Our Philosophy

Our philosophy of training at MissioSERVE is built around the conviction that everyone who is called to be a missionary has been set apart for a specific mission and needs to be equipped, prepared, and supplied for that mission.  While there are benchmarks that nearly every missionary has to meet, each missionary possesses unique strengths and weaknesses that need refinement and strengthening for the field. This is why we have developed the D3 process for training. The three D’s are Discovery, Development, and Deployment.

In the Discovery phase of training, we learn about your background and experience and assess the character formation you have already experienced. (Romans 5:2-5) At MissioSERVE, we do not call or send. God calls, the missionary answers, and the church sends. (Acts 13:1-4) At MissioSERVE, we equip, guide, and advise both the church and the missionary in answering God’s call. In this Discovery stage we identify the fundamentals of the mission, the missionary, and the sending church. We help clarify the vision and the desire of the missionary and/or the sending church so we can best equip the missionary for that mission. This information helps determine and detail the training needs of the missionary and the areas of development for the sending church in order to successfully carry out the mission.

---

In the Development phase, we focus on refining the strengths and strengthening the weaknesses of the missionary to equip them for the work they have been called to do. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Every missionary and every mission is unique, but there is some training that is nearly universal for all missionaries. One of these areas is spiritual warfare. A missionary will confront spiritual warfare even in the early stages of field preparation. Our training will prepare you to deal with the warfare. (Ephesians 4:14-16)

In the Development stage, MissioSERVE will also:

• Help you discover, refine, and strengthen your spiritual gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11)
• Introduce you to the study of culture and equip you with tools that enable you to understand and communicate to a new culture. (1 Corinthians 9:19-27)
• Prepare you to build cross cultural partnerships that accommodate your sending church back home and your partners in your host culture. (Philippians 4:14-20)
• Prepare you for a life of discipleship and for sharing what you have learned and what you know with your sending church, other partners at home, and those to whom God has called you. (2 Timothy 2:2-7)
• Give you tools to answer and evaluate questions such as: How do you create a ministry plan? How do you judge the potential success and operation of your vision and ministry? How can you be sure that you are doing your best to serve the needs of the people in your host culture? (Luke 14:28-33)
• Help you become the kind of servant leader that all of us have been called to be. Leading while serving is one of the most important elements in being an effective missionary. (John 13:14-16, Luke 22:24-28, Matthew 20:25-28, Mark 10:42-45)

We also teach practical skills including language learning techniques, basic security practices, communication skills, and others. If your mission plan calls for skills that we cannot provide, we match you with outside sources to help you acquire those skills. For instance, if you are going to be a missionary pilot, we cannot and will not teach you how to fly, but we will make sure you find the right training to be a great pilot! All of us at MissioSERVE are dedicated to making sure every missionary we serve will be ready for their unique field and mission!

---

Our commitment does not end with pre-field training. To make sure that you have time to practice what you have learned and incorporate it in your life on the field, every MissioSERVE missionary spends their first two years of deployment in on-field training and preparation. This involves language and cultural learning as part of mission preparation. During this time, the MissioSERVE staff coaches the missionary through the problems they encounter and reminds the missionary of the training they have mastered. At the same time, MissioSERVE will also aid the sending church in not only learning their role, but will also mentor them in their partnership responsibilities. The link between a sending church and a missionary is vital to a successful missions effort, and we work hard to make that relationship as strong and mutually supportive as possible. We do this through a Missionary Development Plan (MDP) which will eventually generate the Mission Plan (MP) and vision for both the missionary and the sending church.

At the completion of on-field training, the missionary and the sending church should have a mature, well-developed vision for the mission along with two years of practical experience preparing the missionary and church to begin the mission.

At this point, MɪssɪᴏSERVE fades a little in prominence, but we continue to serve any way we can at the request of the missionary and the sending church. For example, we might assist with missionary care, communication improvement, or facilitating fundraising. We also offer other services and expertise to the senders and the sent such as MɪssɪᴏGO, our short-term trip planning, training, and logistics services; our prayer resources for the UUPGs; and our MoBiL teaching ministry. Our goal is for the sending church to be active in the Missio Dei (mission of God) through direct participation with their “sent ones.” We also want the missionaries to be well prepared and suited for their mission since cross cultural life and ministry is intensely stressful and difficult. Once those goals are met, our role becomes one of “serving the mission” and nurturing and protecting that vital relationship between the senders, the sent, and the hosts, along with fulfilling our own task in the Missio Dei.

Career Missions