries. If you are a new missionary you might want to schedule a few smaller events at some friends houses or one large event in your churches fellowship hall to gather people together so that you can present (see […]

Missions Support Dinner

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A dessert gathering is a great tool for new and veteran missionaries. If you are a new missionary you might want to schedule a few smaller events at some friends houses or one large event in your churches fellowship hall to gather people together so that you can present (see developing […]

Dessert Gathering

As a missionary having an organized contact list is massively important. Initially it is a lot of work to put together but in the long run it will make your life a lot easier when it comes to communication. First off, what is this contact list for? Well, this is […]

Developing a Contact List

Knowing when to go is one of the trickiest decisions for a missionary to make. If you go to soon you are probably not financially ready and will be back in a few months feeling like a failure and facing the gauntlet of questions from family, friends, donors and pasts. […]

How do I know when to go?

As a missionary you should be well aware of who your supporters are, how much they give and how much you have in your support account on a monthly basis. This means that you should set aside at least a day out of the month to review your budgets, communicate/thank […]

Managing Monthly Support

Remember that there are no such things as a lone ranger missionary. It is phenomenally important that you are under the care and leadership of your pastor/s. They are the men that God has placed over you as your shepherd and are the ones ultimately responsible for you. “Have confidence […]

Communicating with Your Church Leadership

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Social media and and our cultures are becoming one and the same. Whatever you opinion is of social media here is the reality – it ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. Instead of kicking against the goods of mainstream cultural media trends why not prayerfully use it for the furtherance of […]

Social Media

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One amazing thing about our world today is how easy it is to bring someone from California to a Bible Study in Nepal. With simply your smartphone you can capture a 30 second video that puts someone right in the room where they can heart the singing and see the […]

Videos

The old English Idiom “A picture is worth a thousand words” is absolute true. I cannot stress the importance of the need for high quality pictures as part of your communication repertoire.Case in point, how many of you scroll down Facebook and skip every post that includes just text but […]

Pictures

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The initial support letter is key because it is the “kick-off” of your support raising efforts. This is a letter you want to take your time and draft/design it well. Here are some helpful steps to get you through the task: Goals – The primary goal is to clearly and […]

Initial Support Letter

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The dreaded monthly update letter! It causes missionaries to tremble at just the mention of the task. I would like to discuss the importance of the monthly update letter, the content of the letter and where the letter fits within the grand vision of communication. Importance I have received a […]

Monthly Update Letters