RTIM REVIEW
Getting from Here to There
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INTRODUCTION
This past month, Matt Bennett and I submitted the manuscript of our new book, “The Path to Being A Missionary.” As I read through the articles included in this issue of the RTIM Review, I was struck by a few different things.
First, I wish I had included some of the nuggets of wisdom you’ll read in the pages ahead. Every succinct article covers helpful topics for aspiring missionaries and those whom they’re doing life with.
Second, I’m thankful to have learned from these friends over the years. I’ve watched our global workers live their lives in accordance with the advice that they give. I’ve sat in on countless conversations with our staff as they counsel aspiring missionaries and their sending churches. I’ve learned much from watching the example of Aaron Menikoff and Matt Rogers, two board members who contributed to this issue.
Third, I hope we spark meaningful conversations between aspiring missionaries and their local churches. I long to see the fields of harvest full of competent, high-character missionaries. It takes time to develop the competency and model the character necessary, so be patient. Trust your elders. What might seem like a dragged-out process will assuredly serve you well in the future. I often liken preparation to a slingshot. It’s a weird analogy, I know, but here it goes. Often times, delayed mobilization feels like taking unnecessary steps backwards to the aspiring missionary. But just as pulling a slingshot back further can help propel a stone forward with more meaningful precision and momentum, so can a delayed departure for an aspiring missionary.
At Reaching & Teaching, we long to serve local churches as they send out qualified missionaries to make mature
disciples, establish healthy churches, and train local leaders. Whether or not your local church decides to partner with us in sending missionaries, we would love to have a conversation with you all about any of the advice you read in this issue. As Isaac Watts wrote in “How Sweet and Awful is the Place”:
We long to see Thy churches full, That all the chosen race May, with one voice and heart and soul, Sing Thy redeeming grace.
Sincerely,
Ryan Robertson
Just as pulling a slingshot back further can help propel a stone forward with more meaningful precision and momentum, so can a delayed departure for an aspiring missionary. “
RYAN ROBERTSON
Ryan Robertson serves as the President of Reaching & Teaching. Robertson has previously served in executive leadership positions for public companies and other non-profit organizations and has been a board member of several different charities. In 2014, he obtained his CPA from the State of Massachusetts. Robertson is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Missiology program at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ryan and his wife Erin have three children and are members of Third Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, KY, where Ryan serves as an elder.
IMPORTANCE OF CHARACTER
Aaron Menikoff
Pastor - Mt. Vernon Baptist Church
Given the objective power of the preached gospel, why does God care so much about the character of the missionary? After all, in Philippians 1:18, Paul prioritizes the message of the preacher over the motives of the preacher. Therefore, doesn’t it suffice to have sound theology?
In short, no. It doesn’t. Those aspiring to long-term missions must be exemplary in their character. True, God uses those who “preach Christ from envy and rivalry” (Phil 1:15 ESV), but that’s no excuse for any missionary to be lackluster in the pursuit of holiness.
Perhaps you are aspiring to serve on the mission field for the long haul. Or maybe it is your responsibility to assess the qualifications of men and women who desire to be sent by your church. Please do not overlook character. To be sure, there is no perfect way to ensure the missionary you send possesses the necessary godliness. People can hide their sin, even from themselves (Jer 17:9). Still, faithfulness demands we probe. “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out” (Prov 20:5).
With this in mind, how should an aspiring missionary prepare to be characterqualified? Consider these 10 essential questions:
1. Are you known by the members of your local church?
It’s not enough to be a church member. Sadly, it’s possible to attend church and remain largely anonymous. Moreover, it’s possible to attend a local church while the lion’s share of your ministry is outside the local church. The church should be where we roll up our sleeves and invest in other believers for discipleship and join with other believers for evangelism. The local church is ground zero for character development.
2. Are you being discipled by mature believers?
Growing in grace and godliness begins with being known by others, but it demands stronger, deeper relationships. The author of Hebrews does more than urge believers to assemble together. He says we are to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb 3:13). The Christian life is not a solo project, and patterns of sin will rarely be identified by the lone-ranger Christian. It takes oneto-one or small group discipleship.
3. Are you aiming to meet the qualifications of elders and deacons?
Scripture does not provide specific missionary qualifications. This is because the target of missions work is starting and strengthening churches, and churches are led by elders and served by deacons. Therefore, those on the mission field should meet the qualifications of an elder and/or a deacon. Study 1 Timothy 3 and remember, an aspiring missionary should be open to candid conversations about these qualifications.
4. Are you pursuing intimate communion with the Lord?
Most aspiring missionaries, when asked this question, will quickly answer yes. It’s important to slow down and carefully consider whether that is actually true. For fear of legalism, many Christians today are careful not to clock how much time they spend in the word or in prayer. To be sure, the question is not, “How much time did you spend with the Lord?” as much as, “Are you experiencing God strengthening you ‘with power through his Spirit’?” (Eph 3:16). There is no character without communion.
5. Are you a wise steward of your finances?
An extraordinary number of passages (including 1 Timothy 3) address the topics of greed and contentment. This is a character qualification worth emphasizing. We can lay up treasures on earth or in heaven but not in both places simultaneously (Matt 6:19-21). An aspiring missionary ought to let an older, wiser Christian examine his financial habits. The failure to steward wealth well will undermine a ministry.
6. Are you putting sexual sin to death daily?
Like financial stewardship, how we steward our bodies, including our eyes, is a telltale sign of spiritual maturity and readiness for full-time ministry. An aspiring missionary must be brutally honest with someone about the sexual temptations faced, overcome, and at times succumbed to in the process of sanctification. This self-examination should address media consumption, private thoughts, and interactions with members of the opposite sex.
7. Are you assessing your motivations for ministry?
Gone are the days when a missionary boarded a boat and headed for an obscure ministry in a foreign land. Today, every step of the journey is often chronicled with pictures, prayer letters, social media posts, and sometimes even conference appearances. Aspiring missionaries should beware the allure of the spotlight. It’s easy to say you are all about the glory of God when, in reality, you want the glory that comes from man (John 12:43). Yes, God can use a missionary who is envious of others’ ministries (Phil 1:18), but surely that must not be acceptable.
8. Are you actively looking for blind spots?
Galatians 5:22-23 is a wonderful guide for assessing character blind spots. An aspiring missionary should carefully examine the fruit of the Spirit and discern which aspects are woefully lacking. He may realize he lacks the joy necessary to sustain a life of ministry on the field. She may discover she lacks the patience required to endure decades of evangelism in difficult soil.
9. Are you receptive to criticism?
Aspiring missionaries who truly want to ensure they are character-qualified for the field will receive criticism. How do they respond? Solomon said to love discipline is to love knowledge (Prov 12:1). This means receiving correction without anger or defensiveness. It doesn’t mean the person making an observation about our character is always correct, but it does mean we are willing to listen and examine our hearts.
10. Are you pursuing holiness from the heart of the gospel?
The best missionaries are not perfect; they are humble. They realize we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. They long, like Paul, to know nothing “except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2). Character must not be separated from the cross because only the cross can fuel a lifetime of holiness.
There is no surefire plan to become character-qualified for full-time missions. But these 10 questions are a place to begin. Ponder them if you are aspiring to give your life to missions or trying to discern whether someone in your church is ready to go.
In this brief guide, pastors Aaron Menikoff and Harshit Singh from Lucknow, India, share their journeys leading missions-centered churches in two different settings. Through their personal stories, they teach Scripture-led methods for fostering missions-minded congregations. Emphasizing the importance of patient training and church planting—in terms of years, not months—Menikoff and Singh help pastors and staff overcome geographic, cultural, and linguistic barriers to passionately start and strengthen churches around the world.
Learn more at churchcenteredmissions.org.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPETENCE
Matt Rogers
Pastor - Christ Fellowship Cherrydale
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO BUILD MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS AND SHARE THE GOSPEL?
“I want to be a missionary!”
Pastors and church leaders alike are often thrilled by missionary zeal, but is it wise for everyone who wants to be a missionary to be sent as a missionary? The question itself seems foolish to many. Of course, they say, we want to have as many people on the field as possible. Why would we not send any who are willing to go?
Yet if you ask field workers this question, many will bemoan the difficulty they’ve experienced with those who were sent ill-equipped for the work. Passion and competence don’t always go together, and zeal without wisdom can do great harm to cross-cultural work. It can hinder the chemistry of the missionary team and hurt the long-term confidence of the one who was sent unprepared.
Like any vocation, there are aspects of the work that are a matter of hard-wiring and personality. Not everyone is built for cross-cultural ministry and church planting. However, the combination of a healthy sending church and a zealous potential missionary can provide a potent context for teaching the requisite skills ahead of time.
Here are some questions I’m learning to ask those who want to be sent:
We tend to assume those wanting to go know how to share the gospel. And yet, people’s affections can be stirred for the plight of the nations even if they don’t actually know how to talk to people about Jesus. Some lack social skills. Some have been isolated from non-believers and have forgotten how to enter new relationships, build trust, and take conversational opportunities to drip gospel truth. Others lack gospel clarity. They assume people start with a Judeo-Christian worldview and lack the ability to explain Jesus to someone who’s never even heard his name.
To develop this skill, I press people to find places where they have to enter new relationships and journal the gospel conversations that take place in those settings.
CAN YOU EMBRACE NEW CULTURES?
There’s a vast difference between enjoying a weeklong visit to a new place and planting your life in that culture. There’s even a meaningful difference between a midterm appointment and a career-long one. It doesn’t take long for the novelty to wear off and the frustration to build. Those who prove to be effective in the work must embrace the challenge. They must learn to endure the added complexity that a new culture brings to everything from finding a place to live to grocery shopping. They must be able to persevere in doing hard things and coping with added pressure like visa uncertainty or struggling kids.
New does not mean bad, and those who make it over the long haul know the difference. They have patience to see the work through. Those who leave after only a year or two often prejudice locals against future workers. The locals assume that when the heat rises, the new workers will also leave.
Healthy sending churches can help future missionaries by pressing them to find pockets of other cultures in their cities or align with ministries that engage internationals. Sending churches can challenge them to tackle a big project and persevere. This may not be a convincing test, but it’s at least a baby step toward seeing if a person is adaptable to the complexity of different cultures.
DO YOU ENHANCE THE UNITY OF A TEAM?
If you want to make it in the work, then you need the soft skills that foster relational unity. You must know how and when to sacrifice preferences. Know how to say what you mean and do what you say. Know how to square up after conflict. And know how to own your sin and say you’re sorry. American churches can too easily be relationally frictionless. In other words, the weaknesses of a prospective missionary won’t have been exposed and tested. We should do everything we can to test people before they get on the field or at least not promote them to leadership too quickly.
I usually force aspiring missionaries to work on a team, often as a subordinate under a team leader where they are asked to submit and defer, and I see how they do. As growth areas are
identified, I watch them grow. Then I have some measure of confidence that they’ll bring unity, not division, if I send them to a new team around the world.
CAN YOU MAKE MATURE DISCIPLES?
Sometimes, future missionaries are zealous to build relationships with the lost and share the gospel. However, they lack the knowledge and perseverance needed to talk with established believers through months of growth and sanctification. Many have grown up in settings where personal discipleship was outsourced to pastors or programs, so they’ve never had to develop these skills for themselves.
This is an easy area to press. I simply have the aspiring missionary meet with a new convert for the next year. I give the aspiring missionary some tools to help the new believer grow and see how the discipler does. Throughout the year, we debrief on how these meetings are going, and I see if the new convert has benefited from the discipler’s investment.
DO YOU LOVE THE CHURCH?
Church in a cross-cultural setting can be tough, especially if that church is led in another language. For missionaries to persevere, they must have a dogged conviction that the end and means of God’s mission is the local church. They must be willing to fight for the church, even if the church they find (or don’t find) in their new home doesn’t match up to the church they left. Far too often, I’ve seen zealous men and women go to the nations out of a reactionary disdain for the American church, particularly for
its perceived institutionalism. So, they go overseas, share the gospel, and engage the culture, but they never join a church or pursue starting a healthy church where one doesn’t exist. What a shame. I’ve also seen the opposite happen. I’ve seen men and women who are so in love with certain forms of their church in the States that they struggle with church differences on the field. Again, what a shame.
I want to see missionaries who are genuinely passionate about Christ’s bride. I seek men and women who long to see healthy churches birthed in a new place, even if that will take years of work.
No preparation is perfect. But these questions and practices should help sending churches and their pastors honor the Lord by sending well.
LISTEN TODAY
Missions Talk Podcast
Reaching & Teaching is excited to partner with 9Marks on the production of Missions Talk. Missions Talk is a regular conversation about biblical and practical elements of missiology.
Subscribe to Missions Talk wherever you listen to podcasts.
IMPORTANCE OF CONVICTION
Chad Ireland Vice-President of Ministry & Ops.
“... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt 28:20a ESV).
“He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9).
Our family loves the beach. Firmly planting a beach umbrella in the sand shields us from the sun’s harmful rays, enabling us to spend hours enjoying the sun, sand, and waves. After hauling everything to the beach, I spend the better part of 10 minutes ensuring the umbrella is deep enough to withstand the windy gusts of the day. Would I rather play with the kids or dig into a good book right away? Of course. But I’ve learned that taking the time up front to establish our protection will prevent sunburn and lengthen our fun for the day. Similarly, digging deep in theological preparation up front will protect missions work from being short-lived and missionaries from being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.
SOUND DOCTRINE, TEACHING, AND THE MISSIONARY TASK
Making disciples is more than teaching, but it’s not less. Disciple-making starts with declaring the glorious news of Christ’s redeeming work to a lost humanity and calling them to repent and believe. Perhaps it goes without saying: a missionary ought to be
skilled at evangelism. But that’s not all. Because upon conversion, a lifelong journey of learning to obey all that Jesus commanded begins. Evangelism and teaching are two sides of the same Great Commission coin.
But how can new converts obey unless they learn? And how can they learn without someone teaching? And how can someone teach unless he or she is equipped in sound doctrine? How beautiful are the feet of those who teach the whole counsel of God! I trust you can forgive the elaboration on Romans 10:14-15 and embrace my point. Missionaries ought to be skilled to teach sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). Bobby Jamieson defines sound doctrine as “a summary of the Bible’s teaching that is both faithful to the Bible and useful for life.”1 Therefore, churches must ensure that those they set apart for vocational missions are sufficiently prepared and able to teach.
The missionary task involves elderand deacon-like work. So it’s wise to establish a standard that is adjacent to these New Testament offices. In Titus 1:9, Paul prescribes that an elder must “hold firm to the trustworthy word” such that they can “give instruction in sound doctrine.” The word translated hold firm means to “hold, withstand, or endure” and is elsewhere interpreted as “being devoted to a master.”
God expects those charged with word ministry to be so mastered by his word that they can withstand attack, correct distortions, and teach others to do the same. Missionaries encounter numerous circumstances that demand a firm hold on sound doctrine. Why would we send anyone out who is unprepared and untested?
We God expects those charged with word ministry to be so mastered by his word that they can withstand attack, correct distortions, and teach others to do the same.
The word for teaching in Matthew 28:20 means “to impart instruction ... instill doctrine ... to explain or expound.” Paul uses the same word in Colossians 1:28 as he expresses his efforts to “present everyone mature in Christ.” This sort of teaching takes a deep understanding of theology and the skill to express it clearly to the mature and immature alike. Acquiring both the content and skill to do so takes intentionality, time, and testing.
ASSESSING READINESS
Reaching & Teaching is unashamedly baptistic, reformed, complementarian, and church-centered. Practically, this means that those who aspire to be sent through Reaching & Teaching must align with our statement of faith and our convictions about the local church.2 However, alignment requires much more than simply agreeing in principle with these convictions.
At Reaching & Teaching, we want our missionaries to have a track record of doing ministry that flows from embracing and internalizing sound doctrine. After all, their work will take a variety of forms: one-on-one, small groups, large groups, formal teaching, expositional preaching. While ministry contexts may differ, every missionary “
should be able to help and establish a new gospel work and/or strengthen what already exists. Being capable of doing so means taking the necessary time to master, and be mastered by, the trustworthy word that enables us to teach, correct, and rebuke as an ongoing part of the missionary task.
The urgency is real, and this call to patient formation before missionaries get on the field does not work against it. Instead, the two — patient preparation and urgent need — work hand in hand. After all, we want the theological foundations we lay in the field to endure. That demands significant preparation.
I love the beach. Taking the time to firmly plant the umbrella in the sand may keep me from getting to the main thing. But the effort is worth it. By preparing well, our enjoyment of the sun, sand, and waves is both protected and lengthened. May our local churches do the same. May they take the time to theologically prepare those who aspire to missions work so that, by the grace of God, their labors are protected and last far beyond their lifetimes.
1 - Bobby Jamieson, Sound Doctrine, 17.
2 - We believe the marks of a healthy church are expositional preaching, sound doctrine, biblical understanding of the gospel, biblical understanding of conversion, faithful evangelism, meaningful membership, church discipline, and biblical discipleship and leadership, as articulated by Mark Dever in Nine Marks of a Healthy Church.
Assisting local churches in their mission to send qualified missionaries to the ends of the earth.
September 15-17th
Mt.Vernon Baptist Church Atlanta GA
GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE
Rachel Ware - Director of Mobilization
Matt Bennett - Director of Long-Term Ministry
RTIM: In a recent RTIM Review, you co-authored an article about getting from here to there. Can you summarize this concept for the reader?
Matt Bennett, Director of Long-Term Ministry: The article attempted to help aspiring missionaries think through the multistep process of moving from having a burden to serve among the nations to actually being sent by their church. It encouraged churches and aspiring missionaries to engage in an intentional season of evaluating character, competency, and convictions prior to commissioning someone. It sought to give churches permission to evaluate and develop missionary candidates over an observed season of ministry and life so as to have confidence that those they send are suited for the work to which they are sent.
RTIM: Why are character, conviction, and competency important for missionary assessment at RTIM and in general?
Rachel Ware, Director of Mobilization: When we think about sending missionaries to do the work of church planting and church strengthening, we want to ask ourselves what criteria the Bible uses to evaluate ministers of the gospel. And it is clear from Scripture they must be marked by godly character (Titus 1:7-8; 1 Tim 3:1-13), they must hold fast to sound doctrine (Titus 1:9),
and they must be able to handle and teach the word of God. While not every missionary will be a pastor, the character qualifications for elders or deacons should mark anyone we send.
RTIM: What role does the sending church have in this process?
RW: As a missions organization, we are limited in our ability to assess someone’s readiness for the field. We do our best with the processes we have in place, but ultimately the applicant’s sending church will know how a prospective missionary actually serves the church, evangelizes, disciples, sins and repents, instructs new believers—I could keep going.
At Reaching & Teaching, we love to view ourselves as the bridesmaid to the bride. We are here to make the bride (the church) more beautiful as it sends missionaries around the world. It’s neither our desire nor our responsibility to declare that someone is ready to be a missionary. That’s the local church’s job. I have been so encouraged by conversations with so many churches who have embraced this reality and are excited to send their own people well.
RTIM: How should someone seek out affirmation and assessment if he or she wants to go overseas long-term?
MB: The short answer to this question is that candidates should seek out affirmation and assessment humbly and patiently. As I noted above, those who aspire to missions work should be encouraged to undergo a slow season of assessment of their character, convictions, and competencies. Can they tell someone, “Follow me as I follow Christ”? Do they know and can
they teach sound doctrine? Can they learn a language and engage crossculturally?
In most churches and for many candidates, this could look like a modified version of training and assessment to be a deacon or elder. Whatever the process looks like, the prospective missionary will need to submit to the church’s leadership and trust their evaluation, even if that means slowing down the candidate’s departure.
RTIM: If someone needs or desires ministry training, where should he or she look?
MB: My answer to this question depends at least somewhat on where a person hopes serve and what role he or she hopes to play. If someone is going to a geographically and linguistically isolated people, I would suggest a training program with a residential component. There are two that we recommend that immerse students in a context, help them begin to learn a language, and teach them certain skills for cross-cultural living in remote places.
Regardless of where someone hopes to end up, I would highly recommend a church internship or pastoral assistant role. While the cross-cultural element will flavor ministry, the core task of making disciples and establishing healthy churches will be the same anywhere. That’s why experience and exposure to the work of church ministry will always be beneficial.
RTIM: How can church members support those in their congregation who desire to go on the mission field?
RW: I love this question! Faithful senders are absolutely essential to the missionary task, and there is so much we can do to embrace our role. Give monthly to aspiring missionaries, and increase your gift over time. Pray for them regularly, and send them a text or email to tell them that you did. Respond to something they shared in their newsletter. It’s always encouraging
to know that someone is reading! Link arms with other members of your church to send an unexpected care package with some of their favorite things from the States. Work to meet practical needs when they come home, such as a car, a house, groceries, and gift cards. Host a prayer time in your home for a missionary, and when they are stateside, invite them to share! Ask them to talk about a few people to whom they are ministering, and watch their eyes light up with joy.
Learn more about our vision by connecting with a Mobilizer at rtim.org.
GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE
1ST LEVEL CONSIDERATIONS
2ND LEVEL CONSIDERATIONS
1 - Be an active, serving member or your local church.
2 - Seek to receive assessment and affirmation from your church leaders.
3 - Pursue ministry training
CHARACTER
Does this person exhibit a faithful walk with the Lord and is there evidence of spiritual fruit?
CONVICTION
Does this person have doctrinal convictions that align with Reaching & Teaching’s convictions?
COMPETENCY
Does this person disciple people to maturity? Is there evidence of this type of ministry in their current context?
BIBLE TRANSLATION
- Missionary training school for culture and language aquisition
- Formal theological education with biblical languages
EVANGELISM
- Proven track record of evangelism as a part of a local church.
- Interaction and evangelism with other cultures and language groups.
CHURCH PLANTING
- Formal theological education
- Pastoral internship
- Pastoral experience
PASTORAL TRAINING
- Formal theological education
- Pastoral experience
- Proven track record of leadership development
SEMINARY
- M.Div. or Ph.D.
- Formal teaching experience
CHRISTIAN LITERATURE
- Formal theological education
- Resource development and project management experience
WORSHIP MUSIC
- Formal Theological education
- Music education or ethnomusicology degree
Why You Should Come
Whether you are considering long-term missions or want to mobilize your church, our Preview Day is a great place to start! What you can expect from the day:
Grow in a biblical understanding of missions
Discover RTIM’S DNA
Connect with like-minded Christians
Learn how you can partner with us
Atlanta, GA
Monday, September 15, 2025
Mount Vernon Baptist Church
Boston, MA
Friday, October 10, 2025 Tremont Temple
Chicago, IL
Monday, October 27, 2025 Brainard Avenue Baptist Church
Fort Worth, TX
January 22, 2026
Trinity River Baptist Church
Time: 8am - 5pm
Price per Individual: $50
ADVICE FOR ASPIRING GLOBAL WORKERS
Eric Abisror Global Worker - Argentina
In our several years on the mission field, here’s the advice that I have most frequently passed down to others.
1. Count the cost. Even with the joy of missions, there are challenges. Living in countries less modern and clean than the U.S. takes adjustment. Leaving family behind, especially grandparents, creates an emotional cost for everyone. The shift in identity, such as moving from being a pastor to a missionary, can be disorienting. Even celebrating holidays differently, or missing them entirely, requires adaptation. There are many other costs to consider. But remember: God provides the grace needed to walk this path (Luke 14:28-33).
2. Consider your gifting. As you prepare for missions, consider how
you are gifted. Ask others what your gift is. This will inevitably narrow where and in what capacity you will serve. There are many needs, but the Lord has specific plans for your life and gifts. You can’t and don’t have to do it all (1 Pet 4:10-11).
3. Commit yourself to the church. Missions is about the church. We plant new churches and strengthen existing ones. So join a healthy local church as soon as possible. Learn to submit to your elders. Practice the one-anothers. Be an integral part of the local body of Christ wherever you are right now. Allow your local church to shape your call to the nations. Help them discern where you might go, how you might serve, and what organization might be the best for you and your family (Heb 10:24-25).
4. Cherish your spouse. Whether or not you are married, be committed to purity. For those who are married, I can’t emphasize enough having a relationship that is strong in the Lord. As the pressures mount, those weak spots in your marriage will be revealed even more (Eph 5:22-33).
5. Pay close attention to your life. Paul told Timothy to consider his doctrine and life (1 Tim. 4:16). Uproot and kill indwelling sin in your life. Don’t believe the lie that your sin will magically go away when you arrive on the field. It will sometimes, maybe even often, intensify. Preach the gospel to yourself continually, and live a life of continual repentance (Rom 6:11).
Commit yourself to the church. Missions is about the church. We plant new churches and strengthen existing ones.
Partner with Reaching & Teaching through the Global Fund
Your financial support ensures Reaching & Teaching is equipped to make mature disciples, establish healthy churches, and train local leaders around the world.
As RTIM grows, your partnership in the gospel provides strategic care and resources for our team of global workers and global training efforts for the years ahead.
Global Worker - MENA
GOSPEL CLARITY.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably as eager to go overseas as my wife and I were 16 years ago. Here’s some advice for those who aspire to missions.
FRIEND RAISING.
Before you get to know an unreached people group or raise money for the field, get to know people in your church and raise friends. The best investment we made before going overseas was befriending folks who believe the gospel. Get to know people in your church and other churches. Be genuinely interested in them. Pursue their spiritual good. Follow the Apostle Paul’s example. A host of Christian friends stood behind his missionary efforts (see Romans 16). Raise gospel-loving friends. Lots of them.
Supporting the work of establishing healthy churches in around the
Before you get clarity on a location or a sending organization, understand the gospel. Don’t get so distracted by the uncertainties of preparation that you neglect clarity on the gospel. Looking back, we’re so thankful we saturated our minds and lives in the gospel. We memorized cross-centered verses, sang cross-centered songs, read crosscentered books, and listened to crosscentered sermons. So, when we were confronted with false religion and bad teaching on the field, we were prepared.
DAILY GRIND.
Proclaiming the gospel to the unreached in a faraway land is exciting and significant. Working as a bank teller in North Dakota was not. But looking back, I’m so thankful I served as a bank teller for two years before moving overseas. The job was repetitive and mundane,
like language learning and a list of other tasks that lose glamour overseas. Be faithful with what is in front of you. Cultivate the ability to plod. You’re building endurance for the daily grind that’s waiting for you on the field.
A THEOLOGY OF SUFFERING.
Suicide bombers attacked the capital city of our planned destination six months before we moved overseas. Our team leader said there would be no shame if we backed out. If we decided to come, we needed to clearly state why. It was a helpful exercise. We stared risk in the face and reaffirmed what we see from Genesis to Revelation: God has a plan to save a people for himself. He accomplishes that plan through the suffering of his Son and the suffering of his people. The Lamb who was slain is worthy to receive the reward of his suffering. Before you go, settle that in your soul.
Missionary life is humbling because the missionary will never truly arrive. If you go to the field, you will always be learning. You will most likely never achieve full native status in the foreign language and culture in which you are serving. More importantly, you are a lifelong student of Jesus Christ. So how can you best prepare for a life of service to the Lord in a foreign context? You can seek to cultivate your love for your local church, your love for the culture you desire to serve, and ultimately your love for the Lord.
First, be a student in your local church! Press into the life of God’s people whom he has called you to serve. Look closely into the lives of those who are running the race with faithfulness. Ask good questions that point regular conversations to Christ and his word. Make disciples. Choose a couple of
people with whom to follow Jesus, and then read the word and pray with them. Seek to do them spiritual good. These ministry patterns and priorities will serve you well in the long run.
Second, develop an intimate understanding of the culture to which you hope to bring the gospel. Learn about the beautiful things: the different foods, greetings, clothing, and dialects. Watch movies. Start conversations with people. Get an online language tutor. Go to a cultural center. Also learn about the ways sin has corrupted that culture. How is marriage viewed? What does it mean to be human? What is their god like? Consider how the gospel light shines into the specific darkness of that culture.
Most importantly, press on to know the Lord better through his word. Seek
to be like Mary who chose the better portion at the feet of Jesus. Remember that no time spent lingering with the Lord is wasted. Explore him. Who is he? (Think through the doctrine of the Trinity.) How has he revealed himself to humanity, starting with the prophets and culminating in Christ? (Consider biblical theology.) What has he done to display his love to a sinful world? (Meditate on the doctrine of salvation.) And don’t stop there. How do all these essential doctrines work themselves out in the context of a church? What does it look like to disagree over preferences? How does disagreement over a gospel issue look different?
By living now as a student of the local church, another culture, and God’s word, you are setting yourself up for a life full of learning on the field.
The Reaching and Teaching YouTube Channel is a great resource to learn more about conversations in missions and RTIM! Videos include… - Tokyo Documentary - Conversations with Missionaries - Ways to Pray
Global Worker - Asia
Being a supported worker is one of the greatest blessings. Seek as many financial and prayer partners as you can.
“‘Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?’ And they said to him, ‘We are able’” (Mark 10:38b-39a ESV). Jesus asks his ambitious disciples a hard question here. As Eckhard Schnabel remarks, “They lack understanding, but they are courageously loyal.”1
Something similar happens every day as Christians beam with ambition and set their faces toward becoming missionaries. They’re courageous and loyal, but they often lack understanding. At least that was true for me. And I’m thankful for those who were willing to help. So, here’s what I say when aspiring workers ask me how to prepare. My aim is to help you prepare harder, go further, grow faster, and last longer.
First, engage your church. This can’t be overstated or affirmed just because you are supposed to do so. Engaging your local church will teach you to submit to leaders, know your gifts, and prefer others. These lessons will sharpen your
understanding of where and how you might fit in the missionary task.
Second, get sufficient training. You don’t know what you don’t know, so learn from those who know better. Church experience provides needed experience, and seminary classes offer broad knowledge. You need to know which hills to die on and how to speak measured words. Read beyond what’s required. Get training that the church can’t teach, such as first-aid; language acquisition; and business skills, if needed. Your training should match your intention. Do you want to be a pastor? A deacon-like teammate? A seminary professor? A Bible translator? A superhero homeschooling mom? The answer to that question will shape your preparation. Invest in your ministry.
Third, find a team. Work the relationships of trust you already have and find someone you know, agree with, and can submit to. If there’s no one to join, then make sure you’re making that difficult decision with input from your church.
Fourth, rally support. Being a supported worker is one of the greatest blessings. Seek as many financial and prayer partners as you can. Don’t shortchange
your ministry. In a few years, you won’t have the network you have now. And remember, partners are not just a means to an end of ministry. They’re a part of your ministry.
Fifth, here are some rapid-fire pieces of advice:
1. Take the vision trip because you can’t see everything on a video call.
2. Number your days before you go. Remaining stateside to celebrate the next Thanksgiving isn’t weakness.
3. Prepare to relearn how to abide in Christ because rhythms will go sideways.
4. Go digital with your books because there aren’t enough suitcases.
5. Be patient with your spouse. Trust me on this.
6. Care for your extended family because they’re saying goodbye, too.
1 - Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mark: An Introduction and Commentary, ed. Eckhard J. Schnabel, vol. 2, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (London: InterVarsity Press, 2017), 251.
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Praise God for the growth of a congregation in a major MENA city. The need for healthy churches in this city is immense, and we are thankful for the spiritual health of this young congregation.
REGIONAL UPDATES - MENA
Peter Brock: Regional Leader - MENA
The Middle East and North Africa is vast and unrelenting in its harshness, not only geographically, but also regarding the gospel. However, despite the difficulties in the region, local churches are being planted, and others are increasing in biblical health. Here are a few highlights:
*Ecclesia International is a network of churches that cooperate to fulfill the Great Commission through strengthening and planting trade language and indigenous churches in the 1040 Window and around the world. In March of this year, I had the opportunity to attend Ecclesia Intl’s biannual gathering in the UAE. The event was marked by excellent preaching, meaningful encouragement, and effective networking—not only across the MENA region but around the world as well.
I was particularly encouraged by the churches in the UAE who are committed to healthy ecclesiology as well as training up young men to elder in churches around the world. RTIM has several workers in the UAE in these churches and I am grateful for the work that has been invested in raising up healthy churches in the UAE.
With that said, please be in prayer for two young churches in the UAE, both pastored by RTIM workers. These gatherings have faced unusual challenges related to securing meeting spaces that meet their needs. While the Lord appears to be providing some encouraging answers, please pray that both churches will soon have adequate facilities to support their growth.
*In another North African country, we are seeing the establishment of a national language church in a culture that is unfriendly to the gospel. RTIM workers have labored for several years to learn language, grow relationships, and teach and preach gospel truth. Please pray for the Lord to continue to protect and grow this young body of believers.
*Language and Culture Acquisition to “the next place”. The RTIM team that is currently in the last months of language and cultural acquisition are encouraged as they look to their next ministry context. They will, Lord willing, be headed to a country in MENA in which they will engage with previously unreached or underreached peoples. They have been able to travel to their
anticipated next context a few times, and they are encouraged by the potential for relationships and gospel witness in a land that is closed to gospel proclamation. Please pray as they finish out formal language and cultural acquisition and begin to transition toward their new ministry context in the next 6 months or so.
*Praise God for the growth of a congregation in a major MENA city. The need for healthy churches in this city is immense, and we are thankful for the spiritual health of this young congregation. The RTIM worker family has labored faithfully and diligently to build strong relationships and bring health to the young gathering. Please pray for continued unity and growth.
Thank you for your prayers for the work of the gospel in this region. Praise God with us for the bright lights of healthy churches that are burning brightly in the desert!
Learn more about Long-term opportunities by connecting with a Mobilizer at rtim.org.