by Paul Nielsen

For those of us who’ve heard the Great Commission’s call and are being led into full-time mission work, the ease of getting plugged in varies. For some, the perfect opportunity presents itself in such a way that to say “no” would be like Jonah not going to Nineveh when he was so clearly instructed
to do so.

Other people possess clarity of calling but can’t seem to get plugged in. Reasons for these circumstances vary, from the right opportunity not being out there to, I believe, God keeping some back — who truly desire to go — in order to mobilize.

My wife and I have experienced both of the above scenarios. We were clearly led to be a part of Mission Data International, and we acted on that. Before this, however, I agonized (and still do) over the lack of opportunities created and offered by mission agencies for visual artists, opportunities other than graphic design, illustration and photography.

It seems as though I just don’t fit into the whole missions thing. My own interest lies with the tactile arts of painting, sculpture and ceramics. Very few openings with established sending organizations exist for people who feel led to serve in long-term missions while using their talent as a potter or printmaker.

Existing opportunities
Organizations like PIONEERS give teams and individuals the flexibility to create their own strategies, employing a variety of skillsets in order to create dynamic church planting efforts. Last year I exchanged emails with a PIONEERS team eager to have an artist serving with them in Southeast Asia. This is encouraging and gives me hope things are moving in the right direction. However, job descriptions are often lacking in these circumstances. Someone trying to find their place in such instances must possess an entrepreneurial bent to get involved this way. Not all people led to be missionaries are such self-starters.

Arts Link, a three year old division of Operation Mobilization, is devoted to getting visual artists into missions. In this way artists who want to use their gifts overseas aren’t the ones coming up with the opportunities. Within the current American mission structure, efforts such as Arts Link are a must.

Going for going’s sake
I can imagine some people saying that if you are led to serve overseas, every effort should be made to participate in any way possible. There are needs, all kinds of needs all of the time, among mission projects all over the world. Pious work is pious work, right?

I met a missionary family some years back who arrived in Spain expecting to oversee a camp. When they got to the camp the current director decided he wasn’t ready to retire just yet. The family was reassigned to a nearby church plant, where they felt entirely out of place. After seven years of service at this awkward post, the family learned the camp director would now retire, and they finally took their post at the camp.

Some will argue this was part of God’s bigger plan. Perhaps the family wasn’t ready for certain challenges presented by the camp administration; maybe God was testing their faithfulness as he did with Abraham and Isaac. While time may give us a better idea of the reasons behind certain trials,
we can’t always know the meaning of things like these in the moment. And regardless, such arguments don’t allow us to forgo making appropriate plans before we build our tower — or go to an unreached people group with the Gospel.

Serving for the sake of serving is commendable and sacrificial, but it’s also poor strategy and a waste of God-given resources. Scripture tells us that different members of the Body are given different talents. An eye can’t do what the hand is able to; the Body must work together.

Solutions
So how much patience is required on the part of the missionary candidate? How long should a person planning to go into full-time missions work search and wait for the perfect opportunity? Or is not finding the perfect and most strategic opportunity the same as a closed door?

I’ve been reminded a few times in the last month of how one person cannot rightly judge the circumstances of another. Seeking counsel is Biblical and important, but wise counsel will understand that they aren’t the ones walking in your shoes. No one else can tell you how the Spirit of God might be leading you.

Instead of closing with a true yet cliched proverb, I want to encourage readers who find themselves on the outside (per se) to press on. Oops, I guess that’s a bit of a platitude as well. Still, press on! Press on by supporting existing programs that focus on your calling, even if they aren’t exactly what you’d like to be a part of. Brainstorm new ideas with people of similar passion and research what it would take to get them going. Stay in touch with people who share your ideas. Your work will not be vain.

By Peter Armstrong

Have you ever stopped to wonder where all the missionaries went?

I’ve notice a declining presence of missionaries in churches. Growing up as a missionary kid I traveled around the country with my parents whenever we were on furlough and sat through countless field reports, presentations, and sermons. I also went out to meals with friends and supporters from the churches we were visiting. Oddly, with each successive furlough, the length of time my parents received from churches to share decreased—dropping from an evening sermon or presentation to three to five minute “mission moments” in Sunday morning services. The number of people we saw after the service for meals also declined.

Three of the biggest reasons for these declines are: the move many churches made to “seeker friendly” Sunday morning services; the cancellation of Sunday and Wednesday evening services; and cultural shifts in terms of busyness and hospitality.

The consequences of these shifts are becoming increasingly apparent to those of us who work in missions mobilization (indeed they are what have fueled an increase in the number of mission mobilization organizations). We find that people simply don’t know what it means, what it takes, or what its like to be a missionary because they have never had a meaningful interaction with one.

Interacting with a living, breathing missionary makes missions come alive and makes it more personal. It helps people see that missionaries are ordinary people (warts and all) and helps grow vision for missions. In addition, it provides people with starting points for when God prompts them to consider full-time missions service.

Here at M-DAT we are mindful of all of these benefits of interacting with real life missionaries as we work on a new web service focused on helping believers who are considering becoming missionaries. Our hope is to reproduce, as best as possible, the mentoring and encouragement that occurs in a face to face interaction with a missionary. Stay tuned for more about this exciting new service in the next issue of Propel. Until then, the next time a missionary sets foot in your church, seize the opportunity. You may not see one again!

Four Practical Ways to Get More Face Time with Missionaries

Peter Armstrong, M-DAT Executive Director

The M-DAT Vision, part 4 of 4
Our vision is that every believer desiring growth in mission involvement would obtain the practical assistance necessary to realize significant, lifelong involvement in the Great Commission.

Contrary to initial perceptions, “lifelong involvement” refers not to career missionaries but to the ongoing nature of the missions endeavor. Reaching the World has been on God’s heart since before we were born and will continue on His heart, if the Lord tarries, after our death. We do not clock in and out of mission every ten months like a seasonal job or check it off our list of things to do after going on a short-term mission trip. Missions is a core part of following Christ that should permeate our lives. While the exact expression of involvement grows and changes over a believer’s life, the heart, sacrifice, love, and worship behind it remains constant.

So, what is significant involvement? First, and foremost, significant involvement sights in on the completion of the Great Commission (Mt. 28:19-20). Whether directly or indirectly, a clear connection should be present. Second, significant involvement speaks of a wholehearted and intentional giving of oneself to a selected task. Whether it is praying, going, giving, encouraging, welcoming, working behind the scenes or ministering on the front lines every part of the missions endeavor is important and necessary for the completion of the missionary task. All are interdependent. All deserve to be done with persistence and sacrifice. Over time, M-DAT hopes to provide a broad range of services that help a believer expand his or her capacity to participate in each of these areas and facilitate crossing over into different forms of involvement as life changes and God prompts.

Well, this wraps up the series on M-DAT’s vision. If you missed one, you can go to read all four parts here. Apart from God, accomplishing this vision is impossible. We are obviously in over our heads, but we serve a big God! We covet your prayers for the ministry and would love to hear from you if this vision resonates with you. Email us at PeterA(at)mdat(dot)org.

Peter Armstrong, M-DAT Executive Director

The M-DAT Vision, part 3 of 4

Our vision is that every believer desiring growth in mission involvement would obtain the practical assistance necessary to realize significant, lifelong involvement in the Great Commission.

Believers need assistance in order to realize mission involvement. A person does not just fall into missions. Nor does involvement continue to grow once it begins. It requires nurturing. God transforms us and develops in us a heart to love as He loved (John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world!”), and we must faithfully live it out.

Unfortunately, believers often stall out for lack of information, a clear path, or ease of executing a decision. God has called M-DAT to guide and connect believers pursuing missions with practical assistance to move forward.

With a range of mission conferences and great mission books available one may think enough resources exist for believers pursuing missions. These resources, however, are not easily accessible. Bookstores carry few mission titles if any and regional mission conferences only occur once a year. Some churches step up to the plate and provide access to information, resources, and even mentoring throughout the year. Many churches do little or nothing.

We envision a new level of access to Great Commission enabling resources. At a time when people expect to find information online, the internet allows us to deliver practical content whenever and wherever. However, we do not want believers simply to be aware of the resources we create; we want people to actually use them and receive true help — to obtain practical assistance.