Questions You Need to Ask

As you desire and look into serving on the mission field there are some things to take into consideration.  There are many great organizations out there that can help you get to where you want to be and do the things you want to do.  However, how will you determine which organization is the best fit for you? 

Feel free to ask the following questions to mission groups in order to evaluate how close the philosophical and relational fit will be between you and the potential sending organization.  Oh yeah, make sure you ask us too!

•  Vision and values- what they are and how do they do the things they do?

•  Placement- how do they go about placing a person with your interests and what is the process?

•  Educational requirements- do they provide training before you leave and what educational requirements, if any, must be met by you.

•  Teams vs. individuals- do you work in teams or alone and what does that look like?

•  Missionary care- how do members of their organization get personal and spiritual care?

• Accountability and effectiveness- how are goals set, measured, and strategy developed? How are your results communicated to supporters?

• Money and benefits- how do they pay you and will you have added benefits (medical, retirement, vacation, home ministry, etc.)?

•  Location- what are the countries and regions of the world in which they work?

•  History- how long have they been around?  Learn about the organization’s stability, credibility, and get a feel for their ability to adapt as the world changes.

•  Personality and Tracking- how do they track with you through the process, is it consistent? Do they follow up with helpful information?  Did they pray for you before ending the phone call?  Did you enjoy the conversation? Were they knowledgeable in answering your questions?

Serving on the mission field is exciting and purposeful.  Finding an organization that fits you well is a major step in the process.   So ask those types of questions as you think and pray about who to be sent through on your journey as a missionary.