When we think of missions, the most common question to ask is who they are going with. Most people tend to join some missions sending organization when they leave home to jump into the mission's life. When we think of Missions, we think of organizations like Wycliffe, CTEN, YWAM, and countless others. They all function a little differently but they all have the same basic focus. They exist to help the missionary adapt and succeed in their new home. These organizations provide numerous support and training opportunities for the new missionary. They provide what most Churches are not equipped to provide.
Anybody looking to go into missions should be searching out these organizations and asking lots of questions. There are some that exist within denominations and many more that are parachurch organizations. Depending on what you are intending to do, there are some that will fit your needs better than others. Some have a high degree of oversite while others allow more freedom and flexibility to pursue the work God has called you into. The organizational structure s vary but their purposes are the same. They are there to advance the Gospel and let God's love be seen in the missionary. Depending on your task and your temperament, you will find that you may need one over another. The most important thing to remember is that you most likely need one.
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If you are not a self starter, you may need an organization with more oversite. If you are highly motivated and have a clear vision, you may prefer an organization that looks at your plans and then sets you free to run with them. There is no one right answer for everyone concerning what organization type you need but the missionary needs connection and support. These organizations tend to do those jobs better than ministries that are not specific to missions. They have the experience and insight that the new missionary will need. Find one and get connected
There is also a second important factor in this connection in the new country. The missionary needs to be connected to a local Church or a body of believers. This connection can come through their missions organization but they should not overlook becoming part of a local Church if there is one in their region. The local Church has local people and is an invaluable place to meet the community and learn to assimilate. When you connect with the non-missionary part of the body, you begin to find home. You are not just a foreigner, come to help and serve. You become part of the community.
As you begin to live in community, new opportunities arise. You get to know people and can draw local people into the work of God in their community. The work is no longer just about someone coming to do for us. It begins to be about a community working together to find the answer to their needs and to spread the Gospel to those that have not heard it. When we join the local body, it produces the Acts 1-2 moments where we see Holy Spirit make Himself known because the body is together in unity and He produces fruit through us that we never could on our own.
I have been writing to encourage new missionaries not to go it on their own. They need the fellowship and oversight of an organization and they need the connection to the local body of believers. As their home Church, you need to help them find that connection. It can be easy to feel cut out of the picture and feel like someone else has usurped your place. Get over that jealousy and continually encourage your missionary to pursue those relationships. Missions is a partnership. None of us fulfills the call of God on our lives in a vacuum. We need connection, We need Godly support and encouragement.
Success in missions requires Holy Spirit's leading, a good home Church to encourage and support and finally, a team of missionaries and a local Church in the new country. Independence can be deadly to a missionary. Don't let the young (or old) missionary fall into the trap of believing they can do it on their own.
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