Before you even think about starting deputation
Missionary Matt and Mary going to Madagascar.
Matt was laying under the car working. His new testiamnet is just over on the steps where he came in from the living room to the gargage. His love for God thundered in his heart. He heard them speak at the missions conference he met the missionaries and as he laid on his back changing the oil, was it some dust that fell into his eyes or was it something else that brought tears to his eyes. All matt knew was that when he got out from under his he reached over and picked up his greese strained new testmanet and he thought about the millions around the world who have never heard the gospel. He went into the house, Mary asked what wrong, he pulled her too him and said Mary I think God wants to do something with our lives. I really have been thinking about Madagascar. I think I will talk to that missionary recruiter, what do you think. Afrer much pray matt and mary met with the missionary recruiter and felt that it was Gods will for them to be missionaries to Madagascar. They had classes in the churches bible institute at night, they worked in a bus route, mary has kept the nursery, they both joined the choir. Matt has even taught in Sunday school and some of the old ladies even think that he does a good job. The pastor is very excited to hear about matt. There is no sweeter couple in his church and they will be the first missisonaries his church has ever sent out. Time is short over 4000 go to hell ever hour so matt is determined to get there as quickly as possible. Witihin weeks he is excepted by his missions agency to a field he has only read and prayed about. Though matt and mary love God very much, about the furtherest trip they have ever made was to Florida of summer vacation. To be honest they don’t even have any black people in their church nor any other foreign natiionaliteies. But they do consider themselves to be quite an international church because they do support 60 missionaries at $50 a month and they only have 80 people attending the church. Matt excitedly began to put together his display prayer cards and video presentation after reading material on how to have a successful deputation. For three and half years Matt and Mary along with their three kids, mike who what 7 years of age, Melissa who was 4, and megan who just turned 2 traveled to different churches sharing their heart for the field and people of Madagascar. They spoke of the love for the people God had given them. They left with the plane tickets in one hard and their dreams in the other. After arriving on the field they quickly started language school and realized that they had to leave their kids with someone they’ve never met nor could communicate with. The first of many arguments on the mission field started when Mary had to rely on others to take care of her children while she attended language school.
After one year of torture Matt and Mary finished up their language studies. Matt finished being able to communicate fairly well in the language. Mary struggled more but she was getting the hang of it. The family had finished their language studies and now it was time for them to begin their exciting ministry of reaching people that have never even heard a presentation of the gospel. Matt set aside a large room in his house to start a Sunday morning service and began to pass out tracts and invite as many people as he could talk to. He quickly learned that even by passing out thousands of pieces of paper he still couldn’t get anyone to come to his service. He found out that they were not as hungry for the gospel as he thought they were when he visited Madagascar on his survey trip. They found out that the piece of paper they were taking was being used for toilet paper instead of encouraging them to accept Christ or even come to church. Finally Mike was able to get five people to come and visit their church service.
Frustrated feeling like a fraud or fake, aimlessly wondering in the wilderness through deputation and a first term. A missionary has to come home and stand up and put on smile and pretend to be greaty used of God. In all reality it was nothing what he expected. It is far harder than he ever imagined. He thought he was prepared… and he was for failure. Then he woke up in a strange environment with a strange language being spoken around him. Strange sights and sounds and would have come home with his tail between his legs but he was just too much of a man. He would rather take it and fake it than to disappoint God’s people and give up. Things you are about to read will on purpose be shocking hard and scary. But it is our sincere desire that you return with joy.
Before you start deputation we want you to consider this book. You’ve heard the old cliché about the cart before the horse and many men are putting deputation before their training. They think they will get their training on deputation or after you get to the field. Neither one of these things should be try. This is leads to frustration unfulfilled dreams and failure. Our desire in writing this book
Dear missionary candidate,
PLEASE fill out this questionnaire and send it back to us. DO NOT just throw it away and end your contact with us because you felt intimidated by the questions or you do not understand our mission philosophy. Even worse, do not through it away because you feel you could not give us all the “right” answers.
You have determined it is God’s will that you be a missionary for Him. Your pastor and local church have born witness to this calling and have commissioned you for this purpose and that is why you contacted us to solicit our partnership with you in reaching your field of service. Our desire is to be a help to you and your local church in that process. We the pastor and people of Vision Baptist Church care about God’s work and your part in it. We want you to go the mission field trained, equipped and supported for the task God has for you.
In preparing this questionnaire I have drawn upon the over 20 years of experience on the mission field as well as 15 years as a pastor here at home. I have prayed and asked God to give me wisdom in its preparation and that He would use it as a helpful tool both for our church and for you the missionary.
If you have any questions regarding any of the questions on the questionnaire, please call me or e-mail me personally. I will be happy to take time with you as you are worthy of the investment. Our goal is to help you succeed at what God has called you to do whether we are able to financially support you or not.
Missionary Application
Missionary Name ____________________________________
Country of service___________________________________
Birthdates of all family members
Husband _________________________________________
Wife ____________________________________________
Children ___________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Wedding anniversary _________________________________
Church membership and for how long
__________________________________________________
Contact information for Pastor
__________________________________________________
Mission’s Agency, address, and contact person
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
We would like to ask you to fill out the following questionnaire. Each part has been added to allow us to get to know you better and to help you understand how to answer the questions. We are sure that you may feel that this questionnaire is for the purpose of eliminating you but that is not its purpose. Rather we want to get to know you and to see if you have the training and preparation that we feel is necessary to do the work that God has called you to do.
We realize that much of this questionnaire may be overwhelming but please understand that this is not our purpose. If you feel that you do not have the answers then maybe you should work at further preparation and learning either in your church, another training institution, or under a prepared veteran missionary. We believe that missionaries should be of a higher training than just going to the mission field to practice. Your home church should really help you to prepare for this great work that God has called you to do.
If the team work concept seems foreign to you let me explain that it is much like a church staff and a church working together. Most young men could not immediately take a church that is being greatly used of the Lord without learning in a mentor style relationship as they practice and prove their gifts and calling. To be a missionary supported by Vision means that we consider you worthy of being on the church staff.
If you have not read much and do not understand many of the things that are mentioned here we will be glad to help you find the books and materials and begin the learning and growing process.
No one question or group of questions is the determining factor in whether or not our church will allow you to present neither your ministry nor our supporting you. Rather they help us to get to know you and see if you have the right preparation and or a teachable spirit. Do you place a great deal of importance on the ministry God has called you to do. Are you willing to pay whatever price to be greatly used of God?
We have been careful not to choose questions that are personally intrusive or offensive. We hope that none of the questions would be considered “nitpicky”. We ARE NOT looking to find out something to not like about you. Rather, these questions are designed to gauge if you have the qualifications we look for in a missionary, at this time, to do the work that God has called you to do.
Much about your relationship to nationals will be new to you but there are plenty of materials that you can read to learn how to be prepared to work with nationals on the field.
Maybe the issue of accountability is new to you but to us this is important and we would want you to learn about that and see how you could be better prepared to serve God through teamwork and accountability.
Do not try to answer like you think we want you to answer. Please just be yourself and answer honestly. There are no really right answers to these questions.
Any perceived insufficiency can be taken care of in several ways so please do not feel threatened by the questions. We love missionaries and we love world evangelism. It is simply our desire to do the most that we can with what God has given us to use. We feel that a missionary that is prepared to do the work will be of greater use than one who is unprepared.
1. What type of ministry or ministries do you plan on having?
a. Church Planting
i. As the head pastor
ii. Or in a support role
iii. Other ministry as part of church planting
b. Bible College training of future leaders
c. Evangelist
i. Soul winner
ii. Preaching evangelistic meetings over wide areas
d. Preparation of Materials
i. Printing
ii. Writing
iii. Translation
e. Media ministry
i. Television
ii. Radio
iii. Internet
iv. Other ministry involved in getting the message of Christ to the world
2. What educational preparation have you had to do the ministry?
a. Bible College or Institute
b. Personal preparation
c. Pastoral preparation
3. How many people have you personally led to Christ?
a. In your preaching ministry
b. In personal soul winning where you were the speaker not just the partner
4. How many people have you personally discipled from the new birth to full dedication and service and are now serving God faithfully in your local church?
a. This can involve a classroom setting but means a person that you personally were the principal discipler or trainer and the pastor and the person would acknowledge your principal and direct role in that person’s life
b. This means taking them through at least the minimum Bible truths and seeing them become faithful follower of Jesus Christ involved in the ministry of your local church in some type of leadership role
c. How many have you discipled or influenced that are now in full time ministry or on their way to being in full time ministry?
5. What is your strategy or plan for accomplishing the ministry you feel that God has called you to?
a. Will you be starting a church and leaving it and if so how long do you project that you will need to do that?
b. Will you be starting a base or mother church and staying there?
c. What types of ministry do you think that you will have to truly say that you are trying to be a missionary to the entire country?
d. What sort of discipleship or training do you intend to do?
e. Name 3 specific goals that you have for your ministry in the next year, and then in the next five years.
6. What ministry experience do you have?
a. Do you have a minimum of two years of faithful service in the ministry of your local church? This would include your wife and children and their faithfulness to be involved in the church and its ministries.
b. Sunday School classes
c. Soul winning
d. Preaching
e. Pastoring
f. Youth work
g. Other
7. How much overseas experience and or cross cultural experience do you have
a. Have you ever worked with anyone that was of a different race or language in a church or soul winning setting
b. Have you made overseas trips if so to where and what did you do there
c. Have you ever attempted to learn a foreign language and if you did how did it go for you?
d. How many books have you read on getting prepared for cross-cultural work? Which ones?
8. How do you feel that nationals fit into ministry leadership in the ministry that God has called you to do?
a. Are nationals expected to live to a different level of accountability than you?
b. Can a national where you are going be expected to be as successful in church leadership as you?
c. Can nationals be trusted with money and responsibility?
d. What can be done to not ruin or spoil the national with the money and materials that might be placed in his hands in the ministry?
9. Can you answer the following questions about the country where you will be serving?
a. What is the population of your country?
b. What are the major cities in your country?
c. Are there other fundamental missionaries in your country?
d. What are the main religions in the country?
e. How stable is the government?
f. What is the racial makeup of the country?
g. What is the minimum wage in the country?
h. What is the average household income?
10. Do you plan on working with a veteran missionary when you arrive on the field? If so who and what accountability will you have to him?
a. If you do not plan on working with a veteran missionary when you arrive what special training and experience do you have that would ensure your successful adaptation to the field and ministry there?
b. What kind of accountability structure is set up more than simply using this missionary’s name?
c. How long do you plan on working with this missionary?
d. What has this missionary accomplished that would make him a valuable mentor for you?
11. Do you plan on working in a team relationship on the field and if so with who.
a. Explain the ministry that you will be working with. What has been accomplished there?
b. How can you add to or benefit that ministry.
c. How will you deal with the authority structure of the team relationship?
d. How long do you plan on working as a part of the team?
e. What past relationship do you have with this missionary that would indicate the possible success of your relationship?
12. Do you plan on learning the language?
a. What is the language spoken in the country where you will be serving?
b. How long will you be in language school?
c. If you do not learn the language within the specified time what will you do?
d. Where will you go to language school?
e. What sort of structure does the school have?
f. What success rate has the school or method shown?
g. Have you read “Language Acquisition Made Practical?”
h. Are you willing for the language school and senor missionaries to give an honest appraisal of your language after two years to see if you can truly be effective in the language and ministry there?
i. Would you be willing to take a helper’s role if your language doesn’t measure up?
j. Will you promise to continue in language school and preparation until you can truly speak the language effectively?
k. Are there tribal languages that are spoken and should you learn one? Why or why not?
13. How long have you been on deputation?
a. Have you averaged gaining at least 35% of new support each year that you are on deputation?
b. How much actual money are you trying to raise for both personal support and ministry funds?
c. When you say how long you have been on deputation does that include part time or are you dividing that to make it appear that you have been on deputation for a shorter period of time?
d. Are you raising an amount that is adequate for the country and ministry you are going to according to your mission’s agency or veteran missionaries on your field?
14. Are you or does your mission’s agency make preparations for an emergency escrow fund for minor problems that you might incur on the field and in your ministry?
15. Do you personally tithe and give to missions?
16. Do you have a strong marriage and family relationship or have you clearly accepted your singleness if God has not given you a mate?
17. What kind of personal growth plan do you have?
a. Book reading plan
b. Seeking growth through further training
c. Blogs, pod casts, CDs etc.
d. Conferences or seminars
18. What kind of accountability systems do you have in place in your life?
a. For your internet usage
b. For your personal devotions etc
c. For your continual personal spiritual and academic growth
19. Explain your personal devotional plan that you currently use and share something that God has given you fresh in the last day or so.
a. How many times have you read the Bible through from cover to cover approximately?
b. What Bible reading plan and or devotional book reading plan do you have?
c. Give several things that God has shown you in the last several days from the Scriptures.
