THE MOODY CHURCH
MISSIONARY PREPARATION PROGRAM HANDBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome to the Missionary Preparation Program – A Letter from Your Missions Pastor
Missionary Preparation Pathway- An Overview of the Goals and Structure of the Program
MISSIONARY PREPARATION PROGRAM
2
3
4
Introduction
Dimension #1: A Growing Maturity - Spiritually, Emotionally, and Relationally
Dimension #2: A Growing Commitment to the Life and Ministry of the Local Church
Dimension #3: A Growing Knowledge of God’s Word
Dimension #4: A Growing Application of God’s Word Through Ministry
Dimension #5: A Growing Understanding of Culture And Its Relationship to the Gospel
Dimension #6: A Growing Relationship with Senders
Final Remarks
GETTING STARTED
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
13
14
How Do I Get Enrolled in the Missions Preparation Program?
Qualifications for The Moody Church Missionaries
Missions Preparation Program Mentor
Missionary Support Teams
FORMS AND APPLICATIONS
14
15
16
17
20
Moody Missionary Preparation Program Application
Confidential Questionnaire
Master Accountability Sheet
Monthly Accountability Report
Statement of Mutual Understanding
Missions Vision Semi-Annual Check-Up
20
24
26
32
33
34
POLICIES AND HANDBOOKS
The Moody Church Doctrinal Statement
The Moody Church World Missions Committee Handbook: Policies and Practices
The Moody Church Short-Term Missions Policy
Tentmaker Missionary Policy
36
39
39
40
PRACTICAL HELPS
Resources for Missionary Support Teams
Resources for Mentors
Training Opportunities and Ministries
Additional Resources
Deputation Guidelines
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
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53
566
61
72
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Table of Contents
WELCOME TO THE MISSIONARY PREPARATION PROGRAM –A LETTER
FROM YOUR MISSIONS PASTOR
Dear Friend,
Welcome to the Missionary Preparation Program at The Moody Church! We are blessed by your interest in
the Great Commission and are excited to see all that the Lord has in store for you.
The storyline of Scripture teaches us that God’s master plan for the universe is to redeem a people from
every tribe, tongue, and nation for Himself. God’s plan is gracious, powerful, glorious, and unstoppable.
And you, as a child of God, are part of that plan. It is truly a wonder that God Almighty has decided to use
His weak children to accomplish such an incredible, worldwide plan. In His wisdom, He sends Christians
out as His ambassadors, bringing the Good News of the gospel to all nations, that all might know His glory
and majesty. Your involvement in this Preparation Program means that you are prayerfully exploring what
your specific role in God’s plan may be.
We want to prepare you as well as possible to be part of this great movement of God. Gospel ministry in a
cross-cultural setting is not easy. Not only will you face the challenges of normal ministry, but you will also
face the cross-cultural challenges of working with another language and society, along with the logistical
difficulties of moving, and the relational challenges of living far from family and life-long friends. We, as a
church, want to help you prepare as thoroughly as we can for a successful time of service.
The Missionary Preparation Program is fairly straightforward and is meant to complement the five
Equipping Courses we ask you to complete (viz., Serving with Purpose; What We Believe; Grasping God’s
Word; Gospel and Culture; and, To the Ends of the Earth . . . And Back Again. The Preparation Pathway on
the following page depicts the program graphically. The six dimensions of the program are described in
greater detail in the pages that immediately follow the Pathway. We are indebted to the Missions Staffs at
Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, for much
of the structure and content.
Please go through the “Getting Started” section and familiarize yourself with this handbook before we meet,
so that our time together can be more productive. We have included a large number of resources in the later
sections of this handbook. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with them.
May the Lord richly bless you and may you know His favor upon every area of your life as you seek Him
and seek to be a blessing to others as the Lord directs you.
Sincerely in Christ,
William P. Bertsche
Pastor for Global Outreach
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Welcome Letter
MISSIONARY PREPARATION PATHWAY - AN OVERVIEW OF THE GOALS AND STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM
People are our most important resource, after the Word and the Spirit, for carrying the Good News of Christ to every nation. If we are truly going to
send our best, we have a responsibility to train them well for the work of world evangelism.
The following chart traces the pathway of the career Missionary Preparation Program (MPP) at The Moody Church. This preparation is foundational
to any training provided by a given mission agency. As a church, we have a ministry context and resources uniquely suited to develop the
missionary’s character, knowledge and ministry skills.
Traveling this pathway will take time. Over months and years, we as a church will have opportunity to observe the candidate closely and to develop a
strong, intentional relationship as we make a progressively more significant investment in prayer, collaboration and financial support. Prospective
missionaries will want this time to cement relationships with The Moody Church family as they grow in key dimensions of ministry.
World Christian
Maturity
Supported by
Meet with
Missions
Pastor
Missionary
Preparation
Application
The Missionary Preparation Program has two successful outcomes. One possibility is that the candidate and missions leadership realize cross-cultural
gospel ministry is not God’s call for or gift in the candidate’s life. This is part of God’s guidance and the Missionary Preparation Program will have
prepared the candidate for serving at home as an informed world Christian and sender. The other possibility is that the candidate and missions
leadership recognize the candidate’s gift and call, leading on to career missionary service.
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
Church
Bible
Ministry
Mentor
Missions in Focus Meetings
3
Culture
Service as a Sender
Senders
World Missions
Committee
Evaluation
Process
Commissioning
MISSIONARY PREPARATION PROGRAM
INTRODUCTION
At The Moody Church, we realize that it is the church’s responsibility to recruit and equip some of our best
people in order to send them out as missionaries. We want to do what we can as a local church to equip
them to communicate the love and justice of Christ in cultures where there is no indigenous evangelizing
church yet planted, or where the indigenous church does not yet have sufficient resources and personnel to
evangelize their people in an effective way.
Recruitment- Jesus has commanded his church to “ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His
harvest field” (Matthew 9:38). Therefore, The Moody Church is to pray that God will raise up both crosscultural missionaries and local workers from our midst.
Recruitment has both an individual and a corporate dimension:
1.
Individual - God communicates His will to praying and biblically saturated individuals in a
variety of ways; from a God-given desire arising in a person’s heart and mind (Philippians
2:13); to a persuasive appeal from a godly person (Acts 11:25,26); to a clearly perceived
vision (Acts 16:9,10); as well as other ways.
2.
Corporate - The leaders of The Moody Church (whether lay or ordained) should take the
initiative to approach individuals with unusual potential for vocational Christian ministry
and encourage them to seriously consider such ministry (Acts 11:25,26; 16:3). God
confirms his will for an individual through the consensus of the local church (Acts 13:3).
The church must agree that he or she is indeed called and equipped for a specific mission
before they can lay hands on the individual and send him or her out.
Thus, The Moody Church should play an essential role in the recruitment of vocational Christian workers
through prayer, personal appeals by lay and ordained leadership, and corporate confirmation of an
individual’s call to ministry.
Equipping- According to Ephesians 4:11, the leadership of the church is responsible to equip the saints for
the work of the ministry. The Moody Church’s Missionary Preparation Program simply reflects what
training we deem as important for the missionaries who will be sent out representing The Moody Church.
This program is not meant to take the place of the training programs of mission agencies. It is our hope that
this program will provide the mission agencies with God-centered, compassionate, well-prepared and highly
motivated candidates who, at the time of their acceptance by the agency, have had their personal call
confirmed and who understand the areas in which they still need to grow.
We perceive six dimensions in which the missionary candidate needs to develop with the help of the local
church. What follows is a description of these dimensions along with appropriate action points. These
action points outline what the World Missions Committee at The Moody Church requires before
recommending a candidate to the church for financial support and commissioning. Adjustments to these
action points will be considered, provided the rationale is clearly stated by the missionary candidate in
writing. These action points should be seen as guidelines to be carefully considered and implemented as the
Spirit leads the individual in partnership with the Missions Committee and the Missions Pastor.
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DIMENSION #1: A GROWING MATURITY - SPIRITUALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND
RELATIONALLY
The most important dimension of preparation for the mission field has to do with one’s relationship with
God and conformity to the character of Christ. Above all, we want our missionary candidates to be men and
women of the Word and of prayer. We want to encourage them toward a regular and satisfying devotional
life of prayer, Bible study, and memorization. Our deep concern is that the missionaries sent out from The
Moody Church are gripped by a biblical vision of God—a God who is sovereign over the universe and who
is intimately concerned for the deep and lasting joy of the individual.
God has placed His treasure in earthen vessels “to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not
from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). None of us will be perfect in this age, but it is God's will for us to make
progress in our conformity to the likeness of his Son. We believe that missionaries should substantially
meet the qualifications for leaders mentioned in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 (see Qualifications, p. 15). Those
whose primary responsibility will be to teach the Word should substantially fulfill the biblical qualifications
of elders; those whose primary responsibility will be support services should fulfill the biblical
qualifications of deacons.
Historically, God has used broken people to bring the gospel to other broken people both near and far. Our
aim is to do what we can to help the missionary candidates deal with their own brokenness and to
experience whatever degree of healing they need in order to minister the gospel to others in a healthy and
effective way. Though we do not require every missionary candidate to go through an in-depth counseling
process, we value that process and regard it as a significant aspect of discipleship for some people. We do
ask that every missionary candidate read either Inside Out by Larry Crabb or Finding God by Larry Crabb.
(see Additional Resources for a synopsis of these books, p. 63)
Also, as part of this process, we ask that the Confidential Questionnaire (pp. 24-25) be filled out at the time
of application. This is not meant to be a screening device to exclude anyone. We are committed to work
with anyone who feels God’s call on his or her life to missions, no matter what difficulties a person has
encountered in the past. However, we do believe in communicating frankly and honestly about these issues
so they can be dealt with in an open and loving atmosphere.
Most mission agencies will give a prospective missionary psychological and personality tests before
appointing him or her to serve on the mission field. This usually takes place at the orientation school of that
particular agency. Our conviction is that some evaluation should also be done earlier, so that if issues
emerge which need counseling there is ample time to deal with them in the supportive and healing
environment of the local church. Two tools that have proved helpful in preparing missionary candidates for
working in team relationships on the field are the Taylor Johnson Temperament Analysis (TJTA) and the
Meyers Briggs Personality Inventory. They are administered periodically at The Moody Church and are
used to illustrate the wide variety of personalities that exist and how they tend to relate to each other.
Because many of the requirements for elders and deacons include family issues, another evaluation, the
ENRICH Marital Inventory, is given. This is a tool that is used to evaluate all aspects of marriage.
Understanding the problem areas in a marriage and then learning to deal appropriately with them can be the
difference between a couple thriving or withering in a cross-cultural setting.
Once the Confidential Questionnaire and the ENRICH Marital Inventory are completed, and the book by
Larry Crabb is read, there will be an opportunity to address any issues that arise with either a pastor or a
Christian counselor, whichever is deemed to be the most appropriate.
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Action Points:
1. Regular devotional life, prayer, Bible study and memorization.
2. Experience Believer’s Baptism.
3. Read Let the Nations be Glad! by John Piper and complete a one to two page summary. *
4. Return the completed Confidential Questionnaire.
5. Read Inside Out by Larry Crabb or Finding God by Larry Crabb and complete a one to two page
summary.
6. Complete the ENRICH Marital Inventory (for those who are married).
7. Complete the Taylor Johnson Temperament Analysis (TJTA) or the Meyers Briggs Personality
Inventory. Both can be obtained through the Missions Administrative Assistant.
8. Meet with a pastor to discuss any issues that have arisen as a result of Action Points 4, 5, 6, or 7.
9. Enroll in the five required Equipping Courses: Serving with Purpose; What We Believe; Grasping
God’s Word; Gospel and Culture; To the Ends of the Earth . . . And Back Again
* All reading Action Points include a one to two page synopsis outlining the major themes of the book, as
well as a discussion of how they impacted you.
Also recommended (but not required) is:

The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen.

Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges.

The God-Centered Life by Josh Moody
DIMENSION #2: A GROWING COMMITMENT TO THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF THE
LOCAL CHURCH
Mission agencies recognize that the local church is the seedbed for missions. That’s why one of the first
questions on the reference form they send to the Missions Pastor has to do with whether or not the
missionary candidate is a fruitful member of the body of Christ. This makes sense when one considers that
the aim of missions is to plant the church of Jesus Christ where it doesn’t exist or to strengthen it where it
cannot yet thrive on its own. How do we know what we are trying to plant or strengthen if we have not
experienced it for ourselves? Consequently, it is our desire that the missionaries we send out from The
Moody Church have a positive and fruitful experience with the local church.
Our philosophy is for our missionaries to be in the mainstream of the life of the church as much as possible.
Though we desire camaraderie among the missionary candidates, we don't want them to be cloistered.
Instead, we want them to be part of the life of the church—on both the giving and the receiving end. We
want our missionaries-in-training to be “secret agents” disseminating a vision for missions throughout the
congregation, mobilizing and developing relationships with those who will remain state-side as part of the
sending base.
When it comes right down to it, what we are asking of our missionary candidates is no more than what we
ask of any member of the church. In terms of programmatic involvement in the life of the church, we
expect all of our able-bodied members, including our missionary candidates, to participate in the following
four ways:
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1. Participating in The Moody Church’s corporate worship services.
2. Growing in the community of a TMC Community.
3. Being involved in a ministry designed to build redemptive bridges to unbelievers.
4. Being involved in a ministry designed to strengthen believers and sustain the church.
Action Points:
1. Complete the process for becoming a member at The Moody Church.
2. Regular attendance at The Moody Church’s corporate worship services.
3. Regular involvement in a TMC Community.
Involvement in ministry will be addressed under Dimension #3.
DIMENSION #3: A GROWING KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WORD
At The Moody Church, we highly value the clear understanding of biblical truth. Our desire is that each of
us will joyfully obey the biblical admonition in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as
one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of Truth.”
Missionaries face subtle, complex questions as they minister God’s Word cross-culturally. How close may
new converts stay to their old way of life as Hindus? What are the essential characteristics of “church”, and
how does it fit in this culture? How do I share Christ with a post-modern college student? These and a
myriad of questions first require a thorough knowledge of God’s Word. As important as a detailed
knowledge of individual texts of the Bible is, an overall understanding of the Bible and the overarching plan
of God communicated there is perhaps even more crucial. Too often we try to teach or communicate
individual topics in the Bible without enabling new Christians to see the overall themes of the Bible and
how they all fit together. This is an increasingly important aspect as we confront a post-modern world.
Not all mission agencies have the same requirements when it comes to formal Bible training. A few do not
require formal training, but simply a demonstration that you have a good grasp of Scripture. Many,
however, require a minimum of one year of formal Bible training; some may require a Master of Arts in
Theological Studies or a Master of Divinity.
The World Missions Committee at The Moody Church requires that, in addition to your regular reading and
memorizing of God’s Word, you take the courses listed below (see The Moody Church World Missions
Committee Handbook: Policies and Practices, p. 39 for more detailed criteria on career support). We live in
a city with a variety of opportunities to receive such training with considerable flexibility. (see Training
Opportunities and Ministries, p. 56 for further information.)
Action Points:
1. Read Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics by Graeme Goldsworthy and submit a one to two page
summary (or complete a course in Hermeneutics).
2. Complete a New Testament survey course.
3. Complete an Old Testament survey course.
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4. Read Salvation Belongs to Our God by Christopher J. H. Wright and complete a one to two page
summary.
5. Read Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer and complete a one to two page
summary.
6. Read The Unfolding Mystery by Edmund Clowney and complete a one to two page summary (or
complete the periodic course at The Moody Church about the storyline and unity of the Bible).
DIMENSION #4: A GROWING APPLICATION OF GOD’S WORD THROUGH MINISTRY
There is the old adage, “If you're not doing it here, what makes you think you’ll do it over there?” This is a
probing question. Mission agencies ask it all the time. They insist that missionary candidates have
demonstrated a significant degree of inclination and effectiveness in ministry here, which will be a relevant
experience for ministry on the field where the candidate is going.
The World Missions Committee at The Moody Church also wants to encourage missionary candidates
toward regular involvement in the kinds of ministries here that will provide them with relevant ministry
experience for the mission field. We realize that there are significant methodological differences, for
example, between street evangelism in Chicago and evangelism among the Chamar in Northern India. But
the primary similarity is also significant. Both situations spur dependence on God to empower you to move
out of your comfort zone and creatively communicate the gospel in terms that can be understood.
We want our candidates to go to the field with enough experience of God working through them, that they
leave with a well-grounded confidence that He will continue to do so in the future wherever they go.
As we said earlier, we are basically seeking from our missionary candidates the same commitment to
ministry we seek from every member of The Moody Church; namely, we ask you to be regularly involved in
ministry on two fronts: ministry directed toward building up believers and sustaining the church, and
ministry directed toward building redemptive bridges to unbelievers. During your time of preparation for
the field we encourage you to take advantage of both classroom and “on-the-job” training for a wide variety
of ministries, with a special focus on ministry to the poor, evangelism, discipleship, and local cross-cultural
ministries (for more on cross-cultural involvement, see Dimension #5).
Action Points:
1. Participate regularly in ministry directed toward building up believers and sustaining the church.
2. Participate regularly in ministry directed toward building redemptive bridges with unbelievers.
3. Participate in Evangelism Explosion.
4. Complete the Networking class, to help determine your spiritual gifts and learn of opportunities to
exercise them at The Moody Church.
5. Read Ministries of Mercy by Tim Keller
Also recommended (but not required) is:
 Read Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome by Kent Hughes.
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DIMENSION #5: A GROWING UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP
TO THE GOSPEL
Cultural understanding and learning is often overlooked when training missionary candidates. This is
unfortunate because it is one of the most difficult areas of adjustment for missionaries. An effective
missionary must learn to understand the culture in which he or she is serving so he or she will be able to
communicate the gospel to the people of that culture.
Some in the church would question the importance of learning to study culture. They argue that the gospel
is the same, regardless of culture. We agree that the gospel is not limited by culture, but that the fullness of
the gospel can be communicated to any culture of the world. However, we must understand the culture we
are entering in order to find ways to effectively communicate the unalterable Truth to them. Paul can be
used as an example, as he used different approaches in various settings. In Acts 17, when Paul spoke at the
Aeropagus, he used a different strategy than he used when preaching in Jewish Temples (even to the point
of quoting local poets). Yet for Paul there was only one gospel (Romans 1:16,17).
There are three main areas to consider as we seek to understand others in this world who are created in the
image of God and yet are very different from us.
1. First, we must learn to understand what culture is, and then specifically ask about a culture, “How
are things viewed in ‘this’ culture and how can I better understand it?” This will help us sort out
which aspects of our understanding of the gospel are cultural and which are biblical.
2. The second area is to then learn how to apply what we know of a culture and how to deal with the
differences. This is how we minister to others, as we communicate with a person of a different
culture on the relational plane as well as communicating the Truth of the gospel to them. The
transmitting of that message may mean a contextualizing of worship methods, evangelistic
methods, and some aspects of church life.
3. Lastly, we must learn to understand our own attitudes as we encounter “otherness.” How do we
perceive others? We must learn that loving others is a crucial step to transcending cultural barriers.
These are things that any cross-cultural worker will continue to learn for a lifetime, but it is helpful to begin
this learning process before one is completely immersed in a foreign culture. Living in a city like Chicago
has tremendous advantages, for there are numerous cross-cultural training opportunities available. God has
brought the world to our doorstep! Keep in mind, however, that the indispensable ingredient to success in
all cross-cultural ministry is the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Against such godly character, the
Apostle Paul writes, “there is no law.”
Action Points:
1. Visit an ethnic church twice (preferably the same church).
2. Prayerfully develop an on-going friendship with an international person (does not need to be from
the culture to which you hope to minister, but it is helpful). Don’t forget about our International
Students Ministry as a place to begin!
3. Spend one day a month for three months with a cross-cultural ministry (see Training Opportunities
and Ministries, p. 56). A person at this ministry will then evaluate your time with that ministry, and
point out areas of cross-cultural interaction that need improvement.
4. Take the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course offered by area churches.
5. Read Whose Religion is Christianity: The Gospel beyond the West by Lamin Sanneh
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Also recommended (but not required) is:

Read Anthropological Insights on Missiological Issues by Paul Hiebert.

Take at least a two-week cross-cultural short-term trip with follow-up debriefing (Strongly
recommended).

Read Globalizing Theology: Belief and Practice in an Era of World Christianity by Craig Ott and
Harold A. Netland.
DIMENSION #6: A GROWING RELATIONSHIP WITH SENDERS
A “sender” is anyone who helps a missionary on his or her way “in a manner worthy of God ... so that we
may work together for the Truth” (3 John 5-8; Titus 3:13). We want all of our missionaries to have
significant and healthy relationships with a network of senders. The aim of these senders is to be of
substantial help to the missionary during his or her time of preparation, ministry on the field, and home
ministry assignment.
We have six categories of senders in mind:
1. Mentor. Upon entry into the Missionary Preparation Program, every missionary candidate must
select a “Mentor.” The candidate will meet with his or her Mentor once a month to report on
progress in the program, to establish goals for the coming month and to pray. (See p. 16 for a more
complete discussion of the role of the Mentor; see p. 31 for a sample of the written report that will
be turned in at these monthly meetings and p. 34 for a sample of the “Vision Check-up” form that
will be completed by the candidate and Mentor on a semi-annual basis.)
2. The World Missions Committee is deeply committed to helping you thrive as a missionary.
These men and women are the ones who make the crucial decisions about policies in general, and
about you in particular— including whether or not to undertake financial support. But they are not
only decision makers, they are also “under-shepherds,” helping The Moody Church become more
effective in their ministry of sending, and helping you thrive in your missionary experience — from
your first inklings of a call to missions until you have finished the race God set for you and He calls
you home to glory.
Your relationship with the World Missions Committee includes the following Action Points:

Missionary Preparation Program — Involvement in this program will put you on the Missions
Committee’s radar screen, so to speak. In particular, the Personnel Committee is involved in
overseeing and guiding you through this time.
 Career Application Process — Once a missionary candidate is appointed by an approved mission
agency, the candidate will submit an application for support to the Missions Committee. This
process includes an interview by the Personnel Committee.
 Correspondence — Once on the field, the missionary will correspond with the World Missions
Committee at least quarterly, keeping them abreast of how things are going and how they can
be praying. The World Missions Committee also makes sure that missionaries receive monthly
mailings from the church, including the newsletter, sermon tapes, and other church-wide news.
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 Home Assignment Interview — When a missionary returns from the field for home ministry
assignment (furlough), he or she will meet with the World Missions Committee for a time of
prayer and reporting.
3. The Mission Agency is a crucial part of the sending team. We regard mission agencies as the
experts who will have the most immediate oversight of missionaries in the last stages of their
preparation and during their time on the field. The relationship between a missionary candidate and
mission agency develops in four stages:

Exploration — We encourage our missionary candidates to begin exploring various mission
agencies immediately. This can be a time-consuming process; the earlier you get started, the
better. Also, the earlier you settle on a mission agency, the more efficient and directed your
preparation will be. (see Evaluating Mission Agencies, p. 42). The World Missions Committee
and Missions Pastor can be a great resource in this area, and can help with this decision as
needed beyond the above guidelines.

Application and Screening — Application to a mission agency can also be a time-consuming
process. When you consider what is at stake, this makes sense. Usually there is an initial
application that begins the process, and then an extensive application that includes the writing of
your personal testimony, your ministry experience, a doctrinal statement, and numerous
references.

Candidate / Orientation School — Usually the last stage before being officially appointed by a
mission agency and beginning the deputation (support raising) process is the orientation school.
Here you meet with agency officials, get thoroughly acquainted with their history, policies and
strategy, discuss the particular field and ministry you may be assigned to, and go through a
battery of psychological evaluations. At this point many mission agencies may require you to
go to a place like Missionary Training International (MTI) in Colorado Springs for intensive
training in language and culture acquisition.

On-going Accountability and Direction — Each agency has its own means of on-going
accountability and training.
4. The Missionary Support Team is the lifeline between the missionary and the church. This is a
small group of people who have been prayerfully chosen by the missionary candidate. Their
purpose is to be the inner circle of confidantes, advocates, prayer warriors, and practical assistants
for the missionary during the last stage of his or her preparation and missionary service. (see a
description of Missionary Support Teams on p. 17).
5. The Pastoral Staff takes very seriously their role in the sending process. We realize that as
members of the flock we will give an account to God for your souls—whether your soul is residing
in Illinois or in Mongolia. This is a frighteningly wonderful prospect. We are available to you for
teaching, counsel, and encouragement.
Missions in Focus meetings are hosted monthly by the Pastor for Global Outreach for anyone who
is considering (either seriously or remotely) serving as a career missionary. They are designed to
encourage, to train, and to get to know our prospective candidates. Look for announcements in the
church bulletin.
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6. Your network of senders will need to extend far beyond your Mentor, the World Missions
Committee, your mission agency, your Missionary Support Team and the Pastoral Staff. It is
important that you develop relationships with many people at The Moody Church, and that you
keep in touch with extended family and friends from other chapters in your life, as well as other
churches you have attended. When the time comes, you will watch the Lord assemble a sending
network that will have contours to it that you never imagined!
Action Points:
1. Prayerfully select your Mentor.
2. Meet with the Missions Pastor and your Mentor for orientation.
3. Complete the Monthly Accountability and Semi-Annual Vision Check-Up Forms promptly.
4. Recruit members of your Moody Church support team.
5. Attend monthly Missions in Focus meetings.
6. Make strides toward finding a mission agency (see p. 42 for more on evaluating mission agencies).
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FINAL REMARKS
Our aim for the Missionary Preparation Program is not to overwhelm you with endless hoops through which
to jump. Rather, it is simply what we regard as foundational training for your future ministry. We are open
to consider any adjustments you think would be helpful for you. There are many more books, classes,
seminars, etc. which we considered requiring, but then we know you would have been overwhelmed! We
have included some of these in the list of additional resources on page 60 for your interest.
As part of the enrollment process, the missionary candidate will meet the Missions Pastor, who will have
already carefully read your application. The purpose of this orientation is to get better acquainted, and
individualize the Missionary Preparation Program to meet the needs and direction of the missionary
candidate. Should any adjustments to the Preparation Program seem fitting, the Missions Pastor will pass
these on to the Missions Committee for final approval. This personalization is important, and candidates
may petition a waiver, substitution or modification of a particular requirement based on their particular
situation, so long as they remain within the overall spirit of the objectives. Flexibility will also be granted to
family units. (For example, we understand that it would be impossible for a couple with small children to be
equally involved in church ministry, formal schooling, etc. at the same time.)
It is important to remember that each dimension listed here is not a separate procedure, but a continual
process toward Christ-likeness and effective missions service. These are guidelines intended to show the
vital ingredients of preparation, and to aid the individual in developing a personal plan for training.
Elements of any given dimension do not need to be met in the order in which they appear.
Because each candidate is unique, it would be impossible to prescribe a set amount of time for the
completion of this program. It could take six months to several years. Metaphorically speaking, this is a
marathon rather than a sprint. Career missionary service is like brain surgery—neither is a vocation that you
simply jump into and expect positive outcomes. The duration will depend on prior preparation and spiritual
maturity of the candidate.
The Missionary Preparation Program is a self-motivated program, meaning that individuals will benefit
from it to the degree that they fully participate in it. Our hope is that members of the Missionary
Preparation Program will feel ownership of it and will take initiative in helping plan retreats, seminars,
Missions in Focus meetings, Missions Conferences, and other related missions activities at The Moody
Church.
Lastly, The Moody Church understands that while the Great Commission is for everyone, not everyone is
going to be a career missionary. We fully expect that many who begin with this program will not progress
through appointment. That’s OK!! If this happens, it will not have been an exercise in futility for it will
help you become a better equipped disciple and position you to serve effectively as a sender. Our greatest
desire is for you to respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life as you develop into a mature believer.
May God bless you as you prepare to labor in the Greatest Mission this world has ever known!
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
13
GETTING STARTED
HOW DO I GET ENROLLED IN THE MISSIONS PREPARATION PROGRAM?
1. Thoroughly familiarize yourself with this handbook.
2. Complete the following forms:
 Missionary Preparation Application (p. 20)
 Confidential Questionnaire (p.24)
 Master Accountability Form (p.26)
 Statement of Mutual Understanding (p. 33)
(Make photocopies of these records for yourself and send the originals to the Missions Pastor.)
3. Recruit a spiritually mature individual to function as your Mentor (see p. 16 for a complete
description of mentoring and how to choose one).
4. Call the church office to schedule a personalized Missionary Preparation Orientation with the
Missions Pastor and your Mentor.
5. After you have completed these four action points, the World Missions Committee will consider
you officially enrolled in the Missionary Preparation Program. This “official” status is
significant for the following four reasons:
 Before the church will commission a new missionary candidate for career service, the candidate
must (with only rare exceptions) be officially enrolled and actively participating in the
Missionary Preparation Program.
 The missions budget may subsidize some costs of preparation requirements for those officially
enrolled in the Missionary Preparation Program.
 Those officially enrolled in the Missionary Preparation Program will be on the mailing list for
seminars, retreats, special meetings, and other helpful resources.
 The Missionary Prayer Fellowship prays for Missionary Preparation Program participants by
name each month.
More questions about Missionary Preparation Program enrollment?
Contact the Pastor for Global Outreach or his Administrative Assistant at (312) 943-0466
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14
QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE MOODY CHURCH MISSIONARIES
A missionary is a spiritual leader, a gospel worker in a cross-cultural context. Accordingly, his/her life
should measure up to qualifications for spiritual leadership for deacons and elders found in Scripture.
Self-controlled
Elder
1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8
Hospitable
Elder
1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8
Able to teach
Elder
1 Timothy 3:2, 5:17; Titus 1:9
Not violent but gentle
Elder
1 Timothy 3:2, 5:17; Titus 1:9
Not quarrelsome
Elder
1 Timothy 3:3
Not a lover of money
Elder
1 Timothy 3:3
Not a recent convert
Elder
1 Timothy 3:6
A good reputation
Elder
1 Timothy 3:7
Not overbearing
Elder
Titus 1:7
Not quick-tempered
Elder
Titus 1:7
Loves what is good
Elder
Titus 1:8
Upright, holy
Elder
Titus 1:8
Disciplined
Elder
Titus 1:8
Above reproach
Elder/Deacon
1 Timothy 3:2, 9; Titus 1:6
Temperate
Elder/Deacon
1 Timothy 3:2, 8; Titus 1:7
Respectable
Elder/Deacon
1 Timothy 3:2, 8
Not given to drunkenness
Elder/Deacon
1 Timothy 3:8
Husband of one wife
Elder/Deacon
1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6
Manages his family well
Elder/Deacon
1 Timothy 3:4-5, 12; Titus 1:6
Honest with finances
Elder/Deacon
Titus 1:9; 1 Timothy 3:8
Holds the deep Truths
Elder/Deacon
Titus 1:9; 1 Timothy 3:9
Sincere
Deacon
1 Timothy 3:8
Tested
Deacon
1 Timothy 3:10
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MISSIONS PREPARATION PROGRAM MENTOR
A crucial component of this program is finding a mentor. The role of the mentor is to provide personalized
accountability and guidance for the candidate’s personal and spiritual preparation prior to the mission field.
The mentor fulfills several needed functions for the candidate, such as:

Friendship. The mentor will support the candidate by prayer, encouragement, and affirmation.

Shepherding. The mentor will provide spiritual nurture, guidance, and challenge.

Accountability. The mentor will help the candidate stay on course, keeping them accountable for
progress toward the goal of completing the program. They will also provide assistance with
involvement in practical ministries in the church.

Evaluation. The mentor will help the candidate to see their strengths, as well as recognize and deal
appropriately with their weaknesses. They will need to be sensitive and insightful in this role, as it
eventually culminates in their final recommendation to the World Mission Committee. No
Candidate will be sent to the field without the full support and confidence of their mentor.
Each Applicant to the program must select his or her own mentor. This person can be someone with whom
the candidate already has an established accountability relationship, or with someone whom they want to
develop such a relationship. There are some guidelines to consider in the selection process. The mentor
should:
1. Be of the same gender. (Mandatory)
2. Be a member or a regular attender who is firmly planted at The Moody Church. (Mandatory)
3. Be committed to world evangelism.
4. Be willing to invest deeply in the candidate’s life.
5. Exhibit spiritual maturity as evidenced by qualities found in 1 Timothy 3.
6. Understand the intent of this policy, and be willing to follow it.
7. Be willing to invest sufficient time.
8. Be committed to giving loving and honest feedback.
9. Be able to maintain candidate’s accountability.
10. Be personally acquainted with several missionaries and their ministries. This will ensure that they
understand the life that the candidate is pursuing. (This may not be possible, but would be helpful).
Each potential Mentor must be willing to:
1. Attend the Missionary Preparation Program Introduction Class. This is an introduction to the
philosophy behind the Missionary Preparation Program as well as the nuts and bolts of the program.
It will also include materials to assist the candidate in various aspects of preparations for missions.
2. Pray regularly for and with the missionary Candidate.
3. Meet monthly (or more often if necessary) to talk, troubleshoot, and encourage him/her regarding:
a. Personal Bible study, prayer life and Scripture memorization.
b. Review of monthly accountability report, including completion of Missionary Preparation
Program requirements and setting of future goals.
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16
c. Requests for prayer
d. Discuss any problems that have arisen.
4. Provide regular feedback to the Missions Committee on the progress of the candidate. This will
culminate in a more formal evaluation of the candidate to be completed at the time that the
candidate applies for financial support.
5. Be contacted occasionally to see how the accountability system is functioning and to provide
support, encouragement, and any practical assistance that may be needed.
MISSIONARY SUPPORT TEAMS
“You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.
For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
Therefore we ought to support such ones, that we may be
fellow workers with the Truth.” 3 John 6b-8
Detachment is a very common feeling of many missionaries that are sent by churches. The problem is often
that a church “has” missionaries, but is not adequately equipped to “send” missionaries. When we send
people out from our church, we are to send them out in a manner worthy of God because they are going out
for the sake of the Name. They are often going out to champion the Name of God where His name is
unknown or horribly neglected. If we love God’s glory, His Name, then we will love to see the fame of his
Name spread to every unreached people. Therefore, those who go out from us for the sake of the Name will
be seriously and substantially supported by those of us who stay behind. After all, isn’t the reason we are
staying behind also for the sake of the Name, and not for the sake of comfort, convenience, money or
private ambitions?
At The Moody Church we are learning to take this sending process seriously. One avenue by which we
accomplish that is to require that each missionary, both short term (six months or more) and career have a
Moody Church-based missionary support team. In this way we hope to ensure that the needs of our
missionaries are more fully met, and to be active fellow workers with them in the Truth.
What is a Support Team?
A support team is a small group (6-12) of committed people who come together to care for their missionary
in a variety of ways, striving to help meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. It is a group of
people with whom the missionary can be open and honest, allowing them to see his needs and share his
successes and defeats.
Why Have a Support Team?
Support teams help our missionaries feel understood and provide them with a committed group who will
show them practical love, keep them visible before the rest of The Moody Church family and strengthen
them while on the field.
What does a Support Team Do?
In a nutshell, a support team works together to care for their missionary, striving to meet their spiritual,
physical and emotional needs. To a large extent, this will happen only to the degree that the missionary is
willing and able to make his needs known to the team.
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The specific ways in which a support team goes about meeting their missionaries’ needs will vary
depending on the specific personality and needs of the missionary, as well as the personality (creativity) of
the support team. Ask your missionary how you can best assist them; learn from the example of other teams;
be creative; pray about it.
This doesn’t mean that the support team does everything, but they do take personal responsibility to serve as
that missionary’s advocate at The Moody Church. Minimally, every support team member should make a
commitment to:
1. A specific term length. Commit to being on the team for at least one year or preferably the length of
the missionary’s term (or career!).
2. Meet together on a monthly or bimonthly basis or as special needs arise.
3. Pray for your missionary often, individually as well as corporately.
4. Work to create an atmosphere where your missionary feels safe and comfortable to share himself or
herself very personally with the team — keeping confidential concerns confidential.
5. Be available to provide practical care for your missionary.
Various support teams have organized themselves differently, depending on the gifts of the individuals
involved. Many support teams have found it helpful to have the following roles assigned to various people
on the team, leaving other members of the team open to volunteer for other specific, occasional duties.
These are just suggestions to consider.

The Moody Church Contact Person - If the church needs information about a missionary, or if they
need to organize a support team’s involvement in church activities (Missions Conferences,
missionary displays, etc.) they will contact this member of the missionary’s support team.

Meeting Facilitator - The individual will be responsible to call meetings to order, keep meetings
focused on the missionary and help the team’s discussion to keep moving.

Team Organizer - Many support teams have found it helpful to have someone on the team organize
a number of details that will assist the team to better support their missionary. These include
keeping track of missionary prayer requests and answers, keeping track of projects, making up a
calendar of team member letter writing assignments, etc.

Communication Person - In case of emergency, it may be helpful for the support team to be
organized into an information chain with a contact person at the head of the list. If anyone on the
team hears of an emergency that their missionary is facing, they should contact that individual so
that information can be passed on quickly and accurately.
Other teams have found it more helpful to divide the work further by assigning each specific role (care
package, meeting treats, sermon tapes, missionary displays, article writer, etc.) to one person on the team so
that each member is always responsible for making sure that their role gets taken care of, whether they do it
themselves or assign it to someone else. For a helpful handout to share with Support Team members, see
Resources for Missionary Support Teams on p. 48.
How are Support Teams Formed?
The individual missionary prayerfully chooses members of a support team. Some missionaries ask friends
from their small groups, Adult Bible Fellowships, choir, various ministry involvements, etc. to come
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
18
together to form their support team. Others have asked the small group that they’re involved in to also
function as their support team. Not everyone on the team has to be from The Moody Church, but the
majority should be and the designated leader must be. The key is for the missionary to choose people with
whom they have already established a level of trust, with whom they can be “real.”
Why does the World Missions Committee Require Support Teams?
Missionaries do not go out for adventure, they do not go out for material profit, they do not go out for
prestige, nor do they go out merely for humanitarian purposes. They do go out for the sake of the Name.
We want the missionaries we support financially to sense deeply that they are genuinely cared for, that they
are more than just names on our lists or line items in our budget.
The Moody Church doesn’t just want to “have” missionaries; we want to “send” missionaries in a manner
worthy of Christ. How can this happen? The World Mission Committee is responsible for all of the
missionaries we support, and while they can do this on an organizational level, we cannot really care for all
of these people. This is the responsibility of the Body of Christ, and that is where Support Teams come in.
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
19
Moody Missionary Preparation Program Application
Please complete and mail to:
Pastor Bill Bertsche, The Moody Church, 1609 N LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60614-6095
Full Name
Spouse’s Full Name
Date of Birth
Spouse’s Date of Birth
Address
Email
Home Phone
Work Phone
Children (please give full names and dates of birth)
These questions are organized according to the six dimensions of the program. This is to determine the
present state of readiness and to assist in individualizing this program. For any of these questions you may
use another piece of paper.
Dimension #1 A Growing Maturity - Spiritually, Emotionally, and Relationally
1.
Describe how you came to have a relationship with God and what He is doing in your life today.
2.
Have you been obedient by participating in Believer’s Baptism?
Missionary Preparation Handbook (4/2001)
20
Application
3.
Where are you working? How are you supporting yourself?
4.
Are you interested in working with a particular country and people? If so, where and with whom?
5.
Describe your “calling” into career missions.
6.
Have you went through the five required Equipping Courses?
Dimension #2 A Growing Commitment to the Local Church
7.
Describe your current involvement at The Moody Church.
Are you involved in a TMC Community or a small group? If so, which ones?
Are you a member of The Moody Church?
Dimension #3 A Growing Knowledge of God’s Word
8.
What kind of formal or informal Bible training have you had?
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21
Application
9.
Do you have plans for furthering your training in missions or Bible?
Dimension #4 A Growing Application of God’s Word Through Ministry
10. What experience have you had in teaching the Bible?
11. In what ministries have you been involved in the last five years?
Dimension #5 A Growing Understanding of Culture And Its Relationship to the
Gospel
12. What missions experience do you have?
13. What type of cross-cultural exposure have you had? Explain.
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
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Application
Dimension #6 A Growing Relationship with Senders
14. How has your family responded to your interest in missions?
15. Have you been in contact with any mission agencies? If so, with whom and what are the results?
16. What questions do you have about the Missions Program at The Moody Church?
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
23
Application
Confidential Questionnaire
Please complete this Confidential Page and submit it in a sealed envelope addressed to the
Missions Pastor. This questionnaire will only be read by the Missions Pastor unless permission is
granted otherwise. This must be completed within three months after submission of the initial
application.
Name________________________________________
We realize these questions are very personal and sensitive. However, the intensity of cross-cultural ministry
and spiritual warfare necessitates the evaluation of these issues and their impact on your emotional and
spiritual life. Your honesty in answering these questions is appreciated (and expected). Use additional
paper, if necessary, for your explanations. If you feel you cannot write out brief explanations for “Yes”
answers, you may talk to a pastor on the phone about it. (Note: this questionnaire will be treated with strict
confidence.)
1.
Have you ever been involved in any Eastern or New Age religions or occult-related activities
(demonism, ouija boards, martial arts, yoga, TM, psychic involvement, etc.)?
Yes
No
If yes, please explain:
2.
Have you been involved with pornographic material in the past year?
Yes
No
If yes, please explain:
3.
Have you ever had a homosexual experience or struggled with homosexual desires?
Yes
No
If yes, please explain:
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
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Master Accountability Sheet
4.
Have you ever had any pre/extra-marital sexual experiences?
Yes
No
If yes, please explain:
5.
Have you ever been abused, molested or raped?
Yes
No
If yes, please explain:
6.
Have you ever been accused of a crime or felony?
Yes
No
If yes, please explain:
7.
If married, have you discussed all the above with your spouse?
Yes
No
Signature
Date
Please give an appropriate phone number and time when a pastor or counselor may call you, if necessary,
regarding your answers.
Phone Number
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Time
25
Semi-annual Check Up.
Master Accountability Sheet
Please complete and mail to:
Pastor of World Missions, The Moody Church, 1609 N LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60614-6095
PLEASE PRINT
Name
Today’s Date
Email
Home Phone
Address
Work Phone
Mentor
Mentor’s Phone
ENROLLMENT
ACTION POINTS
DATE COMPLETED
Read Missionary Preparation Program Handbook
Submitted Application for Missionary Preparation
Program
Completed Missionary Preparation Program
Orientation with Mentor
Submitted Confidential Questionnaire
Submitted Statement of Mutual Understanding
(usually done at the time of Orientation)
DIMENSION #1: A Growing Maturity - Spiritually, Emotionally, and Relationally
ACTION POINTS
Maintain a regular devotional life of prayer, Bible
study, and memorization (If you use a specific
Bible study or Scripture memorization plan,
please list it.)
DATE COMPLETED
Never! Comments:
Experience Believer’s Baptism
Read Let the Nations be Glad by Dr. John Piper
and complete a one to two page summary.
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Semi-annual Check Up.
Read Inside Out by Dr. Larry Crabb or Finding
God by Larry Crabb and complete a one to two
page summary.
Complete the ENRICH Marital Inventory (for
those who are married).
Complete the Taylor Johnson Temperament
Analysis (TJTA) or the Meyers Briggs
Personality Inventory
Optional:
Read The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen;
Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges; and, The GodCentered Life by Joshua Moody
DIMENSION #2: A Growing Commitment to the Local Church
ACTION POINTS
DATE COMPLETED
Complete Membership Class and process for
becoming a member of The Moody Church
Regular attendance at The Moody Church
worship services
Comments:
Regular involvement in a Small Group or TMC
Community (List leader’s name and focus of
group)
DIMENSION #3: A Growing Knowledge of God’s Word
ACTION POINTS
DATE COMPLETED
Read Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics by Graeme
Goldsworthy and submit a one to two page
summary
(or complete a course in Hermeneutics).
Complete a New Testament survey course.
(List completion date, location, and title of
course)
Complete an Old Testament Survey course
(List completion date, location, and title of
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Semi-annual Check Up.
course)
Read Salvation Belongs to Our God by
Christopher J. H. Wright and complete a one to
two page summary
Read Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by
J. I. Packer and complete a one to two page
summary
Read The Unfolding Mystery by Edmund
Clowney and complete a one to two page
summary (or complete the upcoming course at
The Moody Church about the storyline and unity
of the Bible)
DIMENSION #4: A Growing Application of God’s Word Through Ministry
ACTION POINTS
DATE COMPLETED
Regular involvement in ministry directed toward
building up believers and sustaining the church
(List each ministry and your role in that ministry)
Regular involvement in ministry directed toward
building redemptive bridges with unbelievers
(List each ministry)
Complete the Evangelism Explosion Program
Read Ministries of Mercy by Tim Keller
Completion of the Networking Class, taught by
Pastor Bertsche to help determine spiritual gifts
Optional:
Read Liberating Ministry from the Success
Syndrome by Kent Hughes
DIMENSION #5: A Growing Understanding of Culture And Its Relationship to the
Gospel
ACTION POINTS
DATE COMPLETED
Visit an ethnic church twice (preferably the same
church). (List name of church and dates)
Prayerfully develop an ongoing friendship with an
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
Comments:
28
Semi-annual Check Up.
international person.
(List name of person and date initiated)
Spend one day a month for three months with a
cross-cultural ministry
Take the Perspectives on the World Christian
Movement Course. (List completion date,
location of course, and credit level - audit,
certificate, undergraduate or graduate)
Read Whose Religion is Christianity: The Gospel
Beyond the West by Lamin Sanneh
Optional:
Read Anthropological Insights for Missionaries
by Paul Hiebert
Read Globalizing Theology by Craig Ott and
Harold Netland
Optional:
Take at least a two-week cross-cultural short-term
trip with follow-up debriefing.
(List location, dates and purpose of trip, and who
did debriefing.)
DIMENSION #6: A Growing Relationship with Senders
ACTION POINTS
DATE COMPLETED
Prayerfully select your Mentor
(Please submit person’s name and contact
information)
Meet with the Missions Pastor and your Mentor for
Program Orientation
Complete Monthly Accountability Forms
Comments:
Complete Mission Vision Check-Up Forms twice a
year.
Comments:
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
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Semi-annual Check Up.
Form a The Moody Church-based Missionary
Support Team and submit Missionary Support
Team Roster.
Date Roster received:
Attend monthly Missions in Focus meetings
Comments:
Choose Mission Agency. (Submit the name of
agency and acceptance letter.)
Complete The Moody Church Application for
Career Support
Interview with Personnel Committee
Interview with the World Missions Committee
FOR INTERNAL OFFICE USE ONLY
DATE
COMMENTS
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Semi-annual Check Up.
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
31
Semi-annual Check Up.
Monthly Accountability Report
Make copies of this original and bring completed report to the monthly meeting with your Mentor
Name ____________________________________________
Mentor ___________________________________________
Comment on the quality and quantity of your devotional life. Specifically address your prayer life, personal
Bible study, Scripture meditation / memory pattern, and thought-life during the previous month:
Progress in The Moody Church Missionary Preparation process this month:
Define and explain your goals for the upcoming month:
Comment on your ministry involvement the previous month - how does it relate to anticipated service?
What are your specific prayer requests for this month?
Please share specific answers to previous prayer requests:
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
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Monthly Accountability Sheet
Statement of Mutual Understanding
Please sign, copy and send the original with your completed application or bring to sign at the time
of Orientation if there are any questions.
I understand that admission to The Moody Church Missionary Preparation Program does
not guarantee appointment as a Moody Church Missionary or necessarily entitle me to financial
support of any kind.
I understand that I will only be appointed as a Moody Church Missionary if I am judged by
the congregation and its representatives to, (1) possess the requisite qualifications for missionary
service, (2) have been accepted by an approved agency (3) and have chosen a ministry and field of
service that are within the parameters of the World Missions Committee Missions Strategy and are
a fit for my talents and gifts.
I understand that I will not be considered a Moody Church Missionary appointee, eligible
for financial support, until I have completed the Missions Preparation Program to the satisfaction
of the World Missions Committee.
Candidate's signature
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
Date_____________
33
Statement of Mutual Understanding
Missions Vision Semiannual Check-Up
Please complete this form and discuss it with your Mentor once every six months.
Name ____________________________________________
Mentor ___________________________________________
WHAT I AM DOING TO BUILD MY MISSIONS VISION:





Enrolled in Grad School / Seminary
Enrolled in Missions Classes
Reading Books on World Missions
Reading Secular Periodicals
Reading Missions Periodicals





Interaction with Internationals
Interaction with Missionaries
Interaction with a specific people group
Involved in Missions Conferences
Other (list or specify) _______________
Explain how the activities you checked are enhancing and challenging your vision:
Some practical things I am doing to reach unsaved people:
PRAYER
1. Local people __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. People abroad _________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP
1. Local people __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. People abroad _________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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Semi-annual Check Up.
PRO-ACTIVE STEPS TOWARDS THE FUTURE
1. Specific changes in lifestyle:
2. Vocational goals and decisions:
3. Equipping and training:
4. I am sharing my missions vision with individuals and groups by:
5. I have been in communication with the following mission organizations:
(Please specify the type of contact you have had, e.g. meeting or phone call with missions
representative, preliminary application, initial contact, etc.)
Please return completed form after you have discussed it with your Mentor to :
Pastor Bill Bertsche, The Moody Church 1609 N LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60614-6095
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Semi-annual Check Up.
THE MOODY CHURCH DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
The Scriptural doctrines to which we ask the assent of all applicants for membership are briefly contained in
the following Articles of Faith. In subscribing to these Articles of Faith, we affirm that the Scriptures of the
Old and New Testaments are God's own written Word, given to us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The knowledge of and belief of the Truth as stated in our Articles of Faith we deem necessary to sound
doctrine and therefore requisite for Christian fellowship.
Article One- God
We believe in the only true God (John 17:3), the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Mat. 28:19), Who
created all things (Rev. 4:11), and upholds all things by the Word of His power (Heb. 1:3), in Whom we
live, and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He
(Deut. 32:4), and He shall judge the world (Ps. 9:8). We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three
persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, having precisely the same
nature, attributes, and perfections, and worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence and obedience
(Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Mat. 28:19,20; Acts 5:3,4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4-6).
Article Two- Scripture
We believe all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We believe that the sixty-six books of the Bible are all given by the
inspiration of God in the sense that the Holy Spirit guided holy men of old in their choice of the very words
of the sacred writings; and that His divine inspiration is not in different degrees, but extends equally and
fully to all parts of these writings, historical, poetical, doctrinal, and prophetical, and to the smallest word,
provided such word was present in the original manuscripts (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:21; 1 Cor. 2:13; Mark
12:26,36; 13:11; Acts 1:16; 2:4).
Article Three- Man
We believe that by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
for that all have sinned (Rom. 5:12), and judgment came upon all men to condemnation (Rom. 5:18). For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23). We
believe that man, originally created in the image and after the likeness of God, fell from his high and holy
estate by eating the forbidden fruit, and as the consequence of his disobedience the threatened penalty of
death was then and there inflicted, so that his moral nature was not only grievously injured by the fall, but
he totally lost all spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins, and subject to the power of the devil
(Gen. 1:26; 2:17; John 5:40; 6:53; Eph. 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 5:6; 1 John 3:8).
Article Four- Salvation
We believe there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11). We also believe
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the
third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4), and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high
(Heb. 1:3), now to appear in the presence of God for us (Heb. 9:24). We believe that God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life (John 3:16), and he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that
God gave of His Son, and this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son
(1 John 5:10-11); he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall
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Policies and Handbooks
not see life but the wrath of God abideth on Him (John 3:36), who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power (2 Thes. 1:9). We believe that
Christ, in the fullness of the blessings He has secured by His obedience unto death is received by faith alone,
and that the moment we trust in Him as our Savior we pass out of death into everlasting life, being justified
from all things, accepted before the Father according to the measure of His acceptance, loved as He is loved,
and having His place and portion, as linked unto Him, and one with Him forever (John 5:24; 17:23; Acts
13:39; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:4-6, 13; 1 John 4:17; 5:11,12).
Article Five- Second Coming
We believe in the imminent personal return of Christ for His church and His pre-millennial coming to
establish His kingdom on earth. Be ye therefore ready also; for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye
think not (Luke 12:40; Titus 2:13). We believe that the world will not be converted during the present
dispensation, but is fast ripening for judgment, while there will be a fearful apostasy in the professing
Christian body; and hence that the Lord Jesus Christ will come in person to introduce the millennial age,
when Israel shall be restored to their own land, and the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord (Jer.
33; Zech. 14; 2 Thes. 2:3-8; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Titus 1:11-15).
Article Six- Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost to unify all believers into one body, the
church, in fulfillment of the promise Jesus gave to the apostles (Acts 1:5; 1 Cor. 12:13). Fruit reveals His
presence in the lives of believers: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). We believe that the Holy Spirit, not as an influence, but as a Divine Person,
the source and power of all acceptable worship and service, is our abiding Comforter and Helper, that He
never takes His departure, from the church, nor from the feeblest of the saints, but is ever present to testify
of Christ, seeking to occupy us with Him, and not with ourselves nor with our experiences (John 7:38-39;
14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:9; Phil. 3:3).
Article Seven- Christian Living
We believe that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before
ordained that we should walk in them, remembering our responsibility to pray for all those who are of the
household of faith (Eph. 2:8-10; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; Gal. 6:10). We believe that we are called with a holy calling
to walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, and so to live in the Spirit that we should not fulfill the lusts
of the flesh; but the flesh being still in us to the end of our earthly pilgrimage, needs to be kept constantly in
subjection to Christ, or it will surely manifest its presence to the dishonor of His name (Rom. 8:12-13;
13:14; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:1-10; 1 Pet. 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9).
Article Eight- Church
We believe that the church is composed of all who are united by the Holy Spirit to the risen and ascended
Son of God, that by the same Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, and
thus being members one of another, we are responsible in good conscience to keep the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace, loving one another with a pure heart fervently (Mat. 16:16-18; Acts 2:32-47; Rom. 12:5;
1 Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 1:20-23; 4:3-10; Col. 3:14-15). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Head
over all the church (Eph. 1:22) commanded His people to observe two ordinances, neither of which is
essential to salvation or to membership of The Moody Church, but both of which are an evidence of
obedience and fellowship with the Lord. In neither of them has the unbeliever any part. Jesus commanded us
to teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Mat.
28:19). Furthermore, in the same night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, and when He had given
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Policies and Handbooks: Doctrinal Statement
thanks He brake it and said, "Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance
of Me." After the same manner, also, He took the cup when He had supped, saying, "This cup is the New
Testament in My blood. This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this
bread and drink this cup, ye do proclaim the Lord's death until He come" (1 Cor. 11:23-26). In accordance
with His command, therefore, we observe the ordinances of Believer's Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
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Policies and Handbooks: Doctrinal Statement
The Moody Church World Missions Committee Handbook: Policies and
Practices
To Be Included After Official Approval of Policy
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39
Policies and Handbooks: WMC Handbook
The Moody Church Short Term Adult Missions Program (S.T.A.M.P.) Policy
To Be Included After Official Approval of Policy
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40
Policies and Handbooks: Short Term Policy
Tentmaker Missionary Policy
To Be Included After Official Approval of Policy
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41
Policies and Handbooks: Tentmaker Policy
PRACTICAL HELPS
GUIDELINES ON EVALUATING MISSION AGENCIES
POLICY
The agency under which a supported missionary serves is evaluated when the missionary is considered for
support. As stated in Section 4.2 of the World Missions Committee Handbook:
The World Missions Committee is convinced that missionaries are more effective when working under an
established sending agency; therefore, it is our policy not to support missionaries who are independent of
such sponsorship and direction. An established sending agency is defined as one that is a member of
Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies (EFMA) or Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association
(IFMA). (2/93)
Thus, it is our policy to support missionaries who serve under agencies having a reputation for integrity and
stability, whose doctrinal statements are true to the Word of God, and are in agreement with The Moody
Church Articles of Faith; who are sound and open in their financial policies and practices; who
demonstrate good management; and whose missionaries are given thoughtful direction.
That said, be realistic in the number of mission agencies you want to seriously explore. There are about 700
mission agencies based in the U.S. (as of 1988). There is a wide range of factors that will help you decide
which of these agencies you want to consider. Some agencies will be eliminated because of your specific
calling (vocational and geographical); church affiliation; short-term experience; and exposure to various
agencies through missionaries you know.
There are many ways to get information about various mission agencies. You can write and request
literature, statements on policy and doctrine and/or prayer letters and biographies from any agency. Many
mission agencies have what they call an initial or preliminary questionnaire. Filling this out does not
obligate you, but it does let the mission know you are interested and tells them about you, so they can
answer your questions more fully.
In addition, there are several options available locally to help you start initial contact with various mission
agencies.

The Mission Handbook (published by EMIS) gives helpful information about all the agencies based
in the U.S. A copy is available in the church library.

Several mission agencies have representatives based in the Chicago area who are very eager to have
contact with people just like you!

Talk to people who have already gone through the process themselves (candidates under
appointment, furloughing missionaries, etc.).

Talk to the Missions Pastor for his perspective on an agency and your potential fit.

Check the Great Commission Search Engine on the Internet (www.christianmissions.net)
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Evaluating Agencies
POINTS TO CONSIDER IN EVALUATING MISSION AGENCIES
1. DOCTRINE
Ask to receive a copy of their formal doctrinal statement. Make sure their doctrine is biblically sound. Is
the statement broad or narrow in its outline? This will affect everyday life and ministry practices. Find
out whether or not there are any individual variances among the mission’s representatives or
missionaries. Is there harmony among the missionaries on doctrinal issues? Look at the agency’s
distinctives and those of their people and supporters. What’s their view of God, man, the church,
spiritual gifts, and missions? Are there any theological distinctives that set them apart from other
Christian organizations? Do they cooperate with those who hold to other positions on those issues? How
do you feel about their answers?
2. EMPHASES AND SCOPE OF MINISTRY
Find out what kinds of things they are doing. What is their ministry and to whom? Does their approach
to ministry emphasize flexibility and spontaneity, or stability and structured objectives? Are they
people-oriented (evangelizing, nurturing, or serving people through a variety of programs) or taskoriented (specialists in radio broadcasting, literature production, for example)? How do they view the
roles of men and women in ministry? Could you see yourself fitting into an agency with their
philosophy? What are their goals, both long and short term? Are they broad or narrow? That is, are they
focused or general or both? Who sets the goals — the field, the missionaries, the nationals, the
representatives, the home office? How are they evaluated? By whom? What will your role be in goalsetting - will you have any significant influence?
3. GEOGRAPHICAL EXTENT
What are the geographical perimeters and how were they set? Was it strategic, purposeful, or
accidental? Are they static or dynamic? Are there dreamers in the mission who give vision? Are they
over-extended? Has the extent grown, shrunk, or remained the same in the last ten years? What do they
see for the next decade? Is there coordination and harmony among the fields? In what countries do they
place missionaries? Would you work in English or would you need a second language? Do they work
with people culturally similar to you or very different? What place do “unreached peoples” play in their
strategy and priorities?
4. HISTORY
Do they have good understanding of where they’ve been? How does the past influence their future - by
choice or default? What do they feel about their history? How do they evaluate it? Do they want to
share it?
Here are some ways to find out about their history: read books written by or about the founder; read
articles written about this mission in mission magazines; ask for a history of the churches they’ve
established; talk to missionaries retired from the agency. It is important to find out about the agency’s
history — others will ask you about it once you are a part of the mission. Also, the agency’s past has
shaped its current identity.
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Evaluating Agencies
5.
REPUTATION
What is the agency’s local reputation — among churches, other mission boards, supporters, personnel
within the agency, etc.? Does the agency belong to IFMA (Interdenominational Foreign Missions
Association) or EFMA (Evangelical Foreign Missions Association) or ECFA (Evangelical Council for
Financial Accountability)?
What reputation does the agency have overseas? What do the nationals think about it? How do the
churches they established or with whom they are partnering view them? What does the foreign
government think of them?
6. ADMINISTRATION
Who does what in terms of missions staff? Are their levels of authority clear and organized? Can you
work well where you’ll be assigned? Who sets the policies — a board, the missionaries, national
churches, supporters, a combination? Is it clear? Organized? What are the costs of administration —
how much of your support will they want to keep helping meet these costs? Can you endorse and justify
that cost wholeheartedly?
7. FINANCES
Are missionaries on salaries (denominations sometimes give salaries and so do relief organizations) or
do they raise support? If they raise support, do they need to raise a set amount before they can leave for
the field (promised support), or do they go in faith that the Lord will meet their needs, and raise no
support? If they raise a set amount, does that support go toward their needs only (individual support) or
do they share it with all missionaries in the mission (pooled support)? At what level do the missionaries
live when compared to the local people? How much pressure is on you to raise funds?
8. CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
What are they? Can you find out up front — can you get the whole picture, or do you find out bits at a
time? Be realistic - how long has it taken others to meet these qualifications? Why are they necessary?
Do they provide assistance to help meet these? How firm are they -for instance, if you need a certain
amount of education, do you need to get it from a specific place? Will the Moody Preparation Program
help? Have the qualifications always been there or do they change? Are they stringent enough to not
accept just anyone, but only people who will do good work - and with whom you could work?
9. TRAINING AND EDUCATION
What is required? Is there field orientation? Candidate school? Do they have specific training for
language and culture learning (Missionary Training International, etc.)? Do they allow for or encourage
on-going education?
10. PLACEMENT
How are you placed on the field? Who makes that decision? Do you have the final say or does someone
else? How, when, or how often is it evaluated? Is it reversible? Flexible? How soon does the mission
want you to move on?
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Evaluating Agencies
11. PERSONNEL
What kind of people are they looking for — team players or pioneers? What kind of people do they
become? Are missionaries satisfied with the mission? What’s the dropout or turnover rate? What
are the unwritten rules for lifestyle/ strategy, etc? Do they function well as a team? Are they caring
well for missionaries’ emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs?
12. FAMILY
How does the mission care for the whole family — both parent and child? Do they see family as
first or second priority or as one that shifts between the two? Do they care for children as children
and as current and maybe future missionaries? What educational opportunities are there for children
— home schooling, correspondence, boarding school or local public schooling? What living
standards are expected of their missionaries? Is this the environment you want?
13. PRAYER
Ultimately the question is not whether you find the perfect mission agency (there are none) but
whether this is the mission agency God wants you to serve with. So bathe the exploration process in
prayer. God will lead you!
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Evaluating Agencies
CHOOSING THE RIGHT ONE
by Mike Pocock
reprinted from Wherever magazine
© 1983 by TEAM - used by permission
It’s not uncommon for missionary candidates to
qualify for service with a number of mission
boards. But which one is the right one for you?
Here are some choice guidelines.
3. Selection by ministry or vocation.
The training or ministry of the prospective
candidate will help him narrow the field. Some
agencies specialize in workers whose training is
highly technical: engineering, aviation, or
linguistics. Evangelism and church planting are
the specialties of other organizations.
Brian Gill had already settled the matter of
Christ’s lordship in his life. When he heard a
missionary challenge at a retreat, he started
thinking about the lost ness of people without
Christ. A clear sense of his own responsibility led
Brian to the conviction that he should be a
missionary.
When these criteria have been considered, there is
still a range of choice. Now, how could a
candidate evaluate the mission agencies in which
he is most interested?
Many knowledgeable people pointed out to Brian
that mission agencies give help to prospective
missionaries in organizing support, assuring them
of qualified co-workers, and representing them in
the areas of foreign regulations, visas, taxes, and
the like. But how would anyone go about
choosing one agency out of the 700 based in
North America?
Evaluating a mission board or agency.
Contact with mission representatives and reading
their literature is only the beginning of the
evaluation. Key areas for understanding a mission
agency are its objectives, convictions,
administrative structure, financial policies, and
general reputation. Some of the following
questions should be answered.
Agencies have differences in objectives, style of
ministry, doctrine, countries in which they serve,
and the constituencies they represent. Here are
three criteria that could help Brian or anyone else
to narrow the choices to that final one.
Objectives: What is the mission trying to
accomplish, and which of its ministries lead to
that objective?
Convictions: What doctrine is held by the
agency? Can the candidate be in 100 percent
agreement? Minor items sometimes grow in
importance.
1. The role of the church.
A Bible-believing church and its leaders will help
in the choice of a mission board. It may be that
they will recommend the board that sends their
own missionaries. The choice of a particular
board should not be made without consulting the
home church.
Administrative policy: Do officers at home
control ministries on the field or is the field
autonomous? Is the mission controlled by a single
powerful individual or is responsibility spread
through a board of directors and other
administrative officers?
2. Selection by country or people group.
Many people have been led to a concern for a
particular country or linguistic group. Not all
boards serve every area or people. A current list
of missions and the countries they serve can be
found in the Mission Handbook prepared by
MARC, 919 W. Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA
91016.
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
Financial policy: How does the mission board
handle funds? Are they carefully monitored and
reported? Are funds pooled and shared by
workers, or does each worker assume
responsibility for his own support? What happens
46
Evaluating Agencies
when insufficient funds come in after the
missionary is overseas?
Reputation: What is the general reputation of the
mission with its own missionaries, their children,
other agencies, pastors, and nationals from the
countries where a mission serves?
The final analysis.
After conversations with representatives from the
mission agency and a study of all the facts, the
whole matter should be taken to the Lord in
prayer. Out of the contacts, the facts, and the nonverbal vibrations, the Lord will lead any
dedicated candidate to a settled conviction that he
belongs with a particular ministering family.
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Evaluating Agencies
Resources for Missionary Support Teams
Dear Friend,
You have been asked to be a member of one of our missionary’s Support Teams. This is a wonderful
opportunity to be personally involved in the Great Commission, and we want to encourage you in this
endeavor. Enclosed in this letter is the section on Support Teams from the Missionary Preparation
Handbook as well as a list of ways you can be helpful and encouraging to your missionary. May God bless
you richly as you undertake this crucial role.
“You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.
For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
Therefore we ought to support such ones, that we may be
fellow workers with the Truth.” 3 John 6b-8
Detached. This is a very common feeling of many missionaries that are sent by churches. The problem is
often that a church “has” missionaries, but is not adequately equipped to “send” missionaries. When we
send people out from our church, we are to send them out in a manner worthy of God because they are
going out for the sake of the Name. They are often going out to champion the Name of God where His
name is unknown or horribly neglected. If we love God’s glory, His Name, then we will love to see the
fame of his Name spread to every unreached people. Therefore, those who go out from us for the sake of
the Name will be seriously and substantially supported by those of us who stay behind. After all, isn’t the
reason we are staying behind also for the sake of the Name, and not for the sake of comfort, convenience,
money or private ambitions?
At The Moody Church we are learning to take this sending process seriously. One avenue by which we
accomplish that is to require that each missionary, both short term (six months or more) and career have a
Moody Church-based missionary support team. In this way we hope to ensure that the needs of our
missionaries are more fully met, and to be active fellow workers with them in the Truth.
What is a Support Team?
A support team is a small group (6-12) of committed people who come together to care for their missionary
in a variety of ways, striving to help meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. It is a group of
people with whom the missionary can be open and honest, allowing them to see his needs and share his
successes and defeats.
Why Have a Support Team?
Support teams help our missionaries feel understood and provide them with a committed group who will
show them practical love, keep them visible before the rest of The Moody Church family and strengthen
them while on the field.
What does a Support Team Do?
In a nutshell, a support team works together to care for their missionary, striving to meet their spiritual,
physical and emotional needs. To a large extent, this will happen only to the degree that the missionary is
willing and able to make his needs known to the team.
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Support Team Resources
The specific ways in which a support team goes about meeting their missionaries’ needs will vary
depending on the specific personality and needs of the missionary, as well as the personality (creativity) of
the support team. Ask your missionary how you can best assist them; learn from the example of other teams;
be creative; pray about it.
This doesn’t mean that the support team does everything but they do take personal responsibility to serve as
that missionary’s advocate at The Moody Church. Minimally, every support team member should make a
commitment to:
1. A specific term length. Commit to being on the team for at least one year or preferably the length
of the missionary’s term (or career!).
2. Meet together on a monthly or bimonthly basis or as special needs arise.
3. Pray for your missionary often, individually as well as corporately.
4. Work to create an atmosphere where your missionary feels safe an comfortable to share himself or
herself very personally with the team – keeping confidential concerns confidential.
5. Be available to provide practical care for your missionary.
Various support teams have organized themselves differently, depending on the gifts of the individuals
involved. Many support teams have found it helpful to have the following roles assigned to various people
on the team, leaving other members of the team open to volunteer for other specific, occasional duties.
These are just suggestions to consider.

The Moody Church Contact Person - If the church needs information about a missionary, or if they
need to organize a support team’s involvement in church activities (Missions Conferences,
missionary displays, etc.) they will contact this member of the missionary’s support team.

Meeting Facilitator - The individual will be responsible to call meetings to order, keep meetings
focused on the missionary and help the team’s discussion to keep moving.

Team Organizer - Many support teams have found it helpful to have someone on the team organize
a number of details that will assist the team to better support their missionary. These include
keeping track of missionary prayer requests and answers, keeping track of projects, making up a
calendar of team member letter writing assignments, etc.

Communication Person - In case of emergency, it may be helpful for the support team to be
organized into an information chain with a contact person at the head of the list. If anyone on the
team hears of an emergency that their missionary is facing, they should contact that individual so
that information can be passed on quickly and accurately.
Other teams have found it more helpful to divide the work further by assigning each specific role (care
package, meeting treats, sermon tapes, missionary displays, article writer, etc.) to one person on the team so
that each member is always responsible for making sure that their role gets taken care of, whether they do it
themselves or assign it to someone else. For a helpful handout to share with Support Team members, see
Resources for Missionary Support Teams on p. 48.
How are Support Teams Formed?
The individual missionary prayerfully chooses members of a support team. Some missionaries ask friends
from their small groups, Adult Bible Fellowships, choir, various ministry involvements, etc. to come
together to form their support team. Others have asked the small group that they’re involved in to also
function as their support team. Not everyone on the team has to be from The Moody Church, but the
majority should and the designated leader must be. The key is for the missionary to choose people with
whom they have already established a level of trust, with whom they can be “real.”
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Support Team Resources
Why does the World Missions Committee Require Support Teams?
Missionaries do not go out for adventure, they do not go out for material profit, they do not go out for
prestige, nor do they go out merely for humanitarian purposes. They do go out for the sake of the Name.
We want the missionaries we support financially to sense deeply that they are genuinely cared for, that they
are more than just names on our lists or line items in our budget.
The Moody Church doesn’t just want to “have” missionaries; we want to “send” missionaries in a manner
worthy of Christ. How can this happen? The World Mission Committee is responsible for all of the
missionaries we support, and while they can do this on an organizational level, we cannot really care for all
of these people. This is the responsibility of the Body of Christ, and that is where Support Teams come in.
PRACTICAL IDEAS FOR CARING FOR YOUR MISSIONARY
BEFORE THEY GO

Pray earnestly for them.

Be available. Encourage them as their emotions vary during different stages of their preparation
phase.

Ask them about what they are learning as God takes them down the path that will lead them to a
foreign country.

Write a Prayer Letter / Update letting the church know what your missionaries are up to and how to
pray for them.

Mail out their prayer letters.

Host a reception for them at The Moody Church after their commissioning.

Have an Open House before they leave so they can say good-bye to many of their friends.

Help them find information about the country they are going to and the people they will be working
among by going to the library, reading missions periodicals, and keeping an eye out for articles in
the daily paper.

Help them find information on needed equipment by reading the Consumer Report articles,
discussing with others, etc.

Help them to get the supplies that they need to take with them overseas. You can help by running
errands, or by offering to take care of their children so that they can more easily run errands.

Help them pack the items they’ll store here in the U.S. as well as the items they’ll take with them or
ship.

Drop dinner off at their house their last few nights so they can concentrate on accomplishing those
last few tasks.

Offer to have them stay with you if they need a place just before they leave.

Treat them to something special just before they go.
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Support Team Resources

Take them to the airport as a team and have a send-off there.
WHILE THEY ARE GONE

Pray earnestly for them.

Write often.

Remember birthdays, holidays, and other special days with a card, gift, e-mail or phone call.

Send them articles of special interest from the newspaper or magazines.

Give them a subscription to a magazine like Newsweek, Good Housekeeping or Readers Digest so
they can keep up with what is happening in the U.S.

Occasionally send “fun care packages” to encourage them or to help meet needs.

Send a good book you’ve especially appreciated.

Occasionally e-mail them current, up-to-date information on their team.

Keep up to date with what your missionary is doing so that you can encourage them in the work and
share their work with The Moody Church family.

Write a prayer letter / update to keep the World Missions Committee and The Moody Church
updated on what is currently happening.

Pass on any special prayer requests to the church office.

Consider visiting your missionary on the field.

Mail out their prayer letters for them.

Help to take care of your missionary’s home while they are away.
WHEN THEY RETURN

Pray earnestly for them.

Praise the Lord with them for how God used them overseas.

Have housing ready for them when they arrive home.

Help them to find a car to borrow during their furlough time.

Be at the airport to welcome them home.

Have a few groceries for them in their refrigerator and cupboards so that they don’t have to go
shopping right away.

Bring dinner by their house for the first few days.

Be available to help them readjust to life in the U.S. Help them to catch up with what is current,
what’s in and what’s out, what’s hot and what’s not!
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Support Team Resources

Give them space.

Before they come back, begin keeping a calendar for them, setting up times when people can see
them, so that they aren’t overwhelmed when they return. Be sure you know their schedule and the
people they want or need to see, though!

Host an open house so they can see many of their friends and update them.

Help organize a time at church where they can show their slides and update the Body.

Introduce them to new people at The Moody Church.

Help them to get caught up on the latest happenings here at The Moody Church.

Give them a special night out or some other special treat.

Mail out their prayer letters.

Listen to them, be available.
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Support Team Resources
Resources for Mentors
Dear Mentor,
You have been asked to serve as a mentor to a person in the Missionary Preparation Program. This is a
serious commitment and we ask you to prayerfully consider this before agreeing to participate. If God so
leads, we think you will find this to be a very rewarding and fruitful ministry.
Enclosed you will find two resources. One is the information on mentoring that is from the Missionary
Preparation Handbook. This will help you understand your obligation and the expectations that the World
Missions Committee has of you. The second resource, should you agree to serve as a mentor, is a list of six
qualities we are looking for in a candidate and hope to further develop.
A. Guidelines for Mentoring
A crucial component of this program is finding a mentor. The role of the mentor is to provide personalized
accountability and guidance for the candidate’s personal and spiritual preparation prior to the mission field.
The mentor fulfills several needed functions for the candidate, such as:

Friendship. The mentor will support the candidate by prayer, encouragement, and affirmation.

Shepherding. The mentor will provide spiritual nurture, guidance, and challenge.

Accountability. The mentor will help the candidate stay on course, keeping them accountable for
progress toward the goal of completing the program. They will also provide assistance with
involvement in practical ministries in the church.

Evaluation. The mentor will help the candidate to see their strengths, as well as recognize and deal
appropriately with their weaknesses. They will need to be sensitive and insightful in this role, as it
eventually culminates in their final recommendation to the World Missions Committee. No
Candidate will be sent to the field without the full support and confidence of the mentor.
Each Applicant to the program must select their own mentor. This person can be someone with whom the
candidate already has an established accountability relationship, or with someone whom they want to
develop such a relationship. There are some guidelines to consider in the selection process. The mentor
should:
1. Be of the same gender. (Mandatory).
2. Be a member or a regular attender who is firmly planted at The Moody Church. (Mandatory)
3. Be committed to world evangelism.
4. Be willing to invest deeply in the candidate’s life.
5. Exhibit spiritual maturity as evidenced by qualities found in 1 Timothy 3.
6. Understand the intent of this policy, and be willing to follow it.
7. Be willing to invest sufficient time.
8. Be committed to giving loving and honest feedback.
9. Be able to maintain candidate’s accountability.
10. Be personally acquainted with several missionaries and their ministries. This will ensure that they
understand the life that the candidate is pursuing. (This is not always possible, but is helpful).
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
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Resources for Mentors
Each potential Mentor must be willing to:
1. Attend the Missionary Preparation Program Introduction Class. This is an introduction to the
philosophy behind the Missionary Preparation Program as well as the nuts and bolts of the program.
It will also include materials to assist the candidate in various aspects of preparations for missions.
2. Pray regularly for and with the missionary Candidate.
3. Meet monthly (or more often if necessary) to talk, troubleshoot, and encourage him/her regarding:
a. Personal Bible study, prayer life and Scripture memorization.
b. Review of monthly accountability report, including completion of Missionary Preparation
Program requirements and setting of future goals.
c. Requests for prayer
d. Discuss any problems that have arisen.
4. Provide regular feedback to the World Missions Committee on the progress of the candidate. This
will culminate in a more formal evaluation of the candidate to be completed at the time that the
candidate applies for financial support.
5. Be contacted occasionally to see how the accountability system is functioning and to provide
support, encouragement, and any practical assistance that may be needed.
B. Six things to look for in a Candidate.
As a mentor, what exactly is it that you should be looking for in a missionary candidate? There are many
varied responses to that question, but we feel that along with ministry experience and education, a certain
number of character traits need to be present in a missionary’s life for him/her to be effective once on the
field. These characteristics, or attitudes, are summarized below.
1. Love/devotion The missionary candidate needs to have an apparent love and devotion for
Christ. This is the most basic prerequisite for effective missionary service, for that is indeed
what will shine through and communicate to others even when language skills are at a
minimum. If, every time the mentor asks about the candidate’s quiet time, the response is
negative, apathetic or dull, then question marks should appear regarding this person’s walk with
the Lord. It will not get easier once the candidate is living in another culture.
2. Reconciliation It is, unfortunately, very well known that poor interpersonal relationships among
missionaries is the number one reason for missionaries leaving their field of service. Therefore,
it is essential that the candidate know how to lovingly confront others and resolve conflict when
it arises, even though it is a very difficult thing to do. It is hypocritical, to say the least, to have
a missionary teach about the love of Jesus and the power of the Gospel, but yet be unwilling to
put those very things into practice in his/her own relationships. Again, people will see through
this quickly, and it is quite detrimental to the cause of Christ.
3. Humility This can be best characterized by how the candidate views him/herself: are they going
to another culture as a teacher, or as a learner? Even if the candidate does hope to go overseas
in a teaching role, he/she needs to have the attitude of a humble learner, since there is so much
language and culture to learn. And the nationals hold all the keys to learning them. If they are
not learned, then the Gospel can only be presented, at best, as some kind of foreign message that
has originated elsewhere and, most likely, will not have too much of an impact. This is not to
play down the power of the Word of God, but rather to play up the fruit of the Spirit in a
Missionary Preparation Handbook (8/2001)
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Resources for Mentors
missionary’s life. If the candidate leaves with the attitude of “I’m giving up all I have so I can
teach these people the right way to know God,” then he/she will be leaving with an attitude of
superiority. Who wants to be on the receiving end of such an attitude? It can only do damage
to the name of Christ. The candidate needs to see him/herself, not as the omniscient dispenser
of Truth, but rather as the somewhat ignorant foreigner who needs the patient understanding of
many people in order to understand how life works in this new culture.
4. Hospitality This is a hard one for many missionaries, for they often see their home as the one
place where they can go to escape from all the pressures of missionary service. As a result, they
are reticent to open up their home to nationals. But having nationals over for a meal, or just to
talk or pray together will communicate love and acceptance more than all the sermons a
missionary can preach. Relationships need to have a higher value than household items and
furnishings.
5. Perseverance This relates especially to language learning, both for the missionary and, if
applicable, for the missionary’s children. The candidate should be strongly committed to
learning the local language well. Otherwise, relationships remain superficial, due to lack of
comprehension. Knowing a language well communicates value and importance to nationals
concerning their culture, as well as to “your” Gospel. But language learning never comes easy.
It is hard work, and needs to be entered into with that understanding and commitment. While
you will not be able to observe the candidate in language learning, you should be observing
perseverance in other areas of his or her life.
6. Flexibility Many would say that this is the most crucial character trait for a missionary if he/she
is to be successful on the field. Often life on the mission field is less certain than in the U.S.:
electricity is not such a sure thing, telephones don’t work at times (if at all) in some countries,
communication is problematic, events do not happen according to a strict time schedule,
transportation is not always reliable, missionary colleagues go home on furlough and leave their
position vacant. All of these things require missionaries to be more flexible than they would
normally be in their home country. So the candidate should expect that things will not run like
clockwork and know that they may have to adjust their ministry expectations. If a candidate
can learn to be flexible then they will be a lot less frustrated in the long run and will have a
more rewarding missionary term of service.
While these six attitudes are less tangible than taking part in missions activities or reading a book on
missions, they are just as important to evaluate. They may well determine the success or failure of a
person on the mission field. These are qualities that the mentor needs to be looking for all throughout
the mentoring relationship. If not seen, this will need to be discussed with the candidate, as it is
especially here where the mentor’s role is critical to the candidate’s future. The mentor should
regularly and prayerfully bring these characteristics before the Lord, asking for wisdom in discussing
them with the candidate. This presupposes that the mentor’s own walk with the Lord is healthy and
vibrant. With the Lord’s help, the mentor will have a strong, positive impact on the candidate’s life
and will play an instrumental role in sending a prepared laborer out to the fields that are “white for
harvest.”
Much of the information in this section was taken from the Missionary Candidate Mentoring Guide of the Cherry Hills
Community Church, Highlands Ranch, CO and the Missionary Candidate Development Program of the Southern Gables
Church, Littleton, CO and is used by permission.
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Resources for Mentors
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND MINISTRIES
Opportunities Within The Moody Church
THE MOODY CHURCH COMMUNITY GROUPS (TMC COMMUNITIES)
 Bible & Prayer
 Fusion
 Christian Fellowship
 Crossroads
 In Focus
 Moody Business Network
 In Focus
 Sisters In Christ
 Covenant
 SALT
BRANCH MINISTRIES
Moody cooperates with many ministries in the city of Chicago. Many of them provide rich training
opportunities.
 Alpha/Omega Ministries - Minister to youth in Chicago through the arts! Train young people in
evangelism and creative expression.
 Angel Tree—Prison Fellowship - Christmas gifts are given to the children of prison inmates in
the name of the parent in an attempt to bridge the gap in families separated by incarceration.
 Breakthrough Urban Ministries - Breakthrough provides employment services, housing
opportunities, case management, food service, ministry to women in prostitution and youth
outreach to those in need in the city of Chicago.
 Care First Chicago (CFC) - Volunteer to save lives for here and eternity. Share the Gospel and
enable women to choose life for their babies. Counselors and receptionists serve Christ at six
CFC centers.
 Good News Jail & Prison Ministry - A non-profit organization committed to preaching and
teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to prisoners in jails and prisons across the U.S. and
internationally.
 Gospel Outreach (GO) - Through after-school Bible clubs with children of Chicago’s inner city,
Gospel Outreach seeks to reach urban families and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 Inner City Impact (ICI) - ICI provides an alternative to gang violence and drug addiction for
young adults in gang-controlled neighborhoods with a vital ministry of after-school activities,
camping, leadership training, internship opportunities, outreach, and discipleship.
 Joni & Friends Ministries - Ministry that provides support to families and children with
disabilities in the Moody Church family and beyond. To evangelize and disciple people with
disabilities and their families and raise up and mentor leaders in disability.
 Lathrop Young Life - Young Life is a mission community of Christ-centered people committed
to reaching adolescent youth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. LYL is one of over 600 local Young
Life areas and of this 79 urban areas exist. The basic goal is to introduce adolescents from the
Lathrop Homes area of Chicago to Jesus Christ. This is done through a variety of programs
addressing the spiritual, physical, educational and emotional needs of the young people through
the relationships established between adolescents and caring adults.
 Love and Action Midwest, Inc. - Love and Action is a ministry extending the compassion of
Jesus Christ to those who are infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS through hospital/home
visitation, support groups, and church and community education.
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Training Opportunities and Ministries
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Metro Chicago Youth For Christ - Ministers to Chicago youth through Campus Life, Juvenile
Justice, and Faith Works. YFC seeks to participate within the body of Christ in the responsible
evangelism of youth, presenting them with the person, work, and teachings of Christ, discipling
them and leading them into the local church.
Pacific Garden Mission - A Christian-centered ministry designed to welcome the poor and
indigent by providing clothes, shelter, food, and a long-term rehabilitation program for men and
women. Job training skills, Biblical education, and medical and dental service are available.
Sunshine Gospel Ministry - Founded by friends at Moody Church in 1905 and today, Sunshine
focuses on the needs of the inner city adults and youth. All the programs are geared toward
meeting the physical and spirit needs of the individual. Sunshine has been trusted by inner city
families as a vital source for food, clothing, character development, job training, tutoring, and
athletic programs.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES
 Sunday School Hour (11:30 am – 12:30 pm) and Churchtime (9:50 – 11:15)
 Kid’s Club - This is an after school program that seeks to love children in every way, spiritually,
educationally, physically, emotionally, and financially. This program currently runs from 2:30 –
7:00 pm three days a week during the school year. The children are picked up from school and
brought to Kids’ club for a routine of free time and snack, worship and Bible lessons, homework
and tutoring, electives that range from computer studies to photography to crafts, and ending with
a hot meal before they go home.
 Awana - Wednesdays, 6:30-8:00 pm
 Pal Ministry - This is essentially a Big Brother/Big Sister program for needy children where the
children are prayed for and mentored by Christian adults and taken out on fun trips in
Chicagoland.
 Sidewalk Sunday School - This is an outreach program of Kid’s Club and is a wonderful tool for
taking the Gospel to children in the streets of Chicago. The presentational part of the program
runs during the summer every Saturday from 12:30 – 3:30 pm and is an hour and a half of
worship, games, Bible lesson, prizes, and an opportunity to receive Christ. The heart of the
ministry is home visitations. Every child and family who attend on a Saturday will be visited the
following the week, either on a Thursday or Friday. Children and families are then encouraged to
get involved at Moody Church or another local church.
“CROSSROADS” COLLEGE MINISTRY
 Sunday Morning – Every Sunday morning at 9:00 am, college students from more than 10
universities gather in Kappeler Hall to worship the Lord through singing and the proclamation of
God’s Word.
 Weekly Bible Study – Every Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.
 Social Events – Our social events are designed for fellowship and fun. These have become great
opportunities for students from different schools to build lasting relationships with each other as
well as unity within the group. We try to schedule them each month. These events also give our
students opportunities to invite their unsaved friends to a neutral setting and can be used as an
effective evangelistic tool.
 Retreats – Twice a year we get away for a time of renewal and rest. Students get the chance to
put the books down for a weekend and spend time in the Word and with each other.
EVANGELISM
 Moody Business Network - Providing spiritual encouragement and ethical guidelines for men
and women in today's marketplace, Moody Business Network offers a luncheon series which
welcomes and introduces non-believers to Christianity through guest speakers whose integration
of faith and work offers an inspiring example.
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Training Opportunities and Ministries


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Business 56 - – sponsored by Moody Church and other Chicagoland area churches, exists to
connect Chicago’s Christian professionals and enable each other to maintain a Godly perspective
in business, bridge the faith/work gap, and effectively manage change in the marketplace. For
more information, log on to www.geocities.com/business56events or write to us at
business56events@yahoo.com.
Evangelism Explosion -- A thirteen-week evangelism training and strategic visitation ministry
which is offered by invitation three times a year. You can learn to share your faith in a simple,
five-part outline.
Evangelism Training Seminars -- Learn to share your faith with sensitivity and directness in
these seminars geared toward different people groups (e.g., Jewish, Arab, Catholic, etc.).
HISPANIC MINISTRY
 Sunday Morning Worship- Every Sunday morning we celebrate the goodness of our Lord and bring
the best of out offering through music, worship, and fellowship. Much preparation goes into this
service which continually edifies and feeds our souls for the coming week of testimonies and daily
living.
 Wednesday Evening Prayer Meeting - This meeting provides believers a place to worship in song
and to present their specific needs and burdens to their brothers and sisters for prayer. This is a time
where we join together to seek the Lord’s strength for ourselves, our families, and the lost. During
this evening we rejoice and marvel at the many answers to prayers as we review our Wednesday
prayer journal. There is never enough time in the evening to thank the Lord for all his goodness and
love; yet our spiritual cup is truly filled over and over again.
 Counseling and Visitation to the Sick and Needy - This area of ministry provides us a variety
of opportunities to meet the spiritual and physical needs of people in the community who are not
able to attend our weekly services due to illness or any other reason. As a body of believers, we
are all encouraged and blessed by these visits, which involve Bible reading, fellowship, prayer,
and worship in song and testimonies. Through this outreach many have come to know the Lord.
MEN’S MINISTRY
The vision for this ministry is to assemble for worship, fellowship, encouragement, service, and
discipleship. For more information, please call the church office or refer to the Sunday bulletin for
upcoming events.
SINGLE FOCUS
Single Focus was founded to help Moody Church fulfill its purpose and pursue its vision. To
Chicagoland single adults we say, “Single Focus exits to put God’s love into action by providing you with
support, challenge and opportunity in your pursuit of authentic living.” Our vision is to make a difference
in the Chicagoland singles community by modeling the timeless relevance of Christianity and reflecting
the glory of God in our lives.
URBAN MINISTRY
 Fellowship Committee – manages special monthly offering for the needy.
 Financial Counseling – time and financial budgeting.
 Walk/Phone Counseling – meets immediate emergency and eternal needs.
 Referral network – food, clothing, shelter, addiction rehabilitation programs and jobs.
WOMEN’S MINISTRIES
The Women's Ministry offers programs for women of all ages and stages of life. The mission of the
Women’s ministries at Moody Church is to equip a culturally diverse community of women with skills to
communicate and exercise their spiritual gifts as mature believers within the body of Christ, and multiply
themselves for effective evangelistic outreach to neighborhoods in Chicago and through out the world.
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Training Opportunities and Ministries
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
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Women’s Fall Luncheon
Women’s Christmas Tea
Women’s Prayer Meeting – held every second Sunday of the Month to pray for the Moody
Church.
Women’s Bible Studies – meet Tuesday mornings at the church and in homes throughout the
city other days of the week.
MOPS: A ministry for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers – meets the second Tuesday of each month
September through May.
Faithlift – meets Tuesday evenings for nine weeks, twice a year.
WORLD MISSIONS
 World Missions Committee – meets monthly to oversee the operation of the entire missions
program of the church.
 Missionary Prayer Fellowship – meets in the mornings on the second Thursday of each month
for systematic prayer for each and every Moody Church missionary.
 Missions Action Partners (MAP) – a collection of various ministries that allow specialized
involvement in the Missions Program with a goal of improving our care for our missionaries and
increasing church awareness of the Great Commission.
 Missions Conferences – held twice a year, in the spring and fall.
YOUTH MINISTRIES
 Ambassador Training - Sunday mornings, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm - This hour is dedicated to
establishing a strong foundation for students in their Christian faith. Here they will learn God’s
Word and how to put it into action. We also set aside time during this hour for worship and
prayer.
 Soul Café - Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:30 pm - Soul Café is designed for students to study the
Bile and interact around God’s word in a casual atmosphere. It also provides a place for students
to connect with friends during the week.
 City Impact - Every other month We will serve our city through a work-related project in
partnership with the Branch Ministries of Moody Church, and on our own to other local
ministries.
 SALT (Student Action Leadership Team) - Second Sunday of the month - The purpose of
SALT is to equip students to share in the work of the ministry. These are servants-in-process who
influence by example, not position or authority. These individuals are group members who
remain a part of the group, but with some new priorities for their relationships with the group.
They meet once a month for training, planning, prayer, and evaluation.
Opportunities in the Chicagoland Area.
Other Cross Cultural Ministries
South Asian Friendship Center. - The SAFC is a group of Christian volunteers who love, pray for, and
befriend the South Asian community. They often host people who are interested in learning to minister to
South Asians. Many of the volunteers are bilingual and have knowledge of the South Asian culture and mind
set. See them at www.safcbookstore.com.
World Relief – This is a large world wide organizations with relocation office in Chicago that helps newly
arrived ethnic peoples adjust to the country and community by assisting with immigration, housing, food and
employment. See them at www.worldrelief.org. or call at 773-583-9191.
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Training Opportunities and Ministries
Other Cross Cultural Opportunities of every shape and variety can be located through Ethnic Harvest. This is
a ministry whose web site offers a plethora of multicultural ministry opportunities, including TESL,
International Students, etc. They can be found at www.ethnicharvest.org.
If there is a people or ethnic group that you are interested in reaching out to, and you cannot find the
information here, you can contact the church or one of the schools listed below. Moody has an extensive
cultural training program for their students and they would be able to help you with possible exposure and
ministry opportunities. Many of the other schools have similar listings.
Schools
1. Moody Bible Institute. Moody has curriculums for undergraduate and graduate studies. They
also have courses that are available by extension and correspondence, which are very flexible.
Contact Admissions Office for any questions at 1-800- DL Moody, or see them on the web at
www.moody.edu.
2. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Trinity is a well-respected evangelical Seminary associate
with the Evangelical Free Church. They do offer evening classes and classes in Chicago proper.
For more information contact the Admissions Office at 1(847) 317- 8000, or see them on the web
at www.tiu.edu.
3. U.S. Center for World Missions. This is the organization that is behind the Perspectives Course.
The also offer a Masters level degree as well as undergraduate degrees by correspondence. For
more information, see them on the web at http://www.uscwm.org/
4. Wheaton College and Graduate School. Wheaton College has a long history of academic
excellence at the undergraduate level and now with the Billy Graham center and an expanding
graduate level program, they can have much to offer. Contact their admissions office at 630-7525000 or see them on the web at www.wheaton.edu.
5. Missionary Training International (MTI). This is a program that used to be based in Detroit,
Michigan and now is in Colorado Springs. They offer intensive two and three week courses in
cross-cultural training and language acquisition. See them on the web at www.mti.org.
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Training Opportunities and Ministries
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
This is only a start to compile a list of some of the most helpful missions resources available, but
nonetheless, there are some very good books listed here. Our goal is to update this list regularly, so please
contact the Administrative Assistant to the Missions Pastor for any suggested additions.
Some of these books can be found in the church library. The Billy Graham Center Library in Wheaton is
also a great place to begin to look, as are the libraries of Moody Bible Institute and Trinity Evangelical
Divinity School. Those items with “WCL” can be ordered at discounted prices, from the William Carey
Library (P.O. Box 40129, Pasadena, CA 91114, 1-800-777-6371).
BIOGRAPHY
Come By Here (video) produced by Wycliffe Bible Translators. Cameras show the excitement of
village life in Papua New Guinea. When translator Marilyn Laszlo visits a neighboring village, she
discovers it has a church building. “Do you have a missionary here?” she asks. “No,” the chief replies.
“We are waiting for someone to come by here and teach us about God.”
From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya by Ruth Tucker — a history of missions made up of brief biographies
of missionaries from the Apostle Paul all the way up to the present. (WCL)
The Good Seed (video). An outstanding 20th century missionary story of vision , courage and
dedication among the Tzeltal tribe of Mexico and Paez Indians of Colombia.
Mama Luka Comes Home (video) The true story of Dr. Helen Roseveare and her amazing African
ministry.
Peace Child (book and video) by Don Richardson. Responding to the call of Christ, the Richardsons
journey to a remote rain forest. They painstakingly learn the language only to be shocked when Judas’
betrayal of Jesus makes him a hero to a primitive people who revere treachery. When inter-tribal
warfare breaks out, a chief offers his son as the means of bringing peace. This tribal custom makes the
gospel understandable and lives are changed. (WCL)
Through Gates of Splendor (book and video) Through actual news footage, Betty Elliot narrates the
story of God’s call on the lives of the five missionaries killed by the Aucas.
The Legacy of Sovereign Joy by John Piper – Chronicles the triumphant grace in the lives of
Augustine, Luther and Calvin.
The Hidden Smile of God by John Piper – The fruit of affliction in the lives of John Bunyan, William
Cowper, and David Brainerd.
The Roots of Endurance by John Piper – The invincible perseverance in the lives of John Newton,
Charles Simeon, and William Wilberforce.
Contending for Our All by John Piper – Defending truth and treasuring Christ in the lives of
Athanasius, John Owen, and J. Gresham Machen.
John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides (Vanuatu), by James Paton – the remarkable story
of John G. Paton and his mission amongst the cannibal tribes in the New Hebrides.
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Additional Resources
Burnt Alive – The story of Graham Staines and his two sons who were murdered by a frenzied mob in
Manoharpur, Orissa, India.
Killing Fields Living Fields: An Unfinished Portrait of the Cambodian Church by Don Cormack –
a remarkable history of the Christian church through the horrific years of the Khmer Rouge. Must
reading!
George Whitefield: The Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the Eighteenth-Century
Revival, 2 volumes by Arnold Dallimore
William Tyndale: A Biography by David Daniell
The Cambridge Seven by John Pollock
Henry Martyn: Pioneer Missionary to India and Islam by Jesse Page
Journal and Letters of Henry Martyn by Samuel Wilberforce
The Persecutor by Sergei Kourdakov
The Life and Diary of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards. This biography was so impacting that it
was required reading for all of John Wesley’s house group leaders.
CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
Educating for Life by Nicholas Wolterstorff
A Passion for Faithfulness: Wisdom from the Book of Nehemiah by J. I. Packer
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity by Eugene H. Peterson
CHURCH-PLANTING
Church Multiplication Guide: Helping Churches to Reproduce Locally and Abroad by George
Patterson and Richard Scoggins. This book is very practical in addressing the areas of church
multiplication arising from obeying Jesus’ command and church reproduction from ten viewpoints: PreChristian; Evangelist; Church Multiplication Team; Field Supervisor; Small Group; House Church;
Mother Church (or Sending Body); Trainer of Pastors/ Elders of Missionaries; Church; and Mission
Career Counselor. (WCL)
Missionary Methods: St Paul’s or Ours? By Roland Allen.
Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age by Ed Stetzer
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Additional Resources
Planting Churches Cross Culturally by David Hesselgrave A biblical and practical handbook on how
to plant indigenous churches. Written from the perspective of one who has served as a pastor, crosscultural church planter and missions pastor. (WCL)
CONFERENCES
ACMC (Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment) North American Conference. A
conference that concentrates on mobilizing churches for world missions; provides opportunities for
networking with other churches to share ideas pertinent to missions ministry; current, cutting edge
information for the local church on key trends and issues affecting world missions today; and
motivation to continue on in the missions task.
Missions Leadership Network is a monthly brownbag lunch meeting of local church missions leaders
at which we discuss a variety of topics to strengthen our missions outreach. You are welcome to attend
as an observer; contact the Administrative Assistant for a schedule and details.
Perspectives on the World Christian Movement is a course produced by the U.S. Center for World
Mission and offered in the area to teach people about the global spiritual concerns nearest to God’s
heart and how we can impact the world with the Gospel.
Urbana is Inter Varsity’s student missions conference held every 3 years in Urbana, IL, where
thousands of students, missionaries, and faculty, pastors, and young professionals join together to
understand God’s plan for world evangelization and their part in it.
CROSS CULTURAL ISSUES
Building Cross-Cultural Relationships by Thomas Brewster (30 min. video) identifies four key
“mentalities” new missionaries must adopt if they intend to tackle the challenge of the unreached world
by serving God in a cross-cultural setting. (WCL)
Folk Religion by Paul Hiebert. This book explores the underlying worldview issues that are not easily
seen to the outsider, nor described by the local. Helpful reading for anyone trying to understand culture.
Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues by Paul Hiebert. A primer on understanding and
preparing to learn about culture for the sake of ministry. Good at showing how cultural issues related
to ministry and must be dealt with.
Incarnational Ministries by Paul Hiebert. This book discusses the application of one’s knowledge
about culture to the ministry situation.
Communicating Christ in Animistic Contexts by Gailyn Van Rheenen. “Animism is not merely the
religion of tribal societies. Animism is prevalent in every continent and is part of every culture,” writes
the author. In this book he shows the animistic beliefs are ubiquitous today, whether in New Age
mysticism, horoscope occultism, Haitian voodooism, Chinese ancestor veneration or Japanese
Shintoism. Van Rheenen presents a rigorous biblical, theological, and anthropological foundation for
ministering in animistic contexts overseas or next door. (WCL)
Cross-Cultural Conflict: Building Relationships for Effective Ministry by Duane Elmer. Whether at
home or abroad, communicating with people or other cultures is difficult. It requires new ways of
thinking and interpreting the world. When conflict arises, as it often does, the issues become even more
confusing. Without a good understanding of how different cultures handle conflict, our best intentions
may only make matters worse. With particular focus on Asian and Hispanic cultures (at home and
around the world) and on African culture, Duane Elmer walks readers through various types of conflict
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and shows how they can be handled effectively and appropriately. Elmer gives numerous stories and
examples from his experience and from others’ to show how handling conflict well builds solid
relationships. This is a book not just of theory but also of practical models for conflict resolution
Gospel and Culture by D. A. Carson
Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture by Lamin Sanneh
Transforming Culture: A Challenge for Christian Mission by Sherwood Lingenfelter. Some crosscultural evangelists historically have attempted to transplant Western church culture in their work with
other peoples. More recent efforts protect the culture of native believers, helping them live a Christians
within their own milieus. The author maintains that Western-style churches often remain irrelevant, and
indigenization brings deadly compromise. He proposes that the more biblical focus is to enable the new
believers to understand the inevitable conflict between social environment and Christ, Cultural
differences can cause conflict in churches and he offers insights into how to unify a congregation with
diverse cultural values.
CULTS
Answering Skeptics’ Questions (audio tapes) by Ron Carlson covers World Religions & the
Uniqueness of Jesus Christ; Evolution vs. Creation; The Resurrection: Fact or Fiction?; Humanism,
Yoga & reincarnation; and much more.
Cults, World Religions, and You by Kenneth Boa discusses how non-Christian religions are growing
in the U.S. as well as around the world. Boa’s book describes 25 of the most common cults with
Biblical evaluations and important principles for Christians.
EVANGELISM
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer. This small volume is packed with insights and
careful thought on the theology of evangelism.
Tell it Often Tell it Well by Mark McCloskey. This is a book that will challenge many preconceived
ideas about the way that evangelism should be done.
The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever.
Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman
Two Ways to Live by Philip Jensen. This is an excellent gospel tract for sharing the gospel in a crosscultural way. Designed for those with no background in Christianity, it simply and visually walks
through the gospel.
INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY LIFE
Don’t Pig Out on Junk Food: The MK’s Guide to Survival in the U.S. by Alma Daugherty Gordon.
This book offers valuable insights from experienced missionary kids that will equip other MKs, as well
as the children of business, professional, military, and diplomatic personnel, to make their cross-cultural
entry to the U.S. successful. This unique family resource begins with family preparation before
departure and includes practical advice at education , money, work, social adjustments, and personal
issues. Invaluable information about available resources, complete with phone and fax numbers and
addresses, are included in the appendices. (WCL)
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Finding God by Larry Crabb (1933) The focus in this book is on the role of suffering in our lives,
suffering due to physical illnesses, death, and relationship problems, as well as the struggles we find in
our own souls. The main point Crabb is driving home is that these problems are meant to lead us to
God. God is to be found at the center of our suffering. Of course there are many Christian books on
suffering, but this book excels in exploring the psychological strategies we’ve found to avoid and
minimize pain and suffering, rather that move more deeply into our relationship with God.
Helping Missionaries Grow: Readings in Mental Health and Missions by O’Donnell & O’Donnell
is a collection of 50 articles focusing on the special needs of those involved in missions. The articles are
arranged in four sections focusing on the special needs of those involved in missions. The articles are
arranged in four sections covering missionary preparation, missionary families, missionary adjustments
and special issues. (WCL)
How to Help People Change by Jay Adams While this book is meant specifically for those involved
with counseling others, it is one of the better books out that formulates a theology of counseling. It
brings much biblical data to bear on this crucial issue of change. It can be very helpful is one where to
apply this book to themselves.
Inside Out by Larry Crabb (1988) This book challenges the reader to take a deep look inside one’s soul
in order to sort out sinful patterns of relating to oneself, others, and God that are preventing personal
and spiritual growth. It provides a good overview of more superficial, evangelical options for the
Christian life. A major evangelical bestseller because it serves as a good guide for exploring the hidden
false motives that tend to shape our Christian lives.
Letters I Never Sent by Ruth Van Reken tells a remarkably personal and candid story, how even
children from loving, supportive homes can suffer losses that have a lifelong impact. Retracing the steps
of her early life. Ruth gives us one child’s missionary experience overseas. Ruth’s journey, however,
takes us beyond the pain into the comfort and healing she has experienced. It is a message of hope for
all people, no matter how their losses have come.
Managing Conflict Creatively: A Guide for Missionaries and Christian Workers by Donald C.
Palmer. A practical, Bible-centered approach to the dynamics of conflict and styles of conflict
management. This manual is intended to serve as a teaching and study guide for a course on conflict
management in Bible institutes or seminaries. (WCL)
Missionary Care: Counting the Cost for World Evangelization, edited by Kelly O’Donnell. This
book is a collaborative effort of over 20 authors to address some of the cutting edges of missionary care.
Its 25 articles provide a wealth of practical missionary personnel in their work. Topics include:
Missionary Care Overview; Counseling and Clinical Care; Team Development; Mission Agencies;
Future Directions. (WCL)
MK Education Symposium (2 audio tape set); a panel of experts discuss the advantages and
disadvantages for more than 10 different options for education of missionary kids on the field. Lively
question and answer discussion at the end. (WCL)
Overcoming Missionary Stress by Marjory Foyle explains the causes of stress and gives sound,
practical advice for dealing with it. Topics include Missionary Marriages; Raising Children; Singleness;
Coping With Stress; Adolescents; Conflict Resolution; Work-Related Burnout; and Relationships. This
book is a must for anyone involved in missions.
Re-entry: Making the Transition From Missions to Life at Home by Peter Jordan. In his dedication
the author states “This book is written from those about to go into missions; for those who currently are
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in missions; and for those who were in missions, and have experienced the challenges of re-entry.” A
very practical book that will save many some of the difficulties of the return.
Rookies by Daniel Barth Peters (published by LINK CARE, Fresno, CA) is an activity workbook for
families going to the mission field.
Sojourners: The Family on the Move by Ruth and Samuel Rowen (published by Missionary
Internship) Before facing the stress of an overseas move, families need healthy patterns of behavior.
This book provides a framework for evaluating family strengths and for developing patterns that
contribute to resilience and flexibility. In addition to helpful readings and insights, the book includes
many exercises and activities for families to do together in preparation living overseas. These tools help
to strengthen family relationships and to build skills for functioning cross culturally . The activities help
families to work together on issues such as communication, stress, fear, identity, expectations,
understanding, and decision -making.
Survival Kit for Overseas Living by Robert Kohls. Here’s a practical, lively guide, filled with do-it
yourself instructions fro making sure when you go abroad you remain effective and healthy. The author
says: “This book should be seen as a resource for getting you into and through experience which, like
white water rafting, is exciting and rewarding, but which has its shoals and rapids. It’s a book you can
come back to when the going gets rough.”
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT MINISTRY
The World at Your Doorstep: A Handbook for International Student Ministry by Lawson Lau is
one of the best available on describing the strategic opportunities for reaching out to the international
students God is bringing to us. Lawson Lau, an international student from Singapore, helps us
understand what an international feels and experiences when attempting to adjust to a new culture. Lau
offers a wealth of practical suggestions for presenting the gospel sensitively and effectively.
The World At Your Doorstep: Reaching International Students in Your Church and School by
Tom Phillips and Robert Norsworthy. God has brought the world to our doorstep. This book is an
invitation to join one of the most productive and strategic ministries available to the church. It makes
ministry to international students understandable and attainable for all Christians.
LANGUAGE / CULTURE LEARNING
Bonding and the Missionary Task by Thomas and Elizabeth Brewster. According to the authors the
missionary’s potential effectiveness can be greatly increased by developing a lifestyle of intimate,
functional involvement with people, and corresponding habits of effective communication and ministry
right from the start.
Community is My Language Classroom, edited by Thomas and Elizabeth Brewster. This book will
give you both a new perspective and a sense of optimism about your potential to learn a language
through a unique pattern of cross-cultural relationships. This book contains first-person accounts of the
language learning experiences of missionaries who have succeeded with people of their new culture.
Guidelines for Barefoot Language Learning by Donald Larson is a “tell and show” book. The author
tells you what successful language learners do and shows you how to do this yourself in your next
language. You can find many books that help you study language. You can probably find some to help
you study your new language. There are not many books, however, that help you to learn your next
language. This is one of them.
PREPARATION FOR MISSIONS
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Send Me! by Steve Hoke and Bill Taylor. This is one of the only books on missionary preparation.
While is encourages church involvement, it is really missionary preparation done personally. Yet there
are many helpful resources in this book, and people who are considering the missions would find it
useful.
PERIODICALS / NEWSLETTERS
Evangelical Missions Quarterly is published each January, April, July, and October by the Evangelical
Missions Information Service. EMQ keeps you abreast of strategies, trends, and issues in missions, and
challenges your thinking through articles, in depth analysis, and special reports.
International Journal of Frontier Missions (published by the U.S. Center for World Mission,
Pasadena, CA) promotes the serious investigation of frontier missions issues including plans for world
evangelization, defining and profiting unreached peoples and unevangelized segments, coordination of
world evangelization endeavors and the study of future scenarios.
Mission Frontiers (published monthly by the U.S. Center for World Mission) gives updated news of
current events and visions at the USCWM; reports by leading missions strategists; priority of ministry
to unreached peoples; etc.
Pulse - a bimonthly up-date on world news from a missions perspective (published by Evangelical
News Information Service).
PRAYER TOOLS/ RESOURCES
College Church Monthly Prayer Guide is a calendar will help you pray for College Church
Missionaries and Home Ministries. It is included in the Fellowship Newsletter.
Global Prayer Digest (published monthly by the U.S. Center for World Mission) - daily prayer guide
for the unreached peoples.
Operation World Does the idea of praying for the world seem overwhelming? Operation World by
Patrick Johnstone is a small prayer encyclopedia opening up every country of the world to the gaze of
every person who wants to know what God has been doing there. Factual, accurate, detailed beyond any
secular encyclopedia, thrilling in its unmatched exposure of the surprising and powerful reality of God’s
Spirit in country after country. A day-by-day reading will help you pray around the world in one year.
REFERENCE
World Christian Encyclopedia edited by David Barrett (published by Oxford University Press)
systematically describes, in fourteen sections, the extent, status, and characteristics of the Christian
religion, its 150 major ecclesiastical traditions and 20,800 distinct denominations, as well as their
dioceses, jurisdiction, missions, assemblies, and fellowship. The heart of the Encyclopedia is a detailed,
country’s entry includes political, demographic, linguistic, ethnic, and cultural data; a survey of the nonChristian religions, a detailed analysis of the history and current status of each Christian denomination;
and a summary of church-state relations, interdenominational organizations, and religious broadcasting.
Missions Handbook published by EMIS. This book tells everything anyone might need to know about
mission associations and agencies, countries of service, types of ministry, analysis of mission finance,
distribution of personnel — including overseas and short-term appointees.
Target Earth (compiled and published by Global Mapping Project, USCWM) is a missions atlas with a
fresh perspective. Its full-color annotated reference resource clearly and succinctly illustrates the
challenges facing the church today and in the future. Every graph, amp, chart, table, or time-line is
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woven together with copy that thoughtfully analyzes our world through the eyes of Christ. Graphics
concern 219 countries. Articles on 150 topics are written by 43 authors, representing many countries
and professions.
SENDING
Serving As Senders by Neal Pirolo. Paul, the Apostle, in succinct words made it clear that the very
foundation of the missions process lies in those who serve as senders: “ And how will they (the
missionaries, the goers, the cross-cultural workers) preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:15) This
key book makes the strategic point that mobilizers - the senders - are as crucial to the cause of missions
as the frontline missionaries. It is a book just crammed with solid, exciting insights on the most hurting
link in today’s missions movement. (WCL)
SHORT-TERM MISSIONS
Stepping Out: A Guide to Short-term Missions by Steve Hawthorne. An “all-in-one” short-term
information manual. Not only do you get a list of all the short-term opportunities , but also over 20
articles educating you concerning major facets related to short term. From preparation to debriefing, and
the place short-term has in relation to long-term career decisions. (WCL)
Serving with Eyes Wide Open: Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence by David A.
Livermore
SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today. Defining prophecy as neither predicting the
future, nor proclaiming a word from the Lord but rather as “reporting something God spontaneously
brings to mind,” Dr. Wayne Grudem points the way to a new understanding that preserves the unique
authority of Scripture while allowing the church room to enjoy one of the Holy Spirit’s most edifying
gifts.
Joy Unspeakable: Power and Renewal in the Holy Spirit by D. Martin Lloyd-Jones. The world
ignores the church’s powerless efforts, says Lloyd-Jones. “The one thing she will pay attention to is a
body of people filled with a spirit of rejoicing... When the Holy Spirit is operating, this is the inevitable
result — a joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.” Lloyd-Jones open thirst for the Holy Spirit is
contagious.
Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards. Edwards’ 1746 treatise sought to establish a yardstick for
authentic expressions of Christian life during the Great Awakening. It is as relevant today as it was then
in helping us to evaluate what true religious experience is all about. “True religion, in great part,
consists in the affections.”
Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14 by D.A. Carson. In this book,
one of evangelicalism’s most respected New Testament scholars speaks to one of evangelicalism’s most
troublesome issues. The issue is spiritual gifts. Most of the book expounds the crucial passage
1 Corinthians 12-14, but the concluding chapter integrates material from other portions of Scripture –
especially the Book of Acts – so that the author’s conclusion reflect all of the biblical evidence.
The Sovereign Spirit: Discerning His Gifts by Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones. In this companion volume to
Joy Unspeakable Lloyd-Jones examines the related question of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and their
place in God’s purposes. With compelling analysis, this reformed pastor and theologian discusses the
teaching of Scripture and apostolic history concerning the ordinary and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit.
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The Holy Spirit by Sinclair Ferguson. This is the best single volume on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Bondage Breaker by Dr. Neil Anderson. This is a very practical book designed to help Christians
successfully resist the fiery darts of the evil one. The book concludes with a description of the “Steps to
Freedom” which have proved helpful to many Christians who have battled against demonic footholds in
their lives.
Resolving Personal Conflicts and Resolving Spiritual Conflicts by Dr. Neil Anderson. In this basic
seminar. Neil Anderson discusses our position in Christ as a crucial foundation for spiritual warfare. He
talks about issues of forgiveness, overcoming habitual sins , and what it means to be free in Christ.
Eight video tapes or sixteen audio tapes.
Resolving Spiritual Conflicts & Cross Cultural Ministry by Timothy Warner (video or audio
format). Topics include: World View Problem; Warfare Relationships; The Missionary Under Attack;
The Missionary on the Attack; Practical Applications for Missionaries; and more.
Spiritual Conflicts and Counseling by Neil Anderson. This is an advanced seminar for those who
want to be trained to lead others through “Steps to Freedom”. It seeks to put Christ at the center of the
counseling process and take into account the biblical worldview, where the source of our problems is
the complex intermingling of the world, flesh and the devil . Four videotapes or eight audiotapes.
Spiritual Warfare by Timothy Warner. This is an excellent biblical exposition of the biblical
worldview and the reality of spiritual warfare.
Spiritual Warfare by Timothy Warner. (audio tape from ACMC’s 1990 annual conference in
Wheaton, Illinois) Gives a balanced approach to understanding the scope of the battle for man’s soul.
Power Encounter by David Pawlison. This is a good balance to many books on spiritual warfare that
are available. It is grounded in Scripture and is very thought provoking.
SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT
Building Your Support Team (audio tapes). The seven sessions of this series correspond with the
chapters in the book, Serving As Sender. While the book addresses the senders and how they can care
for a cross-cultural worker, the tapes talk to the go-er teaching him/her how to develop the relationships
necessary to foster a caring support team . The book and the audiotapes work together to give the
missionary-in-training a full perspective in this critical area of preparation.
Friend Raising: Building a Missionary Support Team That Lasts by Betty Barnett. Dr. Carl
Armerding says of this book “it brings together God’s plan for Biblical missions support, with
principles in the field. The book is a strong dose of common sense, mixed with that rare spice, respect
for the donor, and liberally garnished with the conviction that God supplies needs through mutually
satisfying relationships. In a world overwhelmed by fund raising hype and gimmicks, Betty Barnett
presents a refreshing Biblical alternative.” Not only practical, but also scriptural. (WCL)
How to Write A Prayer Letter by Alvera Mickelson. (published by Media Associates International)
This provides very practical suggestions for writing effective missionary prayer letters.
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People Raising by William P. Dillion. This manual was prepared to help the missionary, prospective
missionary, and the mission organization raise prayer and financial support, with as little effort as
possible, in as short a time as possible, while solidifying friendships. (WCL)
The Support-Raising Handbook: A Guide for Christian Workers by Brian Rust & Barry McLeish.
This answers questions on raising support, with practical suggestions on developing an overall plan,
listing possible supporters, keeping records and determining methods of communication. (WCL)
TENTMAKING
Overseas Counseling Service (1600 E. Elizabeth St., Pasadena, CA 91104) researches and makes
available computerized information on thousands of job openings all over the world. Much needed are
people in health care, engineering , agriculture, management and finance, and teaching at every level.
OCS is not an employment agency or placement service, but can offer the following helps: general
information on your career overseas; biweekly personalized computer printouts of current job openings;
information regarding internships, study abroad and scholarships; cultural orientation on the country of
your destination and information of Christians already there; and news about lay missionary work
around the world.
THEOLOGY
Christian Theology by Millard Erickson. This is an excellent evangelical theology that has become a
standard work for the evangelical community. An accessible and well-referenced work.
The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology by Walt Elwell. This is a dictionary that contains definitions
of theological terminology and includes excellent biographies.
Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem. This single volume
is a very comprehensive yet readable systematic presentation of biblical Truth. Without using
theological jargon or technical language Grudem speaks to both heart and mind. Each chapter ends with
questions for personal application, a scripture memory passage and a hymn.
The Christian Theology Reader by Alister McGrath. This is a great reader that compiles the best of
Christian theology throughout the centuries.
THEOLOGY OF MISSIONS
Let the Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper. In this book Pastor John
Piper looks at issues like suffering, unreached peoples, prayer and worship from radically God-centered,
World Christian perspective.
Scripture and Strategy by David Hesselgrave. This publication is the first in a series of the
Evangelical Missiological Society. It is designed for addressing: theology of missions, missions
strategy, contemporary issues in missions, principles and practices of missions, strategies for world
evangelization, church planting, church growth, contextualization, and building the future of missions
on “the only effective foundation - the Word of God”.
A Vision for Missions by Tom Wells. The thesis of this book is that a vision for missions is really a
vision of God. The book ends with stories of how a God-centered view of missions fueled people like
William Carey and Henry Martyn.
Today’s Choices for Tomorrow’s Missions Dr David Hesselgrave.
A History of Christian Missions by Stephen Neill
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The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative by Christopher J. H. Wright
Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission by David J. Bosch
The New Global Mission by Samuel Escobar
The Open Secret: An Introduction to a Theology of Mission by Lesslie Newbigin
The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society by Lesslie Newbigin
The Bible and Mission by Richard Bauchkam
Salvation to the Ends of the Earth by Andreas J. Köstenberger and P.T. O’Brien. This is a book
on biblical theology of missions throughout the Bible. It is thorough and highly recommended.
Christian Mission in the Modern World by John Stott. This book explores the balance between the
priorities of gospel preaching versus social action.
VISION SPREADING TOOLS
Catch the Vision 2000 by Bill and Amy Stearns. All around the earth remarkable breakthroughs in
reaching people groups with the gospel have occurred. This book gives an exciting glimpse into what
God is doing — stories of Chinese believers sent to live among unreached ethnic groups in China, of
revival coming among Koreans who Joseph Stalin resettled among Muslim Uzbeks in Soviet Central
Asia, and much more. This book also shows a multitude of practical ways for individuals and churches
to become involved in this exciting work. A study guide is also available. (WCL)
Complete the Task: A Church for Every People Group (video) produced by InterVarsity Video. A
humorous presentation relating the unfinished task to the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota and Walleyed Pike!
It also features mission experts Ralph Winter, Samuel Wilson, and Warren Webster exploring ways we
can reach the unreached by focusing on specific people groups.
Destination 2000 (video) produced by Frontiers, is a dynamic investigation of the Scriptures from
Genesis to Revelation, unveiling God’s heart to redeem people from every tongue, tribe, and nation.
This video series helps you to see the Bible as one book; its one main message explains God’s unending
desire to bless you so that you might be a blessing to the nations. This video series, guidebooks and
copy of companion book, Unveiled at Last, by Bob Sjogren can be checked out at the church library.
Doors of Opportunity: 2000 Years of World Evangelization produced by Intervarsity Video. This
multi-media presentation surveys the history of the expansion of the Christians movement.
In the Gap by David Bryant. This describes what a World Christian is, how he thinks, what he chooses
and how he takes actions for Christ’s global cause. A small group study guide is included. This is
excellent “entry-level” reading for people who have never had the opportunity to hear the Good News
of Jesus Christ.
Year of Vision is a complete missions education program that will enable every Christian to get a clear,
comprehensive understanding of world missions. The Year of Vision includes 12 lessons using 10 video
presentations, a leader’s guide and worksheets for every participant . More than just education, the Year
of Vision provides the foundation to equip individuals and churches to do its part in reaching the
unreached peoples and completing the Great Commission. The program encourages the development of
personal disciplines that integrate missions into the daily life of the church. (WCL)
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WEB-BASED RESOURCES
It is not an overstatement to say that there are literally thousands of Internet resources available on the
World Wide Web dedicated to the cause of world evangelization. Most mission agencies now have their
own web sites (eg. Wycliffe Bible Translators, Africa Inland Mission, TEAM, etc.) Many missions web
sites exist solely for the purpose of unreached people groups (AD2000, Christian Information Network,
Unreached Peoples Prayer Profiles, etc.). Below is just a very, very limited sampling of the missions
resources available on the web.
ACMC (Advancing Churches in Missions
Commitment)
AD2000 & Beyond Movement
http://www.acmc.org/
Africa Inland Mission
http://www.goshen.net/AIM html
Arab World Ministries
http://www.gospelcom.net/awm
Billy Graham Center Missions Archives
http://www.wheaton.edulbgc/archives/collectn.
Brigada - Your Gateway to Mission Networking
http://www.brigada.org
Caleb Project
http://www.calebproject.org
Christian Information Network
http://www.christian-info.com
The Christian Missions Home Page & The Great
Commission Search Engine
Ethnologue, 13th edition, 1996
http://www.christianmissions.net
Frontiers
Global Mapping International
Global Research (Southern Baptist Convention
Database of Missions Information)
Ethnic Harvest- Resources for Multicultural
Ministry
International Ministries Resources
http://www.frontiers.org
http://www.gmi.org
Missiology Resource Guide
http://www.missiology.net/home.htm
MissionNet (aka Resources International)
http://www.missionnet.org
New Tribes Mission
Pioneers
http://www.ntm.org
SIM
http://www.sim.org/
TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission)
Trans World Radio
The Unreached Peoples Prayer Profiles
Unreached Peoples Resources
World Christian Internet Resources
Wycliffe Bible Translators
http://www.teamworld.org
http://www.gospelcom.net/twr
http://www. bethany-wpc.org/profiles/home.html
http://www.wheaton.edu/missions/moreau/unreached.htm
http://www.xc.org/world-christian.html
http://www.wycliffe.org
http://ad2000.org
http://www.sil.org/ethnologue/ethnologue.html
http://www.imb.org/ooo/globalres
http://www.ethnicharvest.org
http://www.iteams.org/lTeams/resource
http://www.pioneers.org
Note: Another helpful resource is the section on Internet recourses in the book Send Me! by Steve Hoke and
Bill Taylor.
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DEPUTATION GUIDELINES
Adapted from the Slavic Gospel Association Deputation Handbook and used by permission.
EIGHT SOUND PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESSFUL DEPUTATION
1. Be thoroughly convinced that the faith method is the proper route for you to take to advance to the
mission field. By “faith method” we refer to the missionary’s responsibility for raising his own
support.
2. Consider deputation to be a vital ministry, not just a necessary evil or a means to an end. Understand
your mission’s definition of deputation.
3. Many people launching into deputation have discovered the absolute necessity of being a self-starter.
Deputation often takes place under circumstances where the appointee or missionary is completely on
his own. One who admits to being undisciplined will not find deputation a happy experience.
4. The tools a missionary brings with him to deputation are important. Faith, enthusiasm, sincerity, and
innovation are four of the best. No one wants to support a missionary who is not excited about his
calling. Few will listen to a person who is proud and boastful. Sincerity works its way into everyone’s
heart. The person who is unique and innovative in his approach to deputation is often most serious
about God’s call and claim on his life. And remember, “Faith without works is dead.”
5. A strong desire to share the excitement and challenge of your call is indispensable. Every
opportunity should be approached with the attitude, “I have something special and exciting to share
with you. What I have to say is important not only to me but also to you.”
6. Timing is important in deputation. Beginning deputation prematurely or at the wrong time of the year
can result in early discouragement. A person who has accumulated many debts or has not finished his
education should not become actively involved in deputation yet. The summer months and December
can prove to be disappointing as meeting months. Spring and fall are usually best.
7. Where you do your deputation is vital. If you plan to live and do your deputation in an area where
your mission agency is not known, or where there are no or few churches interested in missions, you
may have a difficult time doing deputation.
8. Continued interest in the field you plan to minister in will not only create valuable enthusiasm,
interest, and information within you, but will be of great value to you once you arrive on the field.
FIRST STEPS OF DEPUTATION
This sheet has been designed to give guidance to those who have completed all requirements for
acceptance as a missionary. The suggested steps are rock bottom basic. Many other steps become
necessary as the deputation experience develops.
1. After receiving full acceptance by the mission, arrange a meeting with your pastor. He should tell
the whole congregation the good news.
2. Send a letter of announcement to:
a. Relatives
b. Friends
c. Classmates
d. Other church contacts
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3. As your list of contacts grows, give them more in-depth information about your call. Inform
them of your availability for meetings. Consider them possibility of home meetings, but avoid
offending the local church – check with the pastor first, if possible.
4. Buy a large and small appointment calendar.
a. The large one stays on your desk.
b. The small one you carry with you at all times.
5. Begin corresponding with your field chairman as well as with other missionaries on your field.
6. Use local libraries (including your church library) to gather information about your field. Also
use the library and/or your mission representative for help in making an attractive display for
your presentations.
7. Organize the material you’ve collected in preparation for making deputation talks. This also
involves extra Bible study to biblically clarify your call, and it involves prayer to fortify your
resources.
8. During these “first steps of deputation”, remember:
a. Be in touch with the appropriate people in your mission.
b. Put much time in physical preparation – double for the spiritual!
c. As you travel, learn how to pack efficiently.
d. As you minister, have a reliable watch that is watched!
MAKING NEW CONTACTS FOR YOUR DEPUTATION
Any approach to making new, meaningful deputation contacts is very personal in nature. What works for
one person may not work for another. Don’t be satisfied with one method. Try several.
1. In your search for opportunities to share your call to the mission field, be sure to keep the Lord
involved. Make it an exercise in faith, not brute force.
2. Begin your active deputation ministry with those who know you best: parents, brothers, sisters, aunts
and uncles, home church, school friends, those you work with.
3. At the same time, ask these people if they would be willing to recommend you for a deputation
ministry among their acquaintances. Chain reaction contacts are made when your deputation ministry
is effective and appreciated by one church or person and they recommend you to another.
4. Three basic ways to develop new contacts for deputation meetings:
1. Letter writing. When you write a pastor or church missions committee chairman that you are
not familiar with, mention the link with which he will be familiar. State your purpose for
writing politely and without apology. Make your letter short.
2. Telephoning. The primary purpose for phoning should be to set up an appointment at which
time you can give more details about your plans for the future. Make the call short.
3. Unannounced visits to pastors or missions chairman. For some, this method works well. Here
again, make it a very short visit or use the time just to set up an appointment for a longer
visit.
Two other methods that have been tried successfully:
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a. While in an area other than your home area, call several conservative churches in the
vicinity. Tell the pastor that you would like just 10 minutes of his time to share your
burden.
b. One couple took the train from Chicago to Washington, D.C. Occasionally they would
get off the train and head for a telephone booth. Here they would locate what appeared to
be conservative churches and then visit these pastors. The deputation department of your
mission can provide lists of churches in specific geographical areas. When requesting
such a list, it ought to be for a very limited area. The material can be helpful, but often the
response is minimal.
5. Never fail to mention the name of your mission organization.
NETWORKING
Definition -- networking is a process of using and combining all one’s past and present relationships,
involvements, and available resources in order to expand knowledge of, interest in, and personal commitment
for a product or cause to the farthest extent possible.
1. Elements in developing a contact list:
a. “Hot” contacts – those who know or have known you personally
1. Members of your own immediate or extended family
2. Personal friends and acquaintances
3. School and college classmate; roommates
4. Work associates/colleagues/employers
5. Members of your church who know you
6. Neighbors, community leaders, teachers who know you.
b. “Warm” contacts – those who are acquainted with someone who knows you personally
1. Friends of your own immediate or extended family
2. Friends of your friends
3. Neighbors of your friends and family
4. Work associates/colleagues/employers of friends and family
5. People in your church who are aquatinted with church members who know you
6. Pastor friends/acquaintances of your pastor
7. Pastors/churches in your denomination or association of churches
c. “Cold” contacts -- those who do not know you or anyone who knows you
1. Churches/pastors in your community and in nearby
2. Christian camps, conference centers, resorts
3. Christian businesses – music, bookstores, publishers
4. Christian associations -- Christian Businessmen, Christian women’s associations/Bible
studies, Christian teachers’ associations
5. Service clubs -- Kiwanis, Rotary; Lions
2. Strategies to consider in networking to build a contact list:
a. Ask your pastor to write a letter of introduction/endorsement for you to take and use.
b. Ask your pastor to write a letter of introduction/endorsement of you which he sends to his
“hot” lists. You will need to make an appropriate follow-up contact (a letter, phone call, visit
or interview).
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c. Ask family members, friends, neighbors, and fellow church members to invite their family,
friends to their home for your presentation.
d. Use lists of churches in phone directories to obtain contacts.
RELATING TO YOUR CHURCHES
We need to approach the church at the point of its need – not the point of our need. Ignorance, not apathy,
is the problem with laymen in the church. People act on knowledge. They can’t act on what they don’t
know about.
The church needs:
1. To be exposed in-depth to missions (they may have an incomplete knowledge or awareness).
2. To be involved in the cross-cultural ministry of the church of Christ.
3. To have a vision for God’s worldwide program.
4. To have a mind-expanding growth experience with God.
5. To get to know missionaries on a day-to-day level of extended exposure to see them as real
people.
6. To see themselves as vital to the process of identifying, selecting and sending people in their
midst.
7. To see that God can use them just like He uses any of His willing children (they need to be
personally involved).
8. To catch/capture the vision of reaching a specific people, not just sending missionaries.
9. To recognize their responsibility in sharing the cost of the missionary endeavor.
10. To recognize that the spiritual needs of the world are the church’s problem and responsibility, not
the mission board’s.
11. To know the increasing cost of missions (they generally misunderstand the true cost).
12. To know that mission work is still necessary.
13. To understand that the Great Commission is valid for all and has never been abrogated.
14. To recognize the church’s tendency toward ethnocentrism and self-centeredness.
15. To recognize the effects that materialism and other values held by this secular society have had
on the church.
16. To see themselves as part of the solution to the world’s problems.
17. To know that the real work of missions takes time – you cannot disciple a person in 20 minutes.
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HINTS FROM PASTORS WHO LOVE MISSIONS
1. When you write to a church, send a letter to the pastor and the missions board.
2. When you write, indicate your willingness to do any task!
3. Many pastors do not have secretarial help. If you don’t receive a reply, don’t be offended. It only
means that there is no room for you in the church schedule.
4. Develop a folder of information about yourself and the work the Lord has called you to. This can
be more effective and appreciated than a letter.
5. Ordinarily, do not ask to have a meeting other than on Sunday or Wednesday evening.
6. Try to spend premium time with fewer churches
7. Guard against spreading yourself too thin. Unless necessary, avoid traveling long distances.
8. An appointee should be sharing his faith as a way of life here at home if he plans to do so
overseas.
9. An appointee’s primary message and emphasis should be about his call to missions and the field
he is going to.
10. Don’t feel you have to be a great preacher; just reveal your heart to the family of God.
11. Never hesitate to speak clearly about your fears and dreads.
12. Always have a well-typed list of your needs available for the pastor or members of the missions
committee, but do not give it out unless requested.
13. If you are given a limited time to speak, don’t spend any of your time talking about how little
time you have!
14. When giving a presentation, don’t ramble.
WRITING A PASTOR
1. If you are planning to write to a virtually unknown pastor, remember that pastors receive a lot of
unsolicited mail. This should stimulate you to make your letter exceptional in every way.
2. Before writing, be convinced that it is wiser for you to write than to phone.
3. Your letter will be often more acceptable if you are able to mention the person who suggested you
write to this pastor.
4. If you have never met this pastor, clearly identify yourself, your plans, and the name of your
organization. Prepare, or have your mission prepare, a brief biographical sketch to include with your
letter.
5. Your letter should be as short and to the point as possible.
6. Try to include something that will prick his imagination. For example, “my grandparents were
missionaries, my parents were missionaries, and now the Lord is leading me in the same direction.”
7. Don’t beg for a meeting but suggest that there are Sundays in March and any Wednesday evening
when you could visit the church.
8. Suggest that you would welcome a chance to meet the pastor personally to more clearly share the
burden of your heart.
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9. Do everything you can to allay his fears that your only purpose in meeting him is that you hope the
church will eventually support you financially. If possible, and if it is true, say something like, “our
financial support is virtually in, but we need much more prayer backing.”
10. State in your letter that you will follow up with a phone call.
11. Follow up with a phone call.
CONTACTING A CHURCH BY PHONE
The chief advantages of contacting churches by phone are that you can eliminate wasted time, cut travel
expenses, and concentrate your efforts on those who are most likely to want to be involved with you. The
caller should have an outline, rather than a written script, when making a call. The outline seems to allow
individuals to be “themselves”, providing they get to the point in a polite, tactful, conversational way.
When using a written script, the tendency is to read it, which generally comes across impersonally and
stilted.
The principles of contacting churches by telephone are similar to those you would use when making a
contact in person, with these exceptions:
1. You make your impression solely by voice. Thirty-eight percent of effective communication
involves how you say what you say.
2. Your message has to be delivered in capsule form. As in personal contact, the rewards go to those
who have thoroughly prepared themselves and are able to work from a well-organized plan of
action, instead of trying to ad-lib a presentation.
Before you start:
1. Put together a list of contacts by first determining your target (what kinds of churches should I
contact?) and then develop your contact list. Two sources that you can draw from are:
a. Telephone Directory
b. Referrals
2. Know what you want to accomplish from the call.
3. Develop an outline/presentation. Be sure you know what you have to offer (messages, films,
slides, displays, etc.). Know your limitations also. A good telephone presentation consists of as
few words as possible. Any word that does not help your presentation may hinder your chance of
meeting with a church leader and securing a time to present your work to the church. Remember
you have only two to four minutes to make your telephone presentation as compared to fifteen to
twenty minutes in an in-person interview. Once your presentation is put together practice it,
possibly with your spouse, a friend, or even a pastor. It may look good on paper, but make sure it
sounds good. Remember, on the telephone, you are appealing to the ear, not the eye.
4. Prepare answers for objections. Even the most carefully prepared presentations can meet with
resistance. However, an objection should not be received as an outright rejection -- frequently
objections are simply requests for more information. There are three basic objections:
a. We only support denominational missions. “I can appreciate that, but …..”
b. Our budget is full. “I can appreciate that, but…..”
c. Later perhaps, not now. “I have my appointment calendar in front of me, can we set a free
time now?
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By determining your most effective answers to each of those objections and having the answers
within easy view, you can simplify the job of answering objections. Instead of trying to think up
an answer off the top of your head, you will have the right response in front of you – all thought
out and waiting to be used.
5. Organize your work area for comfort and efficiency. See that you have a comfortable desk and
seating arrangement in a place that is free from interruptions or background noises. You might
also look into a lightweight headset so that both your hands will be free when you are talking.
Remember, always have your appointment calendar handy so you don’t have to hunt for it. Limit
yourself to about two or three hours at a sitting when you are doing telephone work, and make
sure you take a 15-20 minute break in the middle. If you work longer than this, you will start to
wear down and it will show in your voice.
6. Determine the best hours and days to make your call. Pastors have different hours in different
areas of the country. The best times to call are usually Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from
9-11 am and from 1:30-3 pm. You’ll need to research that in your area.
Thirty-eight percent of effective communication involves how you say what you say. A voice that rings with
excitement and enthusiasm is a voice that will command attention as compared to a voice that is weak and
monotonous. Before you call, it is essential that you:
1. Know what you are talking about.
2. Be able to answer questions.
3. Believe in what you are doing.
Introduce yourself by name and organization
Try to visualize the person on the other end as friendly and considerate. If you have information that can help
put the person in a receptive frame of mind, be sure to include it in your introductory remarks. For instance,
“This is John Doe with (your mission)” or “Pastor So-and-so of XYZ church suggested I call you.”
Give the purpose of the call
For example, “My family and I just recently returned from (...............) country and I would really enjoy the
opportunity to meet you and share with you about our work with (your mission)”.
Answer objections
If the person evidences some kind of objection, be prepared for it and then refer to one of the answers you
prepared ahead of time.
Close
The easiest and most natural way to close is to give the person a choice. Not between whether or not to meet,
but which day to meet. For example, “I have next Wednesday and Thursday open, which day is best for you?”
When the call is screened
The secret to getting past the secretary is this – don’t try to get past her. Instead, get her on your side. If you
identify yourself by name and organization, and politely request to speak to the pastor or church leader, you
stand a good chance to have your call put through. For example, you might say, “This is John Doe with (your
mission). May I speak with Pastor Blank, please.” If you are polite and speak as if you expect to talk to
Pastor Blank, the call stands a good chance of going through. You’ve shown you have nothing to hide –
you’ve anticipated the “Who’s calling?” and “What organization?” questions, so the secretary’s tendency is to
put the call through.
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Remember that many demands are made on the individual you’re calling and possibly his impulse (if the
person does not know you) may be to terminate the call as soon as possible. Your goal from the start is to say
something interesting in such a way that the parson decides to “listen-in” instead of “tuning out”.
YOUR ITINERARY
1. Plan to travel as economically as possible. It is not good stewardship to have a meeting in
Philadelphia on one Sunday, then be in Des Moines on Wednesday, and go back the following
Sunday to Detroit. The cost of travel could exceed the total of the honorarium you receive.
2. As an appointee, start with your home church. Then go to other places and people who know you well
to share your burden.
3. Plan your deputation meetings as far in advance as possible. Hastily planned meetings often involve
excessive travel. If a church 800 miles away wants you for a conference next spring, get busy and try
to arrange meetings en route and at other places in the same general area.
4. Keep knocking on the deputation department door of your mission. Remind them when you need
help. They will send you any requests they receive for meetings in your area.
5. It is not always necessary for the entire appointee family to attend the initial meeting or conference
with a prospective supporting church. If the church shows a special continuing interest, take the whole
family later.
6. Verify and confirm all arrangements with a telephone call just before each meeting.
7. If there is even a vague possibility you may be late for a meeting, call the church and explain.
Hints:
1. Determine ahead of time if you are to arrive at the church or at the parsonage.
2. Are you expected for a meal? If so, where?
3. Are you traveling to another time zone?
4. Does the pastor know how many will be in your party?
5. If flying, are you to be met at the gate or baggage claim area?
6. Should you have something to identify you if you are being met at the airport?
INVITED TO THE PULPIT
1. Usually you will know beforehand if you’ll be invited to fill the pulpit, so dress properly. Ask the
pastor what is appropriate attire (i.e. dark suit, dress, tie, etc.) It is always better to be “overdressed”
than “underdressed”.
2. As a rule the pastor will tell you where to sit; if he neglects to do so, ask.
3. Relax and enjoy yourself. Don’t look frightened. This is a good opportunity to see who is in the
meeting.
4. Just before performing your responsibility, quietly submit yourself to the Lord. It works wonders.
5. Be sure you know exactly how much time you have and then stick to it. If there isn’t a clock visible,
be sure that your own watch is visible and accurate. Sometimes it is good to remove your watch and
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place it on the pulpit so you can glance at it more easily. Jot down in big numbers the time you are
expected to be through.
6. Look at people. Practice eye contact, but don’t punish people by staring at them.
7. Try not to be disturbed by the unexpected. If something unusual happens, keep your wits about you
and you’ll soon have the attention of the people again.
8. Prepare your conclusion. The ending is usually the most important part of what you have to say.
Don’t conclude so abruptly that you fail to tie up the message you have been trying to deliver.
9. Leave the pulpit gracefully and, if possible, return to the same seat you were in earlier.
10. Don’t be flustered if the pastor or leader unexpectedly adds a bit to your assignment just before you
are to speak. This sometimes happens, but the Lord will help you.
BE A GOOD GUEST
1. Consider your stay in that home part of your ministry.
2. Do what you can to minimize the burden you may be placing on your host and hostess.
3. Be prepared for anything from, a mansion to a very modest home. Also realize that the standard
of cleanliness may not be what you are used to.
4. Be prepared to graciously share a room with someone else.
5. While a guest, don’t do all the talking. Let your host and hostess ask questions and tell you about
themselves.
6. Put top priority, if possible, on paying attention to the children in the home. This sometimes pays
off in long-term dividends. (But don’t be phony about it.)
7. Keep your room tidy. Don’t spread your belongings all over the house.
8. Try to blend into the routine of the day.
9. Before you leave, check and double check that you haven’t left anything behind.
10. If possible, leave a gift. An inexpensive book your mission has published or recommended is
appropriate. Also be sure that you have the name and address of your host and hostess so that
you will be able to send a thank-you letter.
AFTER THE MEETING IS OVER
1. Write a letter to the pastor. Thank him for his help and kindness. If possible, compliment him on the
way the people worked together -- or whatever else was noteworthy.
2. Write a letter to the church missions chairman and/or treasurer. Thank them for the honorarium (if
there was one) and add some friendly words.
3. Write a thank you letter to your host and hostess.
4. Fulfill any promises you may have made while at the conference or meeting. If you promised to write
or send special information, do it immediately.
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5. Make a note of the talks and messages you have given. This will help in case you’re invited back.
6. Add any new names to your mailing list.
7. Review every segment of your participation. Did you consistently keep within the time allotted? Did
you have enough literature, pictures or slides, gifts, etc.?
8. Check with the mission office concerning:
a. the method of recording the meeting information for mission records
b. who in the mission handles the information
c. the method of tabulating your deputation expenses and submitting them
d. communicating any information received at the conference or meeting that should be shared with
someone in the home office.
DO'S AND DON'TS FOR MISSIONARY INTERVIEWS
by Thomas Nash
Do actively seek out interview situations. When you are going to be in an area where there is a Christian
radio station, drop the program manager a letter letting him know that you will be in the area and available for
an interview. (A Directory of Religious Broadcasting listing of religious radio and television stations and
program producers is available for a fee from National Religious Broadcasters, Box 2245R, Morristown NJ
07960.)
Be sure to tell him how to get in touch with you. Also give him enough interesting details about your work or
background so that he will want to know more. If you have not heard from him by the time you arrive in the
city, telephone him. Ask to speak to the program manager, and again offer to be interviewed, telling
something of your background. This will frequently get an interview opportunity.
Do be entertaining. People listen to radio for both long-term and short-term benefits. As they listen to your
interview they will no doubt pick up information that will help than in their spiritual growth and in their
ability to pray more knowledgeably. Don’t forget, however, to put in some of the elements they can
appreciate right now. A good story. A funny experience. Something that will touch their emotions. Something
that broke your heart. Use some balance, neither entirely light items, nor entirely heavy.
Do be brief. Radio and television are fast moving media. You will want to talk fairly rapidly and with
enthusiasm. You will also want to compress the vital information you wish to convey into small packages.
You might wish to practice answering questions like. “What is it like to live in (your field)?” in more than
about a minute, and still get something significant said.
Do use anecdotes. People like to hear stories. Jesus used many. In written communication a reader can
stop and ponder a point, or reread it if he doesn’t understand. In spoken communication the speaker
needs to organize the material so it is easy to grasp. Abstract ideas are often difficult to understand, but
anyone can understand a story
Do be personal. People relate to other people. Chances are most of the listeners won’t understand much about
your work, since they don’t know the culture and the kinds of problems that missionaries face. You can’t
expect them to share your love for a people of which they know almost nothing. But being human they can
and will relate to your own personal struggles and triumphs. Speak in first person singular; “I”, rather than
plural “we” as often as it is appropriate. People don’t understand and can’t relate to campaigns, mission
organizations, broadcast stations, corporations, etc. but they can relate to individual human beings.
Do be conversational. An interview should not sound like a sermon or lecture. There should be an easy
back-and-forth exchange with the interviewer. Incomplete sentences, such as we use every day in ordinary
speech are entirely acceptable in interviews. Speak fairly rapidly. Try to feel what you are saying and that
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feeling will show through. Don't study out your words excessively, as if you were dictating an important
letter.
It may help if you are able to forget about the radio audience and picture yourself as talking only to the
interviewer. But if you must think of an audience, try to picture individuals by themselves or in small groups,
rather than one great mass of people. After all, people are not assembled in a grandstand to listen, they are
usually alone, going about their day's activities. Your style should reflect the easygoing informality of a visit
to the home of a good friend.
Do be prepared. Make a note about things you wish to cover. These notes should be key words only,
seed thoughts that will cause you to remember the ideas, rather than a scripted text. If you try to read a
script it will sound just that way unless you have had professional training in this area. Notes are often
convenient if typed on cards. One or two cards can contain a lot of key words, are easy to handle, and
don’t rattle as paper does.
Do suggest ideas to the interviewer. Before you go on the air you may wish to suggest some kinds of
question the interviewer might ask. After all, he doesn’t know you or much about your work. It might be
helpful if you were to prepare for him an information sheet, giving your name, field, position, and any
pertinent personal information he can use in the introduction and a list of possible questions he might ask. As
indicated earlier these questions should be personal to the extent that they can be. For example, very few
people can relate to the number of operations per year that a missionary hospital performs, but people would
be interested in what a missionary doctor does in a typical day.
Do get to know the interviewer personally before the interview. Ask him some questions about himself;
where he is from, his family, how long he has been in this business, his schooling, etc. This will have two
positive effects, it will make you feel more at ease with the person, and will do the same for the interviewer.
Don’t forget that too many broadcast people missionaries are as much an enigma as they are to the general
Christian community. He may feel ill at ease in your presence.
Don’t give yes or no answers. If the question is, “Do you have a family?” Use this as an opening to tell
a little bit about your family, rather than just answering “Yes”. A clever interviewer will not ask questions
that can be easily answered yes or no, but some interviewers have not learned this technique, so help them
out.
Don’t ramble. Keep your answers reasonable brief and to the point. Don’t depart from the main point of
question unless you must for good reason to really answer it, and if you must, point out what you are doing.
The interviewer doesn't want to feel as if he is losing control.
Don’t make personal attacks. By law a radio or television station must notify any individual or institution
personally attacked over the air and offer them the opportunity to reply. Obviously this is a lot of trouble for
the station and will not make you popular there. You can refer to what you believe are errors or outright sins
in other people, as long as you don’t mention them by name. In any case, it is probably more wise to keep the
program on a higher plane and “judge not”.
Don’t forget when the program is to be broadcast or if it is pre-taped. If it is not made clear, ask
when the program will be on the air. Write it down, and refer to any speaking engagements, etc., in light
of the time the broadcast will be heard, rather than from the time perspective of when it was recorded.
Don’t forget to thank the station. Personally thank the interviewer, of course. But be sure to write a letter of
appreciation to the manager of the station pointing out the significant contribution to the Lord’s work of such
an interview. Christian broadcasters sometimes feel they are not really appreciated by the Christian
community. Some are living at an economic standard below much of the rest of the community, and don’t
have the status that overseas missionaries have. Your letter will help them see the importance of what they are
doing in light of eternal values. They will greatly appreciate and be encouraged by it.
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ANSWERING HARD QUESTIONS
1. Even though you, as an appointee, may not feel very well versed in missions, to many people you are
an expert.
2. Create a mind-set that looks for answers. Don’t be satisfied with understanding only the obvious. Be
willing to dig to get details.
3. Your expertise should be in:
a. your personal testimony
b. your call to missions
c. the country or location you are going to
d. your mission organization
4. During certain kinds of meetings (home meetings, etc.) invite people to ask questions.
5. Never, never fake it! It is a sign of wisdom and humility to say, “I don’t know”, unless it is something
that you obviously should know.
6. It may be a sign of wisdom to say, “I don’t know”, but it is even wiser to say, “I don’t know but I’ll
find out”. Get the person’s name and address so that you can send the correct answer to them.
7. Once in a while a person will ask a question for the purpose of starting an argument. If you see this
coming, you can probably, in all honesty, plead ignorance.
PRESENTING YOUR MINISTRY NEEDS
1. Informed people are usually responsive people.
2. An enthusiastic person stimulates others to become equally enthusiastic.
3. People do not respond to appeals from ill-prepared persons.
4. Financial and physical needs should not be emphasized to the exclusion or under-emphasis of
spiritual needs.
5. Pleas for financial help are effective only if it is clear what the funds will be used for. People will
not give to something they have the least bit of doubt about.
6. When asked directly to state your financial needs, be prepared to give a clear-cut, precise, nofrills answer. No one is impressed by “hems and haws”.
7. Prayer letters that consistently plead for money are usually ineffective.
8. When a need has been shared and God has provided, inform those who have been praying about
this need.
9. Projects may need to be approved by the mission before you are entitled to actively raise funds.
10. Financial support, transportation funds, and project dollars are best supplied through an
unquenchable faith in God’s ability to meet every need.
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PREPARING DEPUTATION TALKS
Different types of talks you may be asked to give during your deputation ministry:
1. Personal testimony as to how you came to know Christ.
2. An explanation as to how you received your call to missions.
3. Why you chose the country or location that you plan to minister in.
4. A talk about your chosen country or location. You should be thoroughly familiar with it and be
able to discuss it in detail.
5. Pertinent facts about your mission organization.
6. The biblical basis for missions.
Some fundamental guidelines for preparing any of the above talks:
1. Don’t neglect preparation - even for a testimony. If any of the above talks are prepared in advance
without a specific opportunity in mind, they must be adjustable to fit the time allotted
2. Be careful about your facts. You won’t be asked to document personal information, but statistical
materials should be supported by available references. You may be asked for them.
3. Don’t try to impress people with your newly acquired knowledge. It is more impressive to see true
humility.
4. Don’t prepare a talk that will obviously be tedious. Add color with stories and illustrations.
5. Do not underrate the local library as a source of good reference material.
6. Don’t expect your early endeavors to be masterpieces; work for simplicity and sincerity and claim the
blessing of the Lord.
7. Always keep a record of what talks you have used and where. Neglecting to do this could cause you
and others embarrassment later.
AN EFFECTIVE SLIDE PRESENTATION
1. The content of your presentation (both slides and narration) will depend on whether or not you
have been in the country you plan to tell about.
2. Keep it short. For an appointee, 10 minutes is long enough; for a missionary returning on home
assignment, no longer than 20 minutes.
3. Remember that often your slide presentation will be just one part of a longer meeting.
4. Have someone help you make a taped narration to go with your slides. Make it as professional as
possible without forfeiting sincerity. Be sure it is easy to listen to.
5. If possible, have a fairly large number of slides in your presentation to keep the action and
explanation moving. Avoid using the phrase “...this is a picture of ___”.
6. Try to devise a unique presentation. One woman’s car told all it knew about its owner.
7. If you are an appointee, contact your mission’s deputation department for possible slides and
assistance in recording. They usually help as they can.
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8. If you need more slides, contact someone on or from the field to which you are planning to go.
9. If you are an appointee, use some personal pictures of your parents, family, or any others you feel
appropriate.
10. After you have tentatively worked out your presentation, ask yourself, “Does this slide story say
exactly what I want it to say?”
SCRAPBOOK
If talking to small groups, a scrapbook or photo album is useful. The following are some things to
consider when setting up a scrapbook.
1. Who is your audience?
a. Family -- they have plenty of time because of their interest
b. Supporters -- they have limited time and interest
c. Service clubs -- they have a casual interest
d. School children
e. College students
f. Men’s and women’s meetings
2. Determine the general and specific purposes:
a. To convince or persuade
b. To get action
c. To entertain
d. To inform
3. Determine the topics or categories:
a. Your mission’s purpose
b. Your purpose
c. Chronological -- showing last 3 years of ministry
d. People, culture, life, pulse of country
e. Your home, your village
f. God’s purpose -- end result through your work
g. Skills -- music, construction, art
4. Get ideas from:
a. Advertising
b. Magazines
c. Newspapers
5. Source materials:
a. Tourist bureaus
b. Travel offices
c. Post cards
d. Airline magazines
e. Prayer letters
f. Pieces of cloth/material
g. Stamps
h. Currency
i. Newspapers/magazines
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AN EFFECTIVE DISPLAY
1. Begin by reading and finding out all you can about making a display. There are people at mission
headquarters who can help you. Don’t forget the library.
2. Use simple and easily understood ideas.
3. Build your display out of something lightweight like “foam-core.” Remember that you’ll have to
carry it.
4. Often you are provided with just one table. Don’t make your display too large.
5. Contact the field for pictures and a few artifacts. Your mission probably has some general pictures.
6. Take a tablecloth with you to cover the table before setting up your display.
7. Once your display is properly positioned on the table, place any literature in front of it in an attractive
manner.
8. Intersperse a few artifacts among the literature, if you have them.
9. Don’t overstock your literature. Keep it fresh and neat at all time.
USE OF MISSION LITERATURE
1. Select your literature relative to the type of meeting you plan to have. For example: if you are
speaking in a retirement center, there will be little need to be loaded with children’s literature
2. Arrange your literature neatly, preferably with a good display and using a tablecloth.
3. Keep your literature neat at all times. It can easily become an unattractive mess.
4. Have key brochures where you can lay your hand on them. You may need them during an intense
conversation.
5. Don’t stack great piles of literature on your table. Keep them reasonable in height. It creates a bad
impression to have apparently unwanted brochures piled sky high.
6. If the pastor permits you to do so, make reference to one or two of the brochures when you speak.
This helps to move a great deal of informative literature.
7. Be tactful, kind, but firm when a four-year old tries to take four pieces each of your forty-two
different brochures.
8. If you have literature left over, ask the pastor if it is permissible to leave a supply. Use the
leftovers in a future meeting.
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EFFECTIVE PRAYER LETTERS
1. Determine your personal philosophy in regard to the prayer letters you will be writing. What do you
want your letters to accomplish?
2. Prayer letters should inform readers concerning both ministry and personal activities.
3. Part of the key to effective prayer letter writing is balance. Do not discuss only ministry matters;
neither write only of yourself and your family. Do not make it a strict 50-50 proposition. Most of
the letter should be written to enlist prayer for the ministry the Lord has entrusted to you.
4. Don’t neglect follow-up. If your January letter shared a deep prayer concern, be sure your next
letter gives an update as to how God answered that request
5. Try to say what you want to say on one side of an ordinary-sized sheet of typing paper. Check
with your home church and/or mission regarding the difficulty and readability of copying colored
paper, odd-size sheets, colored ink, etc.
6. Make your letters readable and not too busy. Don’t be cute.
7. When it comes to pictures, balance is important. Proper use of pictures can make an effective
prayer letter, but too many pictures too often can weaken your letters.
8. The style you use should be the one you are most comfortable with. Whether you use a
newspaper style or a letter style, create one that will be identified as your letter and then stick to
it. Don’t switch from one style to another.
9. If you receive a personal letter in response to your prayer letter, respond with a personal letter as
soon as possible.
SUGGESTIONS FOR PRAYER LETTERS
PURPOSE: Why should you write prayer letters? A clear set of objectives for your printed letters will assure
their effectiveness. The basic purposes might be summarized as:
Information - Those who are standing with you in your work desire and deserve reports on your
work. They want to know what you are doing, what you need, and what answers have come to their
prayers. They want information and not sermons.
Inspiration - Your written testimonies of praise to the Lord will cause others to give praise. Your
testimonies of victories will encourage others in following the Lord. Your challenges to them may
prove to be the Lord Himself speaking to them
Involvement - Your letters can be the means of getting others interested and involved in spiritual
ministry with you. An explicit purpose of your letters will be to involve your friends in prayer for and
with you. An implicit purpose will be to involve them in sharing in your work financially. The
testimony and challenge of your work may well encourage some to come and join you on the field.
Letters are your lifeline in your ministry. Your partners cannot be informed, inspired or involved
without communication. Personal letters are ideal, but printed letters are a necessary and an important
means of maintaining the lifeline. Determine to make your letters a means of giving rather than
getting. Let the getting be the natural by-product of the ministry you are having with your readers.
CONTENT: What should you say?
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Date - Most readers will look for a date on your letter. You may prefer to indicate only the month and
year because several days may be involved in the handling and mailing of the letter.
Your name - Your first and last names should appear on the letter even though you may sign it with
your first name only. It is quite possible that someone who does not know you well will read the
letter.
Addresses - Your letters should give enough addresses to enable your readers to respond easily to the
letter. This generally means that you will want to include your current mailing address and the
mission’s address for contributions.
Text Introduction: Give special attention to the introduction to your letter. That first impression may
determine whether the entire letter is read. Use a story, an illustration, an anecdote, or a
quotation. Don't use a scripture passage unless it is directly intertwined with the story or theme of
your letter.
General Text of the Letter: Do not attempt to cover too many topics. Three topics is probably a
wise limit. One topic may be sufficient. Tell a story. Talk about people. Tell about conversions,
changed lives and homes, amusing incidents. In giving general news of your work, review the
recent past, tell what you are doing right now, and briefly outline the future until your next letter.
Answers to prayer - If previous letters have invited your readers to pray with you, bring them
up-to-date on answered prayer, or the need for continuing to pray for those items. Give praise to
God for His answers and blessings.
Prayer requests - Many of your readers will want to pray for and with you. They will want specific
requests. Prayer requests should be explicit. You might want to underline them in the letter for easy
reference, if your letter is used in a prayer time. Some prefer to print prayer requests on a separate
slip of paper to encourage continuing prayer.
Challenge - Include some explicit or implicit challenge to the reader. This does not require a
sermon. The testimony given in your letter may be enough.
Include others - Refer to your children by name, and give some news. Refer to your fellow workers
by name. You might mention other aspects of your mission’s program to give broader perspective to
your own work.
Journal - Some find it helpful to keep a journal or a diary to record incidents while they are fresh,
rather than trying to recall the details two or three months later to write a newsletter.
STYLE: How should you say it? How you say it may be more important than what you say. If your letter
is readable, your friends will read it. You don’t have to be an expert journalist but the following may be
helpful.
Personal - Talk about yourself, about your readers and about people. Don’t be afraid to use
personal pronouns. Draft your letter by writing with one specific friend in mind. Don’t ask that
your friends take the printed letter as personal, which implies that it is not. By adding a specific
personal P.S. to the letter, you will ensure the impression of a personal letter.
Positive - Seek the prayers, not the pity, of your friends. Don’t complain. Don’t beg. No sob stories.
Don’t criticize anyone -- especially the country and people where you are working. You can assume
that all the world is reading your letter. Don’t apologize for your failure to write sooner or oftener.
All of this does not mean that your letter should be a distortion of reality. You can be frank and
honest, but make it positive.
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Clear - Your grammatical construction should be simple enough to make your thoughts clear. Watch
for any jargon or technical terms that may not be meaningful to your readers. Foreign words and
names may be a stumbling block unless you give a meaning or at least a key to pronunciation.
Concise - Short sentences will make your letter more readable. Some suggest limiting them to 25
words. Short paragraphs will be appreciated -- some suggest 100 words. Short letters are more likely
to be read. One page should be the limit. Some details will be appreciated, but not unnecessary ones.
Specific - Tell about specific incidents, encounters and quotations. Prayer requests and answers
should be specific. Avoid generalities. For example, rather than saying, “Please pray for me,” say,
“Please pray that I will have strength of body and spirit through my preparation for the field.” And
rather than just saying, “We praise the Lord for His help,” say, “We praise the Lord that our visas
have been approved, that our reservations are confirmed and that most of our equipment is in hand.”
Descriptive - Use descriptive words that enable your readers to picture the situation. Talk about
sights, sounds, colors, sizes, smells, tastes, directions, distances, etc. Use action words.
LAYOUT: How should you arrange it? What you say and how you say it will be further enhanced by the way
you arrange your letter on the paper. Layout refers to the arrangement of typing, illustrations and blank space.
The layout will be the first impression of your letter. Many missionaries have their letters processed in the
mission office, but here are some suggestions:
Simple - An overly-crowded and cluttered letter may be detracting. A rather simple letter will be
easier and faster and less expensive to prepare.
Margins - Don’t be afraid to leave a lot of white space on your letter.
Spacing - Double-space between paragraphs.
Type - The type style and size should enable easy reading. Contrasting type styles and underlining
can highlight parts of your letter.
Illustrations - Photos and drawings can be very helpful in enabling your readers to “get the
picture”. Photographs and drawings, like text, should be clear and specific.
Letterhead - A letterhead provided by the mission’s home office will give you identity with your
mission. Colorfully printed letterheads might be available at holiday time.
Variations - Changes in the layout of your letters from time to time may add to their
effectiveness. If you have a graphic design you would like used, send it along with your letter.
PRINTING AND MAILING: How can you print and mail? Offset printing is the most versatile method of
printing. The plate for offset printing is prepared by photographing copy that is typewritten, handwritten, or
linotyped. The finished letter will be as clear, sharp and straight as the material provided for the layout.
Photos provided for offset printing should be glossy black and white prints. Type and photos can be enlarged
or reduced in plate making, though this added procedure may cost extra. The class and cost of postage is an
important factor. Most prefer to send the letters by bulk mail to save postage.
SCHEDULING: How often should you publish a prayer letter?
The answer to this question will depend partly on how often you want to be remembered. Friends
who are interested in praying with you regularly will want to hear from you at least once every two or
three months. Those who have not heard from you for six months or more will probably forget to
pray for you.
Prayer letters are especially important at transition times. You need to inform your friends of the
completion of a project, of your change to new circumstances, and of a new address.
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You should send a letter in reference to special occasions. An announcement of your acceptance for
missionary service, your assignment to a certain field, the birth of a child, are good reasons for
publishing a newsletter. You might want to write in the context of the traditional occasions, like
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, Easter or New Year’s Day. Christmas letters are a strong tradition, but
for that reason have a lot of competition, and perhaps receive less attention.
You must allow for some time between your decision to publish a letter and its final mailing. Allow
time for writing, re-writing, printing and adding personal notes.
MAILING LIST: Decide to whom you should be sending your letters. Mission boards, financial supporters,
prayer partners, pastors, friends, relatives, or anyone else whom you think might have an interest in you or
your work. To avoid waste in letters and postage, be sure to update your address list on a regular basis. If
your mailing list is computerized, keep at least one printed copy or back-up on disk.
FAITH PROMISE GIVING
(if you are asked)
A faith promise is usually understood to mean money – money that God gives you and through you that He
wouldn’t give to you if He didn’t know that He could trust you to give it to others.
1. Familiarize yourself with your missions statement, if they have one, concerning faith promise giving.
2. If you are asked to present the Faith Promise Giving Plan, two things are very important:
a. You must thoroughly understand the principles of faith promise giving and
b. You must personally be sold on the plan
3. Principles of Faith Promise Giving:
a. Giving by faith can logically start only when you are already giving to the limit of your regular
income.
b. You cannot enter into a faith arrangement with the Lord if you are not already giving a fair
portion of that which the Lord has already given you.
c. Ask the Lord to give you extra money to channel into His work.
d. Remember, what He sends in response to our prayer may not be tangible or recognizable. For
instance, He may have saved you the necessity of spending a certain amount of money without
you even knowing it.
e. Because of this, ask Him what amount He wants you to believe Him for.
f. Then, after He indicates to you the amount, begin giving that amount each week.
g. Constantly trust the Lord to supply this amount in His way.
h. When you give to the Lord beyond what you can afford, trust Him to provide your needs. That is
Faith Giving!
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