Are you familiar with the adage “what you don’t know, you can’t fix”? It is an important principle as until you understand something properly, you can’t address any underlying issues or challenges.

That’s why we sent out a survey to our 87 mission partners at the start of the year to find out more about their route to long-term mission work and invite them to share their observations and learnings. We wanted to understand the typical pathways to overseas mission as well as some of the barriers and fears. Their responses have formed the basis of our new report, Pathways to Mission.

It is an important read for anyone wanting to walk alongside and support potential mission partners. It also provides vital insight to mission agencies and local churches as we seek to raise up, equip and send mission partners into the harvest field.

In the report, we explore:

  • The value of short-term mission
  • The journey to long-term mission: how long it takes and what the process felt like
  • Inspiration and guidance: the people, conferences and books that had a key influence
  • Training and church apprenticeships: what sort of theological training mission partners accessed
  • Going bi-vocational: the benefits and challenges of having two vocations at the same time
  • Barriers to going

Why it matters

Over the last couple of years, we have become increasingly aware that fewer people are coming forward to serve long-term on the global mission field. We recognise we are not the only organisation or institution experiencing this downturn and that there are also lower numbers of people going to full-time theological college, getting ordained or applying for ministry jobs and apprenticeships. This has resulted in much soul searching and conversation as well as heartfelt prayer and reflection. We don’t have answers or solutions yet, but we do want to dig deeper into the issue and explore whether there is anything we can be doing differently or better to encourage people to enter the mission field.

For example, learning that it took most of our mission partners more than seven years to move from initial interest to actually going overseas informs our expectations. It means we need to be realistic with people when they first express interest in global mission and as a local church be ready to walk patiently alongside potential candidates for many years, praying and supporting them.

Similarly, seeing that the top barriers to going overseas long-term centre around finances, the impact on children and wider family, and the challenge of language learning is not surprising but it is important. These are issues we can focus on with prospective candidates and explore together. Many mission partners shared fears surrounding their own suitability; fear of failure; the isolation of ministry; and the challenge of generating support – again all areas that local churches can speak into and provide some reassurance and strategies to cope.

We are grateful to our mission partners for taking the time to complete this survey. Their candid responses provide an incredible insight into some of the challenges and joys of going overseas. It was particularly moving to read about the individuals, conferences, experiences and books that influenced them to enter the mission field!

We hope you enjoy digesting the content! Download today!