In part 1 of this short series, I described how to do international missions on USAmerican soil. Today I want to offer some ideas on how to do international missions outside of the traditional parachurch mission sending agencies. I want to make suggestions for individuals and families as well as for churches. Finding the location for missions requires us to listen to the heart of God and then consider one of two paths: to adopt a people group and go to that people group or to adopt a city and invest there.
For Individuals
The easiest way to do international missions overseas is the find a job either where your adopted people group live or in the city God calls you to. Many American Christians are taught that being a professional missionary is a higher calling. In the thinking of many, the best and most appropriate way to respond to a call to missions is to find a parachurch missions organization and work through them to be sent to the city or people that God is leading you to. However, being a full-time Christian worker is not the only way to be an effective missionary. In fact, in some circles the best way to be a missionary is not to be a professional missionary. The most effective way many people can make an impact on the city or people group is to enter the culture as traditional employee – someone facing similar work and life situations as their peers.
I have actually found this to be the most effective way to be on mission in the States. I have been more effective and had more opportunities to talk about Jesus as a coworker than as a pastor. They get to see you live out your life and you get to invest in their live in powerful simply by being co-workers. As a pastor, particularly in some areas of the country, people may not even talk with you because you are a pastor.
For people who are interested in working in Europe, the Skybridge Community exists to help people in various business professions connect with each other and possibly find positions.
For Churches
For churches, the process is much more broad. As God leads you to adopt a city or people group, challenge your church through these avenues:
1. Challenge your church to rent a small apartment in the city. Allow members of the staff and other church leaders to take turns living in that apartment while seeking people of peace, those who may be sensitive to the Gospel and who have themselves been seeking God’s presence and activity in their community. This is not a time where the staff member goes to preach or hand out tracts, but a period of learning, praying, relating, and loving. It is a time to ask God to show you people in the city who are seeking God themselves and who can help establish God’s presence in that city.
2. Begin to schedule missional journeys to that city. With the knowledge gained through staff and other leaders, begin to bring groups to the city on a consistent basis to build relationships and love the city or people group. I am not talking about coming over to do what people think of as mission trips, but missional journeys where relationships are developed and cultivated over long periods of time. Use social media to meet people prior to the trip. You should be able to find people who want to speak and practice their English and you can begin to learn the language of the people. You can continue these relationships through social media and continue cultivating those relationships.
3. As God allows, begin to have spiritual conversations with those whom you have developed a relationship. This may take some time. It might take a period of two or more years of cultivating that kind of relationship. When people are comfortable, begin to gather them together for communal discussions of faith. Yet you must understand, this takes time. It requires a long-term commitment and consistency in investment.
If you are small church, partner with other smaller churches in your area to adopt the same city or people group. There is much you can do together in this way.
We need to get away from the professional missionaries – there is still a place for them, but there is a great disconnect with international missions when the church is only giving money. The church needs to be the missionary, not surrender it to parachurch organizations.
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David is an entrepreneur, pastor, coach, and author. He has his doctorate from George Fox Seminary where he studied under Len Sweet, his M.Div. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has done post graduate work in communications from the University of Alabama and the University of South Florida. He lives with his wife Brenna Phillips in Smyrna, DE. 
Bonjour, from a ‘Skybridger’ in France! We were adopted by a church in the US last year and his has been such an encouragement for us.
The Skybridge website is a great place for individuals and churches to connect, and also a resource for individuals looking to work in Europe.
Definitely recommend it.
Kari,
Bonjour! Weren’t you and your husband adopted by Todd Littleton’s church?
I read your blog from time to time. It’s great to have you come by and comment on this. Thanks for your work in France! Blessings!
David, Thanks for the words about the idea of people working in normal jobs overseas. I hope to see more and more churches and pastors like you thinking this way and encouraging members to be sent in this way.
Larry,
It’s not a problem. In fact, I wish I could get back in the marketplace now. If we could find a job overseas, we would go, and as you know we’ve actually talked about it.