Becoming a Missionary

A lesson about how to become a missionary.

As you read this lesson, be sure to hover over the the Bible verses to read them or look them up in your own copy of the Bible. When the Bible passage is longer, you need to click on “more” in the bottom right corner of the pop-up window.

Introduction

Welcome! The Bible has much to say about this interesting topic. You may find it helpful to invite a mature Christian from your church to study this topic with you. You may have a lot of questions that are not answered here. Maybe there are ideas here that seem hard to understand. Do not get overwhelmed! You can contact us with any questions that you may have. The elders of your local church can help you as well.

Remember that learning the content about this topic is helpful, but knowing the information will not truly change you. For you to benefit fully from this topic, you must…

• Become born-again by securing a personal relationship with God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, through faith by grace. This information cannot change you until the Holy Spirit of God gives you a new heart that is able to apply it to your life. To begin a personal relationship with God, it is imperative to understand and believe the following:

  • God is separated from you, because He is good, pure, and holy. 1 John 1:5-6

  • You are sinful, impure, and unholy because you do not measure up to God’s holiness. Romans 3:10-12 You are a descendent of Adam and Eve who rebelled against God. Romans 5:19

  • Your sinfulness provokes God’s anger and separates you from Him because He is holy. Romans 5:12 As a result, you deserve to be thrown into the Lake of Fire forever. Revelation 20:14-15

  • God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. Jesus is God in the flesh. He lived a sinless life. He was nailed to the cross, shed His blood, and died in your place for your sins. He was buried, rose again, and went to Heaven to prepare a place for all who believe. He will return one day for those who believe. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

  • Only the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is enough for you to be accepted forever by God the Father the moment you believe. John 3:16 God does not accept you on the basis that you try to be a good person and do good works. Romans 4:5 He accepts you fully and forever the moment you abandon your sins and call on Jesus to save you. John 3:36

• As you understand, meditate on, and believe the information presented here about this topic, you must also do what the Bible says. James 1:21-22 Only by trusting and obeying God’s Word regarding this topic will you experience the full benefits of this information. James 1:23-24 Trusting and obeying God’s Word will change you as you learn this. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 You will be happy as a result of your obedience. James 1:25

• Seek and heed the advice of your church leaders regarding this topic. Hebrews 13:17

• Depend upon the Holy Spirit to change you. Galatians 3:1-3 You cannot change without Him enabling you. John 15:5 He will change you in His time and way; but not apart from your faith and obedience to God’s Word. Trust Him to do His work in your heart. Philippians 2:12-13

• Allow the joy that you experience from obeying God’s Word to transform how you interact with others. James 2:12-20

Character

• The most important factor for someone to become a missionary (sent-one) is their character; not their skillset. 1 Timothy 3:1-3

  • What have you already given up in order to become closer to Christ?

  • What new habits have you developed to become closer to Christ?

  • In what areas do you lack integrity right now?

  • Describe how you spend time with God each day.

  • Describe how your relationship is with your spouse and children.

  • Would people describe you as immature, prideful, angry, or selfish? Whatever weaknesses you have now, they will only become magnified once you serve as a missionary.

Choices

• The next most important factor for us to become missionaries (sent-ones) are the choices that we make that either enable us or hinder us from becoming a missionary.

  • What lifestyle changes have you already made in order to better represent Christ to others? 1 Corinthians 9:15-27

  • How are you serving inside of your local church now?

  • How are you serving outside of your local church now?

  • How are you ministering the Gospel inside of your church now?

  • How are you ministering the Gospel outside of your church now?

Reputation

• Another issue to consider is our reputation.

  • How would your pastor say your character and reputation compare to that of an elder, deacon, or godly woman?

  • How would your spouse and children say your character and reputation compare to that of an elder, deacon, or godly woman? 1 Timothy 3:4-5

  • How would your church family say your character and reputation compare to that of an elder, deacon, or godly woman? 1 Timothy 3:8-13

  • How would your neighbor say your character and reputation compare to that of an elder, deacon, or godly woman? 1 Timothy 3:6-7

  • Is there something about your reputation that would hinder your effectiveness as a missionary? Can this be changed? Why or why not?

Perspective

• Another topic that can either hinder us or encourage us to become a missionary (sent-one) is our perspective of ourselves.

  • According to your perception of yourself, how does your character and reputation compare to that of an elder, deacon, or godly woman?

  • What are your spiritual gifts?

  • How have you been using your spiritual gifts?

  • What character qualities do you think that you lack in order to become a missionary? Can these be changed? Why or why not?

  • What abilities do you think that you lack in order to become a missionary? Can these be changed? Why or why not?

Motivation

• Another factor to consider in becoming a missionary (sent-one) is our motivation for becoming a missionary (sent-one).

  • If you were to become a missionary, what would you want to do and why?

  • If you were to become a missionary, to whom would you want to minister to and why?

  • If you were to become a missionary, where would you want to minister and why?

  • What ministry do you feel everyone is not paying attention to or taking as seriously as they should?

  • Do you want to become a missionary? Why or why not?

  • Have you ever prayed about whether or not the Lord would want you to become a missionary? Why or why not?

  • Are you pursuing becoming a missionary simply because someone you respect strongly encouraged you to become a missionary?

  • Would you still pursue becoming a missionary if you knew that God definitely wanted you to become a missionary but those whom you respect did not want you to become a missionary?

  • Would you still want to be a missionary if God barely met your needs? Would it be worth it to you?

  • What is keeping you from asking your pastor and elders if you should be a missionary?

Calling

• The biggest factor that determines whether or not that we should become a missionary (sent-one) is whether or not we are called by God to be a missionary (sent-one).

  • What if God hindered you from becoming a missionary, how would you respond?

  • What if your pastor disagreed with you becoming a missionary, how would you respond?

  • How does your spouse feel about you becoming a missionary?

  • To what ministry, do you sense God is calling you to do?

  • In what way does God specifically want you to minister and not everyone else?

  • In what ministry does God want you to minister that He does not want someone else to minister in your place?

  • What else can you do for a living, besides missionary work, and still feel like you are doing all that God wants you to do?

  • What is one ministry that if you did not have another job, you would prefer to do that ministry as your job?

  • What ministry do you feel that your job is holding you back from that God really wants you to do full-time?

Domestic Missionaries

• Domestic Missionaries (Sent-Ones)

  • Domestic Missionaries (sent-ones) are believers commissioned by their church to serve in a different community.

    • Sometimes they are elders who are sent out by the church to:

      • teach and preach in other churches.

      • begin evangelizing and making disciples in another community.

      • help raise up elders and deacons in order to form another church in a different community.

    • Sometimes they are deacons who are sent out by the church to:

      • assist elders in receiving and giving of funds/resources from the sending church for the elder’s ministry in a different community.

      • assist elders in ministering to the physical needs of those they are evangelizing and discipling.

      • help meet the needs of believers who are poor, widows, or orphans in another community.

    • Sometimes they are women who are sent out by the church to:

      • assist the elders and deacons who are ministering in another community.

      • minister to other women and children in another community.

  • Domestic Missionaries (sent-ones) deliberately focus on an area in their native country that does not have a bible-believing, disciple-making local church. Some deliberately seek to evangelize and disciple or help raise up elders and deacons amongst foreigners who live within their own country. Sometimes they go to an existing church in another area to help revitalize it.

  • Domestic Missionaries (sent-ones) regularly evangelize in the community as they build relationships with people of that community.

  • As the domestic missionaries (sent-ones) lead people to the Lord or happen upon believers in the community, they begin to disciple them; training them how to minister to one another and the lost.

  • Eventually as those whom they disciple mature and are qualified, they appoint elders and deacons as leaders of that local body of believers. Acts 14:19-23 Thus, that local body of believers becomes a church.

  • Then, the domestic missionaries (sent-ones) move on to another area to repeat the process all over again.

• Evangelists

  • They eagerly, joyfully, and regularly share the Gospel with strangers and friends.

  • They train individual believers and churches how to share the Gospel until evangelism becomes a normal part of their lives and church.

  • They also assist missionaries (sent-ones) and pastors in raising up qualified leaders as they disciple those they are training in evangelism.

• Pastors

  • They eagerly, joyfully, and regularly oversee a local church to ensure that the local body is healthy in its doctrine and function.

  • They train individual believers to be equipped to serve one another as a local church.

  • They raise up some leaders to serve in the same local church and they train others to be sent out to serve God elsewhere.

• Teachers

  • They eagerly, joyfully, and regularly teach believers to ensure that local churches are healthy in their doctrine.

  • They help train men who can teach others sound doctrine.

Foreign Missionaries

• Foreign Missionaries (Sent-Ones)

  • Foreign Missionaries (sent-ones) are believers commissioned by their church to serve in a different country.

    • Sometimes they are elders who are sent out by the church to:

      • teach and preach in other churches.

      • begin evangelizing and making disciples in another community.

      • help raise up elders and deacons in order to form another church in a different country.

    • Sometimes they are deacons who are sent out by the church to:

      • assist elders in receiving and giving of funds/resources from the sending church for the elder’s ministry in a different country.

      • assist elders in ministering to the physical needs of those they are evangelizing and discipling.

      • help meet the needs of believers who are poor, widows, or orphans in another country.

    • Sometimes they are women who are sent out by the church to:

      • assist the elders and deacons who are ministering in another country.

      • minister to other women and children in another country.

  • The foreign missionaries (sent-ones) deliberately focus on an area in a country that is foreign to them that does not have a bible-believing, disciple-making local church. Many go to a people who do not speak their language. They then learn the language of the people so they can minister the Gospel to the people. Some deliberately seek to evangelize and disciple or help raise up elders and deacons in that foreign country. Sometimes they go to an existing church in another country to help revitalize it.

  • The foreign missionaries (sent-ones) regularly evangelize in the country as they build relationships with people of that community.

  • As the foreign missionaries (sent-ones) lead people to the Lord or happen upon believers in the community, they begin to disciple them; training them how to minister to one another and the lost.

  • Eventually as those whom they disciple mature and are qualified, they appoint elders and deacons as leaders of that local body of believers. It thus becomes a church.

  • Then the missionary (sent-one) moves on to another area to repeat the process all over again.

• Evangelists

  • They eagerly, joyfully, and regularly share the Gospel with strangers and friends in their native country and in other countries as the Lord leads.

  • They train individual believers and churches how to share the Gospel until evangelism becomes a normal part of their lives and church.

  • They also assist church planters and pastors in raising up qualified leaders as they disciple those they are training in evangelism.

• Pastors

  • They eagerly, joyfully, and regularly oversee a local church to ensure that the local body is healthy in its doctrine and function.

  • They train individual believers to be equipped to serve one another as a local church.

  • They raise up some leaders to serve in the same local church and they train others to be sent out to serve God elsewhere.

• Teachers

  • They eagerly, joyfully, and regularly teach believers to ensure that local bodies are healthy in their doctrine.

  • They help train men who can teach others sound doctrine.

Parachurch Missionaries

• Apologetics

  • They train believers and churches how to defend the faith.

• Bible College or Seminary

  • They train believers how to study the Bible and how to minister it.

• Homeless

  • They minister to the homeless.

• Widows and Orphans

  • They help meet the needs of widows and orphans as they disciple them.

• Addiction

  • They help people stop addictive behaviors as they disciple them.

• Counseling

  • They help people to deal with their problems biblically as they disciple them to train others to do the same.

• Youth Ministry

  • They focus on ministering to the youth as they disciple them.

• Other

Spiritual Support

Missionaries need…

• …the spiritual backing and spiritual oversight of a local church.

• …an elder/pastor who will be dedicated to shepherding our hearts and the hearts of our family throughout our missionary work.

• …a local church that will commission us to Gospel ministry, who will confirm that God has indeed approved our character and mission.

• …a local church to which we will give an account of our work.

  • The missionary should keep the church regularly informed of our work.

    • Through in-person updates.

    • Letters

    • Phone calls

    • Video chats

    • Social media

    • Expressions of gratitude

  • The missionary should ideally inform them once a month of our:

    • Ongoing work

    • Needs

    • Struggles

    • Praises

    • Gratitude

• …need an elder/pastor to whom the missionary will give an account of our spiritual wellbeing.

  • The missionary should keep the elder regularly informed of our spiritual wellbeing.

    • Through in-person meetings.

    • Letters

    • Video chats

    • Phone calls

    • Social media

    • Expressions of gratitude

  • The missionary should ideally inform them once every week or two of:

    • What the missionary is learning about God.

    • What the missionary is learning about ourselves.

    • What the missionary is learning about ministry.

    • How the missionary’s relationship is with the missionary’s immediate family.

    • How the missionary’s immediate family’s relationship is with God.

    • How the missionary’s relationship is with those to whom the missionary is ministering.

    • How the missionary’s relationship is with other ministers on the field where the missionary is ministering.

    • The missionary’s physical needs.

    • The missionary’s spiritual struggles.

    • The missionary’s praises for what God has done.

    • The missionary’s dreams and ideas for the ministry.

Financial Support

Missionaries are to be financially supported. 1 Corinthians 9:1-14

• God has directed that ministers are to be financially supported so that they can minister.

• Missionaries need God to provide for their needs through His people so that they can do the ministry.

• Their financial support should come from churches and individual believers.

  • The more believers and churches that they have who are receiving their monthly reports, the more likely it will be that believers and churches will be praying for them and financially supporting them.

Some missionaries may choose to intentionally forgo financial support.
1 Corinthians 9:15-27

• Sometimes the people to whom the missionary is ministering lack a good work ethic. Therefore, it might be to their benefit to see the missionary work with the missionary’s own hands to learn from the missionary’s good work ethic.

• Sometimes the people to whom the missionary is ministering may think that they own the missionary or somehow are earning their salvation by financially supporting the missionary. Therefore, it might be best for them if the missionary does not receive financial support from them.

• Sometimes the people to whom the missionary is ministering may think that the missionary is charging them to hear the Gospel from the missionary. Therefore, it might be best for them and the missionary that the missionary does not receive financial support for them.

• Sometimes working in the community may give the missionary a deeper relationship with the people to whom the missionary is ministering. Therefore, it might be best for the sake of the ministry for the missionary to work with the missionary’s own hands among them for a period of time in order to build rapport with the people.

• Sometimes earning an extra income, that does not hinder the missionary from doing the work of the ministry, may allow the missionary to financially support other missionary work.

Additional Thoughts:

• Raising financial support:

  • The missionary must realize that any support that the missionary receives is ultimately from God, so the missionary is truly only depending upon Him to provide for the missionary; not man.

    • If the missionary’s needs are fully met, then the missionary can invest more of the missionary’s time, energy, and focus into the work of the ministry.

    • The missionary’s financial support can come through the form of monthly or one-time financial gifts. It can also come through God using people to give the missionary the things that the missionary needs (such as food, clothing, shelter, etc.)

    • If God has called the missionary to ministry, then “the problem” of the missionary’s provision is God’s problem more than it is the missionary’s problem. If God expects the missionary to work for Him, then He will provide what the missionary needs to serve Him in that way.

    • The missionary must pray to God and trust Him to provide for the missionary’s needs so that the missionary can minister for Him without distraction.

    • The worker is worthy of his wages. If the missionary faithfully works hard for the Lord in the ministry to which He has called that missionary, then the missionary is worthy to be fully supported. If the missionary is lazy in the ministry, then the missionary deserves the wages of lazy worker.

  • Ministry is God’s work.

    • He calls all believers and churches to partner with God in His ministry.

    • We are commanded to be contributing our time, energy, prayers, efforts, resources, and finances to God’s ministry.

    • Some believers (missionaries) are specifically called to be the mouth, hands, and feet of God on the mission field.

    • Other believers are specifically called to ensure that missionaries can minister on the field without distraction.

    • God knows who He will call to serve as a missionary; but we do not who they are, this is why we pray.

    • God also knows what believer and churches He we will call to give so that the missionary can minister on the field without distraction; but we do not know which believers and churches they will be that support the missionaries, this is why we pray.

    • When a missionary commits to serve on the mission field, the missionary is partnering with God in God’s work on His mission field.

    • When a believer or church commits to financially support a missionary, the believer or church is partnering with God in God’s work on His mission field.

    • God’s work on His mission field is about God and what He desires to do. God’s work on His mission field is not about the missionary or the believers/churches that support the missionary.

  • Support raising is like evangelism.

    • People will not believe the Gospel unless they hear the Gospel; but only God can move their hearts to believe the Gospel once they hear the Gospel from us. We do not know who will believe the Gospel or when they will believe the Gospel, but we know that some will. When we do not share the Gospel with people, we are robbing them of an opportunity to respond to it. We invite people to respond to the Gospel, but we cannot force people to respond to it in the way that we want them to. We entrust their response to God. Generally speaking, about 1 out of every 10 people will allow us to share the Gospel with them. Generally speaking, about 1 out of 10 who hear the Gospel from us, will believe the Gospel. The more we share the Gospel with more people, the more likely more people will respond to the Gospel.

    • Churches and individual believers will not financially support a person as a missionary unless they know that the missionary is indeed serving the Lord as a missionary. They will not know that the missionary is serving the Lord unless the missionary tells them. They need to know the missionary’s ministry and the missionary’s needs. We do not know who will support the missionary or when they will support the missionary, but we know that some will. When the missionary does not share the missionary’s ministry and needs with believers/churches, then the missionary is robbing them of an opportunity to partner with the missionary in Gospel ministry. The missionary invites believers/churches to partner with the missionary in ministry, but the missionary cannot force them to partner with the missionary. The missionary entrusts their response to God. Generally speaking, about 1 out of 4 who hear about the missionary’s ministry and needs from that missionary, will partner with that missionary in the missionary’s Gospel ministry. The more the missionary shares the missionary’s ministry and needs with more believers/churches, the more likely more believers/churches will respond by partnering with the missionary in Gospel ministry.

      • The missionary should consider calculating how much financial support that the missionary needs to raise and how many believers and churches that the missionary will need to present the missionary’s ministry to in order to get to full financial support.

• Questions for reflection:

  • Do you believe it is right for a missionary to be fully financially supported for the work of the ministry? Why or why not?

  • If you were a missionary, would you believe it is right for you to be fully financially supported for the work of the ministry? Why or why not?

  • What better quality ministry work and how much more ministry could you do if you were fully financially supported as a missionary?

  • Is the fruit of you fully devoting your attention to the ministry, worth the hard work of raising support?

  • Have you considered devoting 3-6 months to solely focusing on raising support so that you can be fully supported sooner rather than later?

  • Will you still serve God as a missionary even if the support does not come in? 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

  • How are you showing your spouse and children that God provides for those who serve Him?

  • Will your children want to serve God as a missionary based upon your example?

  • What would be more beneficial to the ministry to which God has called you: being fully financially supported or working another job alongside your ministry work? Why or why not?

REPRESENTING CHRIST in Our Missionary Work

• Remember that we do not exist simply to live for ourselves. We were created to represent God.

• When we minister for God on the mission field; it is not about us, and the people to whom we are ministering, primarily. It is about God being represented well in our ministry work. His reputation is on the line because we represent Him.

• God wants us to enjoy fellowship with Him. We must demonstrate the importance of us and others enjoying fellowship with God by our mission work.

• If we do not intentionally make it a priority in our lives to minister for God on the mission field regularly and in a biblical way, then we will not become more like Christ and we will be misrepresenting Christ in our missions’ work.

• When we share the Gospel with people, it shines a light on our lives. If we are not ministering with integrity, then we will be tempted to shrink back from sharing the Gospel with others.

• When we have done everything we can to minister for God on the mission field, it gives us boldness in our faith. This boldness will enable us to be transparent with anyone. This in turn will enable us to freely let other believers into our lives and enable us to disciple them as well.

• We must let the reputation of God and His love for people motivate us to grow in our ability to minister for God on the mission field.

• What about the love of Christ is not enough to motivate us to seriously make ministering for God on the mission field a priority in our lives?

• What would it take for us to give up on ministering for God on the mission field?

Conclusion

Now that you have studied this topic, we encourage you to...

• Ask us or any of your church leaders about any questions or concerns you still have about this topic.

• Pray for yourself to grow in maturity regarding this topic.

• Do your best to practice what you have learned.

• Tell someone else about what you have studied.

• Ask one of your church leaders to help you overcome your weaknesses regarding this topic.

• Teach this subject to others.

• Consider reviewing this topic once each year.

• Commit to growing in this area together with other members of a local church.

• Trust the Holy Spirit to change you as He uses His Word, others, and circumstances to make you more like Christ.