Ten Commandments for Missionaries in Training
Be Rooted in a Local Church. Get involved. Support the
leadership. Build strong relationships. Seek confirmation of
call by the church.
Develop Ministry Skills. Know and use your spiritual
gifts. Equip someone else for a specific ministry. Participate
in cross-cultural ministry near home.
Demonstrate servant leadership in your home church.
Accept new levels of leadership responsibility. Serve on a
leadership or missions team in your church. Facilitate some
constructive action (be a causer not simply a doer). Do an
internship (i.e., report to someone and supervise/lead
someone).
Practice spiritual disciplines to mature in your
relationship with God. Read, Celebration of Discipline
by Richard Foster. Read, Seven Habits of Highly Effective
People by Stephen Covey. Develop a regular habit of Bible
study and prayer. Ask a mature Christian to mentor you and
help you grow as a disciple. Identify five priorities for the
next three months and ask someone to hold you accountable.
Select a specific people group or nation for research
and prayer. Begin to use Operation World by Patrick
Johnstone. Go to a university library and find books on your
people group or nation. Do an internet search to find
information on your selected people group. Write to a
missionary working among your target group. Form a small group
to pray for your target group.
Grow in wholeness as a person. Meet with your pastor
to discuss steps you need to take to deal with unresolved
issues in your life. If necessary, seek personal or marriage
counseling. Identify your weaknesses and ways to grow in those
areas. Begin a habit of regular exercise.
Get appropriate education and training. Sit down
with your pastor and a mission leader to evaluate your
training needs. Initiate your next step of studies and
training. Check out pre-field missionary training options.
Establish a regular pattern of reading and reflection. Be a
life-long learner.
Go on a short-term ministry trip in a cross- cultural
setting. Seek to visit an area of possible long-term
interest. Seek to use your gifts (if possible). Spend as much
time with nationals as possible. Try to speak the language.
Be careful who you marry! Don't be afraid to stay
single if God calls. Don't rush into anything. Get good advice
from those who know you well. Be sure of compatible values and
calling prior to marriage. Be honest about your heart's
desires in missions with a prospective spouse.
Talk to a variety of older, experienced missionaries.
Ask them about lessons they may have learned the hard way
about people, ministry, and missions. Ask them what they would
do differently if they had it all to do over again and, why.
Also, develop your own philosophy of ministry, purpose, and
values.
