First, let’s define what a missionary is: A missionary is someone who knows God and goes to share His love with people. Loren Cunningham, a great missionary, once said that ‘go’ means the change of location; whether you go across the street or further, we are all called to go.
“How can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about them? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Rom. 10:14-15).
One of the first steps you can take to prepare for going into missions full-time is simply saying “yes” to Jesus. Then, take the initiative to tell those around you about Jesus; you shouldn’t wait to be in another culture to share God’s love–start sharing where you are. If God has laid a place on your heart, ask Him for the next step. Many mission schools are available that will expose you to the mission field, help you get trained, and get sent.
PRAY AND ASK GOD FOR DIRECTION
Prayer is extremely important, especially before becoming a missionary, and when being in the mission field, you have to hear God’s voice and discern what he is telling you to do. When you pray and seek God’s heart for a nation, ask Him for a heart for a group; then, you start to get a heart for that place. If you think about it, how can you work and serve people if you don’t really have a heart for them? When you have a heart for people, everything becomes easier since you can understand them even more, and it won’t feel like you are striving to love them. And you’ll be able to love them the way God wanted you to love them; you should not try to love people on your own strength, so ask God for a heart for the people so you can love the way they ought to be loved.
Everywhere you go, you should share Jesus’ love and message of hope to those around you. He’s literally the only one who can give you life, so if God is not explicitly calling you to stay, then you should go. It’s the exception if we stay. Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave us a command, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus calls all of us to go and share the gospel, whether it be to our neighborhoods, communities, or nations.
READ: Are you Called To Missions?
LEARN TO SERVE
It is important to learn to serve not just as you become a missionary but also as Christians, we should follow Jesus’ example. He loved and served people well: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Serving is extremely important; if you think about it, serving is the main thing you will be doing on the mission field. So, it is essential to learn to serve well. Some practical ways to serve in your church are by helping with children’s ministry, worship teams, and youth groups or helping prepare for events your church might need help with. If you want to reflect Jesus well, you really want to make sure that you love and serve people where you’re at.
GET PROPER MISSIONARY TRAINING
Some benefits of proper missionary training are that you can learn how to thrive in different cultures and how to evangelize and relate to people who have experienced different walks of life. Training can equip you to share the gospel better, learn tips on specific tasks, or understand how to relate to other cultures.
During missionary training, topics that should be covered include hearing the voice of God. As a missionary, understanding what the Holy Spirit is saying is extremely important. Another important topic to learn is Spiritual Warfare. Often, when entering another country, there are things you need to learn how to deal with and how you can counteract the strongholds of that country, whether it be disunity, fear, or pride.
BE A PART OF A GLOBAL MISSIONS MOVEMENT
The difference between a program and a movement is that a program can be a short-term event that equips and trains you into missions, whereas a movement is more of a response to the program. So, a program can create a movement; movement lasts longer and is multipliable. There are many avenues to join a missions movement. The main goal is to bring the gospel and the great commission everywhere you go. You can go on short-term mission trips and long-term mission trips. You can even train missionaries and help prepare them for the mission field. You can even support someone going overseas. There are so many ways you can share Jesus’ love with people! These are just a few options; ask Jesus how you can contribute or what your role is in missions.
It is important to tell everyone about Jesus overseas and at home because He is literally the best thing that can happen to you. The entire world needs Jesus, not just some people but all people. Although some locations might have a greater need in number, that doesn’t dismiss the need to share about Jesus at home with family, friends, and community.
WHAT IS A DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING SCHOOL (DTS)?
DTS is a six-month school that Youth With A Mission (YWAM) runs; it will help you get to know God more and make Him known. For the first three months, you will be in class learning more about God from leaders and teachers who have experience in different life topics, such as Hearing God’s Voice, Biblical Worldview, His Character and Nature, Spiritual Warfare, and Evangelism. These are just some topics you’ll cover to better equip you for the second phase. For the last three months, you will be going to a different nation, where you put into practice everything you learned during the first phase.
A DTS can help prepare you for missions because you can learn more about yourself, God’s character, and nature. The more you understand who God is, the more you will be so filled with Him to the point that you have to tell people all around the world about Him!
Enroll in a DTS today and embark on a transformative journey to deepen your understanding of God, discover your purpose, and impact the nations.
