Should I join a mission agency?

If you are considering missionary service, you might wonder why you should link up with a mission agency as well as being sent and supported by your own church. This article from the ReachAcross website is used with permission and sets out some of the key reasons:

What benefits will I gain?

A mission agency:

• Can give you helpful advice on personal and ministry preparation 
• Can provide you with important services, such as:

 

Outgoing support when you go out for the first time:

• Helping you answer questions your friends, church, and supporters may have about your

• Future ministry
• Preparation
• Supervision
• Ongoing support

• Guiding you to fit into the right team
• Assisting you in starting a new team
• Giving advice on obtaining a visa
• Advising you on options for educating your children

• Giving guidance on how you may use your skills, training, and abilities
• Advising you on language learning opportunities

• Ensuring you have suitable medical and emergency insurance and a suitable pension plan

 

Ongoing field support:

• Providing member care
• Giving regular debriefing, and critical incident debriefing
• Advising on security issues, risk assessment, and contingency planning
• Processing your finances and financial transfers
• Enabling effective and secure communications
• Providing in service training opportunities

 

Facilitating your home assignments:

• Helping you prepare your itinerary
• Providing you with equipment and materials
• Suggesting contacts and places to share about your ministry 

 

Supporting your final re-entry to your sending country:

• Providing re-entry debriefing to minimize reverse culture shock
• Arranging temporary accommodation
• Assisting you in re-adjusting to living ‘at home’ again
• Facilitating necessary legal and governmental requirements   

Take a look at ReachAcross’s mission preparation programme and support services.

 

Speak to someone in ReachAcross about how we can support your vision and passion.