MISSION CANDIDATE PATHWAY RESOURCES

The Faith Bible Church Missions Candidate Pathway is our guided path for members exploring and pursuing being sent as a missionary from our church. The local church plays a vital role in missions and in the development, recognition, and preparation of missionaries. Preparation
focuses on experiences, training, and relationships.


The pathway is divided into 4 phases, each with its own goals and resources. The phases are Explore, Pursue, Prepare, and Commit. Candidates move through the phases at their own pace based on their circumstances and availability.

 

Throughout the candidate's journey, we invest intentionally to help them grow in three key areas: Character, Conviction, and Competence. This growth is encouraged through experiences, training, and relationship-building:

 

Character:

● Calling - internal compulsion and external confirmation

● Personal spiritual disciplines

● Biblical qualifications for leadership

● Reputation of integrity

 

Conviction:

● Bible and theological knowledge

● Church planting

● Global awareness

● Global missions

● Lifelong learning

● Evangelism


Competence:

● Two-way local church experience and relationship-building (candidate serving the church, church evaluating the candidate, both strengthening the relationship)

● Missions strategy and experience

● People skills: Leadership, teamwork, chemistry

● Support-raising

● Cross-cultural capacity, including language learning

● Missions agency relationship

● Business/secular skills

 


Resources for Missions Candidates

 

We thank God for you and pray that God will bless you through your participation in the pathway. We’ll work with you on a personalized plan, but here are some general resources for you during each phase of the pathway.


When we connect you to a mentor, it will be your responsibility as a candidate to initiate interactions with your mentor.

 

Explore


This is where you start if you’re open to the idea of missions and want to find out more. When you’re ready, the missions team will connect you with a mentor and begin to help you compile a personalized development plan. Here’s what you should expect in this phase:

 

Character and Calling

● Begin/maintain personal spiritual disciplines (Bible intake, prayer, church engagement, evangelism)

● Select a mentor, in cooperation with missions leadership

● Compile a mutually agreed upon list of personal growth areas, collaborating with your mentor and missions leadership.

 

Conviction

● Be a member of FBC in good standing

● Read and engage with the FBC Missions Charter

● Read these books and complete the required one-page reports (Reading Reports instructions are HERE)

Habits of Grace by David Mathis
Missions by Andy Johnson
Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ by John Piper
Shadow of the Almighty by Elizabeth Elliot
Here to There by David Meade

 

Competence

● Be actively involved in K Groups

● Become involved in some type of local church ministry

 

Even if your journey ends here, we're so grateful for the growth you've seen through this phase.  We hope your work in this phase strengthened your connections to missions and equipped you to be a better sender/supporter, an essential role in missions.

 

Pursue


When you finish the Explore phase, if you are interested in actively working to become a sent missionary, you're ready for the Pursue phase. We'll work together to evaluate your readiness and suitability for life as a missionary. We’ll walk with you to confirm your calling. Here’s what
you should expect in this phase:


Character and Calling

● Begin to develop a care team and prayer network from among the church, friends, and relatives

● Interview three career missionaries (selected in conjunction with your mentor) who represent, if possible, the scope of fields, ministry, and/or agencies in which you are interested

 

Conviction

● Engage with the FBC Statement of Faith and the Church Missions Handbook

● Read these books and complete the required one-page reports:

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Don Whitney
Introduction to Global Missions by Zane Pratt, M. David Sills, Jeff K. Walters
How to Study the Bible by John MacArthur
Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
Evangelism by Mack Stiles
Developing a Healthy Prayer Life by James and Joel Beeke
Foreign to Familiar by Sarah A. Lanier
John Paton autobiography

No Graven Image by Elizabeth Elliot

 

Competence

● Work in a ministry that requires team participation, with a particular eye towards developing skills of people, chemistry, leadership, teamwork.

● Participate in a cross-cultural experience outside the U.S.

● In coordination with missions leadership, contact several potential missions agencies and request information about service with their organization

● Begin a detailed investigation on the policies, requirements, philosophies, and fields of potential matching missions agency partners

 

Prepare

 

If you’ve been confirmed by the church and are ready to begin actively preparing for the mission field, you’re in the Prepare phase. You’ll work with church leadership to evaluate potential missions agency partners while also developing skills and experience needed for a successful
transition to the field.


Further development guidance for this phase is still a work in progress.


Commit


If you’re confirmed by the local church and accepted by a missions agency, you’re in the Commit Phase. You’ll finalize preparations for the field, build a ministry partnership team, raise needed support, and commence service.


Further development guidance for this phase is still a work in progress.


Reading Reports


Your reading report should include the following information / answers:


● Title and Author
● (1-2 sentences) Introduce the author. Why is he or she an authority on this subject?
● (⅓ of report) Who is the intended audience? What is the thesis/main purpose of the book? Briefly summarize the major ideas and arguments the author uses to support his or her thesis.
● (⅓ of report) Evaluate the book, providing your opinion of how well (or how poorly) the author fulfilled his or her purpose/supported the thesis. Discuss both strengths and weaknesses.
● (2-3 sentences) Describe how your reading affected you personally or how it would be beneficial in ministry. For example, who would you recommend this book to? Who would find it useful? Also, list any questions you have as a result of this reading.
● (2-3 sentences) Provide one quotation that seemed particularly important to you (provide page number). Interact with it in your own words (why is it important / insightful)?

 

Submit your report by… TBD


Resources for Mentors

 

We thank God for you and your willingness to be a part of the support and development of our missions candidates.


Here are some of you responsibilities as a mentor:
● Meet with the candidate on a regular schedule (initiated by the candidate)
● Develop a relationship of trust and transparency with the candidate
● Leverage the relationship to stimulate growth in the candidate and to facilitate evaluation of the candidate’s qualifications for missionary service
● Assist the candidate to meet specific development goals
● Give mature counsel to the candidate about decisions related to preparation and other life issues that need to be addressed before departure for missionary service
● Encourage the candidate throughout the development process
● Pray regularly for the candidate
● Maintain communication with the missions leadership about the candidate’s progress


Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q: I'm not on the Missions Candidate Pathway yet.  How do I get started?

 

A: Apply HERE and a member of the FBC Missions Team will connect with you to talk with you in more detail about your current interest and guide you on next steps.


Got Questions / Feedback?


Got questions or feedback about these resources and/or the Missions Candidate Pathway?

 

Submit them HERE.